- Years in practice
- 10
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Licensed in
- California
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Trauma and abuse
- Focus
- Grief
About Sue
Sue (Susie) Swartz is a licensed marriage and family therapist who helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, addictions, and parenting challenges. She works with clients who want practical change and clearer direction in daily life. Her approach centers on real steps people can try between sessions.
She uses a client-centered style that starts with the person in front of her and their strengths. That means she asks questions, listens closely, and helps people notice patterns that get in the way.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on small, doable changes rather than jargon or long lectures. Sue brings ten years of clinical experience to her work, including a long history in trauma, crisis intervention, victim advocacy, and caring for adults with severe mental illness. That background shapes how she notices trauma responses and safety needs in the room.
She aims to help clients build steadier routines and clearer thinking. Therapy sessions may include tools drawn from cognitive behavioral approaches, acceptance and commitment ideas, attachment-focused listening, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy. Techniques are tailored to each person's situation and goals rather than applied the same way to everyone.
People who want a straightforward, compassionate guide for life changes often find this approach useful. Sue emphasizes collaboration, respect, and practical strategies that can fit into busy family life or work schedules.
What Sue works with
Everything Sue lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Sue helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Visually impaired
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Sue lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that guide online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) invites people to notice difficult thoughts and feelings while choosing actions that align with their values. It can help when anxiety, depression, or life transitions make it hard to move forward. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on how thoughts and behaviors influence mood and habits, and teaches practical techniques to shift unhelpful patterns. These methods are often used together to address stress, anxiety, and depression. Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will review goals and preferences and then suggest methods that fit the client's needs. That process is collaborative and may change over time as progress is tracked. Online therapy offers options that fit different schedules and needs. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions work when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging can support ongoing check-ins, homework, or brief coping reminders between fuller sessions. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy family life, work breaks, or when travel makes in-person visits impractical.Questions people ask about Sue
What concerns does Sue help with?
Sue works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, addictions, LGBT concerns, relationship and family issues, and parenting challenges. She also focuses on attachment issues, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and related concerns.
How would sessions feel and what is the style?
Sessions use a client-centered, collaborative style that highlights a persons strengths. Expect practical conversation, skill-building, and steps to try between sessions.
What background does the therapist have?
Sue has ten years of clinical experience and a long history in trauma work, crisis intervention, and victim advocacy. She has also worked with adults with severe mental illness.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist, LMFT, practicing in California.
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What formats are available for online sessions?
Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on the client's needs.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Sue?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.
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