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Molly McLay
(She/Her/Hers)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Whether you're seeing me because of trauma, anxiety, social identity work, neurodivergence, or anything else, you will be in the driver's seat.
I know that taking the step to begin therapy can be really hard, because... feelings. We have them, whether we want to or not. Understanding our thoughts and behaviors can also be hard. And making changes to improve our lives may be the hardest of all. My job is to acknowledge that this is hard, and to validate your feelings, whatever they are. I will sit in those feelings with you. I will also get to know you and your story, the people and things that are important to you, and help you set goals around what you want to focus on (such as learning skills, moving through difficult experiences, or utilizing therapeutic techniques). I have the most experience working with trauma, especially from gender-based violence; with individuals experiencing marginalization due to their gender or sexual identities; with undergraduates, graduate students, and academic professionals; and with anxiety, ADHD, neurodiversity, chronic illness, and infertility. I will strive to help you feel that for the hour you are talking to me, there is nothing more important than getting to know you, sitting with you in wherever you are on that particular day, and supporting you in whatever way you need.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
- Abuse
- Academic Concerns
- Anxiety
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Career
- Childhood Abuse
- Chronic Illness/Pain
- Burnout
- Depression
- Disability
- Gender Identity
- Grief and Loss
- Infertility
- Insomnia
- Life Transitions
- Loneliness/Isolation
- Perfectionism
- Performance Anxiety
- Personal Growth
- Physical Assault
- Physical Stress
- Polyamorous relationship
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Pregnancy/Loss of Pregnancy
- Racial Identity
- Racial/Cultural Oppression or Trauma
- Relationship Violence/Stalking/Harassment
- Relationship(s) with Friends/Roommates
- Relationship(s) with Parents/Children/Family
- Relationship(s) with Partner/Husband/Wife
- School Concerns
- Self-Esteem
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Concerns
- Sexual Identity
- Sleep Concerns
- Social Anxiety
- Trauma
- Women's Issues
- Work/Life Balance
- Postpartum Depression
Age groups
- Preteens (10-12)
- Teens (13-17)
- Young adults (18-30)
- Adults (31-64)
- Seniors (65 or older)
Special groups
- Body positivity
- Neurodivergent people
- People of color
- People who are bisexual
- People who identify as gay
- People who identify as lesbian
- People who identify as non-binary
- People who identify as queer
- People with disabilities
- Professional Healthcare Providers
- Transgender
Treatment specialties
Therapeutic modalities
- Assessment/Evaluation
- Couples Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Individual Therapy
Treatments
- Cognitive Restructuring
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Culturally-Sensitive Therapy
- Eclectic Approaches
- Exposure Therapy
- Feminist Therapy
- Gottman Method
- Motivational Interviewing
- Person-Centered Therapy
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
- Narrative Therapy
- Art Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Mindfulness Training
Remote options
- Voice
- Video
Payment options
Insurance
In-network coverage provided for the following insurance companies
- Optum – Illinois
- United HealthСare Student Insurance – Illinois
- Cigna – Illinois
- Health Alliance – Illinois
- Aetna – Illinois
- Humana – Illinois
- ComPsych – Illinois
- Medicare – Illinois
- Blue Cross Blue Shield – Illinois
- Out-of-network insurance
- Documentation provided for patient filling
- Out-of-pocket
- Sliding scale
- In-network insurance
- I offer a free consultation
Payment methods
- Credit Card
- Flexible Spending Account
- Health Savings Account
Credentials
Licenses
LCSW
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
149.017365, Illinois
LCSW
Missouri Division for Professional Registration
2019030509, Missouri
Education
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MSW (Master of Social Work), 2011
Mental health concentration with a focus on gender-based violence
Illinois Wesleyan University
BA (Bachelor of Arts), 2006
English/creative writing and gender/women’s studies double major