Marianne Costales-Roman, LCSW

Marianne Costales-Roman is a licensed clinical social worker with 27 years of practice in Illinois. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship struggles. She also supports those facing parenting pressures, grief, trauma and abuse, and identity-related concerns including LGBT issues.

Her style is warm and direct. She creates an affirming space and listens for what matters most to each person. Sessions focus on practical steps that can be used between meetings, not only talk in the room.

Marianne draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and client-centered work to match techniques to a person’s needs. She also uses elements of dialectical behavior therapy and emotionally-focused therapy when helpful. These approaches are used to improve coping, mood, sleep, eating patterns, and communication skills.

She has worked with people facing life changes like career shifts, divorce and blended family transitions. Marianne offers help with complex issues such as abandonment, body image, codependency, dissociation, and caregiver stress. Her long experience includes supporting those dealing with bipolar symptoms and ADHD-related challenges.

Sessions are available in English and Spanish and are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Marianne approaches each person as an individual and works collaboratively to set goals and try realistic, measurable steps toward them.

Approaches to try online and how they help

CBT - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments or behavior changes. It often helps with anxiety, low mood, sleep and eating concerns.

ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy teaches skills for noticing difficult thoughts and feelings while moving toward valued actions. It can be useful for stress, chronic worry, and life transitions.

Client-centered therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship where the person's own goals guide the work. This approach supports building self-compassion and clearer communication in relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy. Marianne will work together with each person to choose techniques that fit their goals, culture, and daily life. She adapts methods over time based on what is helpful and what isn’t, so the plan evolves through collaboration.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls let people use visual cues and practice skills in real time. Phone sessions need less bandwidth and can fit a break during the day. Live chat or text-based messaging can be used for brief check-ins, homework support, or when tracking progress between sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, family, or busy schedules.