Marlene Fannon, LISW

Marlene Fannon is a Licensed Independent Social Worker - LISW - with more than twenty years of experience supporting people facing mental health and substance use challenges. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ohio University and a Master of Social Work - MSW - from Ohio State University. Over the course of her career she has worked with individuals, couples, and groups in person and through remote formats such as video, telephone, chat, and messaging.

Marlene focuses on a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, addictions, sleep problems, parenting, mood disorders, and challenges related to gender and sexual identity. She also provides targeted support for caregivers dealing with stress, people coping with postpartum issues or seasonal mood changes, and those experiencing social anxiety or phobias. Her practice includes work with those navigating guilt, shame, and compassion fatigue.

Her clinical style draws on client-centered principles alongside cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based techniques, motivational interviewing, and narrative approaches. She often blends these methods to match each person’s needs and preferences. Marlene believes that each individual is the expert in their own story and that identifying strengths is central to change. She seeks to offer flexible scheduling and multiple formats for sessions, and aims to respond to messages within 24 hours to help people move forward with care and support.

Therapeutic Approaches for Flexible Online Care

Marlene Fannon uses client-centered therapy to create a collaborative and respectful space where the person’s goals and lived experience guide the work. This approach emphasizes listening, empathy, and building on strengths to address a wide range of life challenges such as relationship concerns, grief, and self-esteem issues.

She also incorporates cognitive behavioral therapy - CBT - which focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and developing practical strategies to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. Mindfulness therapy is used to help people cultivate present-moment awareness and stress management skills, which can support coping with overwhelming emotions and improve sleep and mood.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process, and Marlene works collaboratively with each person to determine which methods or combination of strategies best fit their needs, goals, and preferences. This collaborative planning helps tailor sessions to what will be most useful in the client’s daily life.

Online therapy offers practical benefits for people with busy schedules, mobility limits, or those living outside a therapist’s office hours. Through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, clients can access licensed professionals with more flexibility and greater ease in scheduling, maintaining continuity of care, and fitting therapy into their routines.