Marisa Riis, LCSW

Marisa Riis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Illinois with 24 years of clinical experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, grief, depression, self-esteem concerns, and major life changes. She has significant experience supporting new parents and individuals facing postpartum depression, offering specific guidance for that transition into parenthood.

Working from a strengths-based perspective, Marisa treats each person as the expert on their own story and partners with them to uncover existing strengths and resources. Her work emphasizes practical strategies to rebuild motivation, strengthen confidence, and manage difficult emotions while honoring each client’s goals and pace.

Marisa frames seeking therapy as a courageous step toward a more fulfilling life and focuses on empowering clients through collaborative support. Her practice integrates evidence-based therapeutic techniques with compassionate care to help people process loss, cope with ongoing stressors, and move forward through change.

Evidence-Based Approaches for Online Support

Marisa uses evidence-based techniques tailored to the issues she most often treats. She offers skill-building strategies to manage stress and anxiety, teaching practical tools that help reduce overwhelm and improve day-to-day coping. She provides grief-focused support that helps people process loss, develop adaptive coping strategies, and gradually rebuild emotional resilience. She also offers targeted support for new parents and postpartum challenges, focusing on restoring motivation, confidence, and balance during the transition to parenthood.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the collaborative process. Marisa works together with each person to identify what fits best based on their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts techniques over time as progress is made.

Online therapy with Marisa is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, giving flexibility to fit therapy into a busy life. These options make scheduling easier, support consistent care across distances, and allow clients to choose the format that feels most comfortable for them.