Susan Shafer

Susan Shafer is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who brings 15 years of clinical experience to her practice. She works with people facing anxiety, depression, grief, ADHD, and major life transitions. Her style is warm and direct, focused on helping clients find practical tools that fit into daily life.

Susan uses a blend of client-centered work, cognitive behavioral strategies, mindfulness, motivational interviewing, and solution-focused techniques. She helps clients notice how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and then practices new responses together. Sessions may include breath work and simple movement to help people reconnect with their bodies.

She has worked in school, community, and clinical settings and has experience supporting children, adolescents, and adults. That front-line experience informs a straightforward way of teaching coping skills and planning next steps that feel manageable.

Susan often encourages short, focused exercises clients can use between sessions, such as grounding practices and thought-challenging prompts. She also incorporates approaches aimed at motivation and practical problem solving when people are feeling stuck.

People seeking help coping with life changes will find an approach aimed at calming stress, restoring routine, and building small habits that support longer-term goals. Sessions begin with clear goals and move at a pace set by the client. If you want to explore beginning therapy, Susan guides each step of the process.

How Susan’s approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening closely and following the client’s lead. In practice this means the therapist reflects concerns, clarifies goals, and helps people feel heard while building coping skills. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviors shape mood and habits. It uses simple exercises to test unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors that reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. Mindfulness Therapy teaches short practices to bring attention to the present moment and to notice physical and emotional signals without judgment; these exercises often reduce reactivity and help with stress and sleep.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals and try methods that match what the client needs and prefers. If one technique doesn’t fit, she will adjust the plan based on feedback and progress so clients feel involved in treatment decisions.

Confirm the available online session formats before booking, since specific options are not listed in the profile. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten travel time, and allow focused check-ins between activities. It also supports continuity during life changes and can make practicing homework tasks more convenient.