Marilyn Medow , LCSW

Marilyn Medow is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 35 years of practice based in Illinois. She draws on a long career in trauma response and social services to help people who are facing stress, anxiety, depression, and struggles with self-esteem. Marilyn often focuses on women's issues and aims to make the first step into therapy feel manageable and respectful.

Her early work centered on domestic violence, child welfare, and crisis intervention. That experience shaped a strong trauma-informed sense of what people need when they are scared or overwhelmed. Over decades she expanded her skill set to address many common life problems.

Marilyn uses a flexible approach that adapts to each person's situation. She listens for patterns tied to attachment, abandonment, control, and communication problems. From there she helps people try new ways of thinking and behaving that can ease pain and improve relationships.

She also supports people facing caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, body image concerns, and financial strain. Marilyn brings practical strategies alongside a willingness to talk through difficult feelings like guilt, shame, and isolation.

Her training includes a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point and a master’s degree from Smith College. She combines that academic background with years of hands-on work to guide people toward clearer direction and healthier routines.

Approaches that shape online care

Marilyn draws on established, evidence-based techniques to address trauma and ongoing stress. One approach focuses on trauma-informed care, which helps people name what happened, understand how it affects daily life, and practice coping strategies for triggers and flashbacks. Another common element centers on attachment-focused work that looks at patterns in relationships, helping people notice how early connections influence current responses and communication.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work. She collaborates with each person to decide which techniques match their needs, goals, and comfort level. That means trying ideas in session, checking what helps, and adjusting the plan over time so it fits the client's life and priorities.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to make therapy more flexible. Video calls are useful for in-depth conversations and nonverbal cues, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat offers a shorter check-in option, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between appointments. These options help people fit therapy into busy schedules and different routines.