Martha "Marti" Stany, LCSW, CSW - Therapist in Wisconsin

ACT and CBT
DBT skills
LGBTQ support

About Martha

Martha "Marti" Stany is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with ten years of experience. She works from Wisconsin and supports adults dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma, relationships, and anger. She also has experience with sexual diversity and intimacy concerns.

Marti focuses on practical steps people can use when feeling overwhelmed or stuck. She listens to each person’s story and helps them decide what to try next. Sessions often center on managing emotions, improving communication, and reducing reactive behavior that harms relationships.

Her work draws on several evidence-informed methods. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thinking and try different actions. Attachment-based ideas guide work on how past relationships shape current reactions.

She also brings Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills to help with distress tolerance and emotion regulation. Client-centered principles keep the pace directed by the person seeking help. Together these approaches support people coping with grief, addiction, sleep or eating struggles, and career or parenting stress.

Marti has particular experience supporting LGBTQ clients and people working through trauma and intimacy issues. She helps people explore boundaries, consent, kink and alternative sex culture without judgment. Practical goals might include fewer angry outbursts, clearer communication, or safer ways to express needs.

To begin, readers should confirm current session options and subscription details before booking. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice internal experiences without getting driven by them and then choose actions that align with personal values. This approach is useful for anger that grows from shame, avoidance, or stuck patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches tangible skills to shift unhelpful thinking that fuels reactive responses. That can help when frustration at work or home becomes repetitive. Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped before. Together they decide what methods to try and make adjustments as progress is reviewed. Confirm current session options before booking, since the biography does not list specific formats. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, for example by removing travel time or allowing shorter check-ins during a break. They can also let people practice new communication or emotion-regulation skills in the situations where those skills are needed most.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyLGBTTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesCoping with life changes

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderDepressionCoachingCompassion fatigue ADHD

Additional focus areas

Attachment issuesBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressCommitment issuesCommunication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDissociationDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shame Infidelity Isolation / loneliness JealousyLife purposeMen's issues Veteran and Armed Forces Issues Mood disordersPanic disorder and panic attacksPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPost-traumatic stressProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Self-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issuesWorkplace issues Young adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodImago Relationship TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

10+ years

Listed in

Texas, Illinois, Colorado, Wisconsin

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she help with?

She works with stress, anxiety, trauma, relationship and intimacy concerns, anger, and related issues such as grief, addiction, and sleep or eating problems.

How would she approach anger or temper issues?

She uses skills-based work such as DBT for emotion regulation and CBT to change unhelpful thinking related to anger. Sessions focus on practical strategies to reduce reactive behavior.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She has ten years of professional experience as a social worker supporting adults with trauma, sexual and intimacy concerns, and mental health challenges.

What are her credentials and where does she practice?

She holds LCSW and CSW credentials and is based in Wisconsin. License details include IL LCSW and CO LCSW as noted.

Which languages are offered and are international clients supported?

Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.

What session formats are available?

Confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats. Check the platform for the most up-to-date formats.

How does pricing work for sessions?

Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I get started with a first session?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.