About Marissa Gray, LCSW, PMH-C
Therapist for Women in Chicago and via telehealth throughout the state of Illinois
About Marissa
Hi, I’m Marissa. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience supporting women, children, and families through transition, overwhelm, and identity shifts. I specialize in therapy for women, creating a private, grounded space to explore anxiety, motherhood, relationships, and the mental load.
Whether you’re navigating pregnancy, postpartum, motherhood, or the stress of everyday life, I’m glad you’re here.
My clients are often the ones everyone else leans on. They’re planners, doers, givers. And they’re tired. They’ve internalized the idea that they’re supposed to hold it all together, and do it well.
While I work with many mothers, my practice centers on women’s mental health more broadly. I support clients through identity shifts, relational stress, anxiety, and burnout, whether or not motherhood is part of their story.
In therapy, we gently question the expectations you’ve been carrying. We make space for what’s hard, name what’s unfair, and rebuild a sense of self that feels more grounded and more yours.
Who I Am
I Am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker
With the state of Illinois, a Certified Perinatal Mental Health Provider (PMH-C) through Postpartum Support International, and a former school social worker with over 15 years of experience supporting women, parents, families, and children. I’ve worked in schools, preschools, community nonprofits, and group practices. Each chapter shaped the therapist I am today and the practice I’ve built.
I Hold a Master’s Degree From The University of Chicago’s
Crown Family School of Social Work and a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Miami University, where I graduated summa cum laude with honors. I’ve trained future clinicians, opened a preschool from the ground up, managed a team of therapists, and supported families through both major life transitions and quiet, everyday chaos.
When I started Gray Therapy Group
I wanted to create something that didn’t feel clinical or corporate. A private space where women could unload the mental load without judgment. Where emotional safety and honest conversation come first.
What I Believe
I believe in therapy that meets you where you are. That honors the complexity of your emotions and never dismisses your fears. That names the cultural, systemic, and relational stressors so many women carry silently.
Whether you’re feeling overstimulated, stretched too thin, unsure of your identity, or overwhelmed by the noise of social media, I’m here to help you pause, reflect, and make space for yourself again.
I also work with women outside of motherhood; clients navigating anxiety, dating, identity shifts, or simply seeking clarity and steadiness in a chaotic world. You don’t need to be a parent to benefit from therapy here.
Why I Do This Work
Before becoming a therapist, when I was a school social worker and a preschool director, I was immersed in the worlds of children, families, and the complexities of caregiving.
I spent over 15 years partnering with parents, listening to moms, and working through moments of personal and professional transition.
I opened JCYS Wicker Park’s preschool the same week I found out I was pregnant with my first child. I’ve felt the joyful chaos and the unraveling of identity that happens when you become a mother. I’ve also lived through postpartum anxiety without fully understanding it at the time, even as a therapist. When I look back on that, I wish I had asked for help sooner. That lived experience now informs my empathy and insight as a perinatal therapist.
Therapy became my path not by design, but through evolution. I was drawn to the depth, boundaries, and connection it offers: this private, powerful space where someone feels truly seen. I love that therapy is both structured and fluid. It’s sacred time, set aside just for you.
What It’s Like to Work With Me
My clients say our sessions feel like conversations. They tell me I don’t tell them what to do. Instead, I help them figure it out for themselves. That they’re learning to speak to themselves more kindly. That their friends and partners are noticing the difference.
Therapy with me is not about “fixing” you. It’s about learning how to hold space for yourself the way you hold space for everyone else. It’s about unloading the mental load, one thought at a time.
I blend evidence-based practices like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a deeply human approach. You’ll feel supported, never judged. Our work will be grounded in your values and shaped by your goals, not by a rigid formula.
Areas Of Focus
I specialize in:
- Anxiety and Overwhelm
- Perinatal Mental Health (pregnancy, postpartum, fertility, loss)
- Mental Load & Boundaries
- Self-doubt, identity shifts, and decision-making
- Relationship dynamics, especially among moms and caregivers
- Therapy for therapists
While I see many moms and perinatal clients, I also work with women navigating relationships, boundaries, dating, anxiety, or simply seeking a space to think aloud and feel less alone. You don’t have to be a parent to benefit from therapy here.
I offer community-based workshops focused on boundaries, self-compassion, and mental load relief, especially in partnership with early childhood programs and wellness spaces.
Credentials & Background
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), State of Illinois
- Certified Perinatal Mental Health Provider (PMH-C)
- Professional Educator License in School Social Work
- MA in Social Work, University of Chicago
- B.S. in Early Childhood Education, Miami University of Ohio
Publications & Features
- 6 Approaches to Challenging Client Perspectives in Therapy Counselor Brief, May 2025
- Meet a Mom Chicago North Shore Moms Network, July 2024
- It Takes a Classroom: Preparing Students for Research & Creative Work co-authored with the president of Miami University, Liberal Education, Vol. 94, No. 3M.
Most of my clients come to me via word-of-mouth referrals, trusted consultation groups, or directory listings like Zencare, Psychology Today, Trauma-Informed Maternal Health Network, and Postpartum Support International. I maintain strong relationships with other therapists, educators, and professionals across Illinois.
I live just outside of Chicago with my husband, two children, and our dog. Outside the office, I’m likely at a kid’s sporting event, texting a friend, doing yoga, or bingeing the same shows you are.
Therapy That Meets You Where You Are
At Gray Therapy Group, you don’t have to perform or explain why you’re struggling. You’re allowed to feel what you feel and to ask for help. Whether you’re working through big questions or just need someone to listen without fixing, you’re in the right place.
Ready to begin?
Testimonials
You Don’t Have To Hold It All Alone. Reach Out Today.
I offer therapy exclusively via telehealth and am licensed to practice in the state of Illinois. Gray Therapy Group is a solo practice committed to high quality care that prioritizes women’s mental health and emotional well-being.
