Susan Essich-Kruse

Susan Essich-Kruse is a licensed clinical social worker with two decades of experience. She holds LICSW and LISW-CP credentials and practices in South Carolina. Susan focuses on stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, parenting challenges, depression, and coping with life changes.

She starts by treating each person as the expert on their own life. Sessions emphasize listening first and building on the client’s strengths. Susan aims to make the beginning of therapy less daunting and encourages small steps toward change.

Her work often uses a client-centered style, which means she follows the client’s lead and adjusts to what feels most useful. She also draws on mindfulness practices to help people manage difficult feelings and stay grounded in the moment. Systemic ideas inform how she looks at patterns in relationships and family roles.

Sessions cover practical problems from daily stress to larger transitions like separation, blended family adjustments, adoption and foster care concerns, and aging-related issues. She also supports people experiencing emptiness, mood shifts, or communication breakdowns.

Susan strives to make therapy a collaborative process. She listens for what matters most, helps identify small, workable steps, and checks in about progress. Her approach aims to fit therapy into a person’s life rather than asking people to reshape their lives around it.

How her approaches shape online therapy

Client-centered therapy focuses on the client’s perspective and priorities. The therapist follows your lead, asks questions that matter to you, and helps you decide what to work on. This approach suits people who want a respectful, pace-driven process.

Mindfulness therapy teaches simple ways to notice thoughts and feelings without getting swept away. It can help with anxiety, stress, and managing mood shifts by training attention and breathing skills to use during difficult moments.

Systemic therapy looks at patterns in relationships and roles within families or close networks. It helps identify repeating cycles and find new ways to communicate and set boundaries when life changes strain connections.

Finding the right blend of approaches is part of therapy. The therapist will work together with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That collaborative process includes checking what helps and adjusting the plan as needed.

The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow short check-ins when schedules are tight. Different ways of meeting can help with quieter surroundings, less screen time, or shorter sessions when you need them.