About Marikay
Marikay Gazda offers support to people facing depression, anxiety, grief, and major life transitions, with particular attention to the stresses that come with aging, caregiving, and chronic health concerns. She emphasizes helping clients rebuild self-esteem, improve communication, reduce isolation, and reconnect with a sense of purpose.
Background and approach
With a calm, compassionate presence she works to transform feelings of guilt, shame, and emptiness into practical steps toward healing. Holding an Illinois LCSW and drawing on 35 years of practice, Marikay blends person-centered care with evidence-based methods to tailor therapy to each individual's needs.
Her experience includes addressing panic attacks, attachment concerns, end-of-life issues, and the emotional toll of serious illness. Clients can expect a thoughtful clinician who values collaboration and practical coping strategies while honoring the whole person and their life story.
Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care
Marikay frequently uses Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to guide online work. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping people explore their own values and choices; it can be especially helpful for addressing isolation, life purpose, and building self-love. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy examines patterns of thought and behavior to reduce symptoms of anxiety, panic, and depression by developing practical coping skills and structured strategies.Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and will be decided collaboratively. She will work with clients to identify goals, preferences, and the approaches that feel most useful, adapting methods as progress unfolds to ensure sessions remain relevant and focused on what matters most to the individual.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These formats make it easier to maintain consistent care during caregiving responsibilities, health challenges, or busy periods, and they allow licensed professionals to deliver focused, goal-oriented work without requiring in-person visits.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Emptiness
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 35 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English