Licensed Clinical Social Worker
VA-0904010105
She/Her/Hers

Suzanne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with ten years of clinical experience. She approaches therapy with a collaborative and strengths-based perspective, drawing from techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness.
Suzanne’s passion is helping people identify their strengths to heal inner wounds and build lives that feel more meaningful and worthwhile to them. She works with people challenged by anxiety, stress, depression, low self-esteem, LGBTQ+ issues, trauma, and more.

In her free time, Suzanne enjoys connecting with art and nature via rocks, collage, smart phone photography, and her curious cat.

While Suzanne draws on a variety of theoretical approaches, she has generally found that the therapeutic alliance is what is most important. She believes that each person is the expert of their own story -- and that it is always possible to find ways to cast this story in a more healing light or write new chapters. She believes that each person possesses many different gifts -- some known and some yet to be discovered -- and that these gifts are what can help a person to overcome challenges and live more meaningful lives.

In a first session with Suzanne, she will ask you some questions about what brings you here and what you want to work on. She will invite you to bring your questions, as well. She will use this information for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment planning. Together, you and Suzanne will start to feel out what it will be like to work together, what you will need to feel most comfortable in session, and how she can help you walk out feeling like you got what you came for.

Suzanne takes the time to get to know each of her clients -- to learn who they are (e.g., what do they like/dislike? what is important to them?), what they'd like to work on, what they've tried, and if they have any particular ideas or preferences. As sessions proceed, Suzanne may offer impressions, help clarify goals, explore options, discuss progress, offer psychoeducation, and/or suggest "homework" to practice skills/habits or elicit insight. Throughout each session, Suzanne also aims to act as a "sounding board" to help clarify what is in her clients' minds and hearts -- and to act as a "safe container" to provide support for the journey.

Suzanne can be seen at the Arboretum or virtually in Virginia