Marikay Gazda , LCSW

Marikay Gazda is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 35 years of experience supporting people through significant life transitions, emotional struggles, and personal growth. She focuses on helping individuals manage depression, anxiety, grief, and the distinctive challenges that come with aging and caregiving, bringing decades of clinical practice to each case.

Her work emphasizes compassion and respect for older adults, those living with chronic health conditions, and anyone facing major shifts in life circumstances. Marikay guides clients in rebuilding self-love, strengthening communication, reducing isolation, and reconnecting with a sense of purpose and meaning.

Marikay’s clinical experience covers a wide range of sensitive concerns including panic disorder, attachment issues, caregiver stress, and end-of-life and hospice counseling. She combines person-centered understanding with evidence-informed techniques to help people process painful emotions, resolve feelings of guilt or shame, and build practical coping strategies.

Throughout her practice, Marikay aims to create a compassionate therapeutic relationship that supports healing and resilience. Her approach is rooted in attention to each person’s history and needs, with the goal of helping clients move from emptiness and distress toward renewed strength and dignity.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Marikay draws on client-centered therapy to create a respectful, empathetic environment where the person’s own goals and values guide the work. This approach emphasizes listening and collaboration and is well suited to people seeking greater self-understanding, improved relationships, or support through life changes.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - CBT to help people identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns and develop practical skills for managing anxiety, depression, panic, and day-to-day stress. CBT offers structured tools that can reduce symptoms and improve coping.

Emotionally-Focused Therapy - EFT is another approach in her practice, useful for addressing attachment-related concerns and improving emotional connection in relationships. EFT helps people recognize and reshape interaction patterns that contribute to distress.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process. Marikay works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy options such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging provide flexibility for busy schedules, caregiving responsibilities, mobility limitations, or geographic constraints. These modalities make it easier to maintain continuity of care and access consistent support from licensed professionals when and where it fits into daily life.