Susan Shouse, LMSW

Susan Shouse is a Michigan-based licensed clinician with 26 years of experience helping people navigate complex emotional and life challenges. As an LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker), she combines clinical training with a compassionate, person-focused approach to support individuals facing depression, anxiety, stress, and addictions.

Susan creates an open, non-judgmental space where clients can explore their personal histories, identify strengths, and build practical strategies for coping and growth. Her work spans a broad range of concerns, including relationship difficulties, family dynamics, grief, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, parenting, and identity-related issues such as LGBT concerns and social anxiety.

Drawing from client-centered principles, cognitive behavioral techniques, and mindfulness practices, she collaborates with each person to tailor interventions that match their values and goals. Whether addressing life transitions, workplace stress, intimacy challenges, or complicated grief, Susan emphasizes respectful partnership, clear guidance, and realistic skill-building. Her practice is attentive to both immediate coping needs and longer-term personal development, supporting clients as they make meaningful changes and move toward healthier patterns of living.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care Options

Client-centered therapy emphasizes the client's own experience and values, creating a collaborative atmosphere in which the therapist offers empathy and reflective listening to support self-discovery and stronger self-esteem. This approach is helpful for relationship concerns, identity questions, life transitions, and rebuilding confidence.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. It offers practical tools for managing anxiety, depression, stress, sleep and eating difficulties, and many everyday coping challenges by teaching skills that can be used between sessions.

Mindfulness therapy trains attention to the present moment and gentle awareness of thoughts and feelings. It can reduce reactivity to stress, support recovery from trauma and grief, and help with chronic health-related stress such as caregiver strain or chronic pain.

Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. Susan works with clients to assess needs, goals, and preferences and then tailors techniques that feel most useful and sustainable for each person.

Online therapy options - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier for clients to access licensed professionals without extensive travel. These formats offer flexibility for scheduling, allow continuity of care during life changes, and support ongoing work between appointments.