- Years in practice
- 17
- Credentials
- LCPC
- Licensed in
- Maine
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Self esteem
- Focus
- Depression
About Susan
Susan Ryder is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) practicing in Maine with 17 years of experience. She focuses on everyday problems like stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and parenting challenges. Her work centers on helping people notice strengths they already have and use those strengths to handle hard moments.
She treats addiction-related concerns, process addictions, and issues such as anger, intimacy-related worries, and grief. Susan also supports people facing life transitions, postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder, and the strain that comes with caregiving or hospice situations.
Background and approach
She listens for what matters most to each person and tailors sessions to those needs. Susan uses client-centered ideas to build a trusting working relationship. She draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking and to practice different behaviors.
Motivational interviewing and solution-focused methods help people find practical next steps when motivation feels low. Her background includes long-term practice across a range of settings in Maine, giving her experience with blended family issues, communication struggles, divorce and separation concerns, and first responder stress. She emphasizes straightforward, plain-language conversations and small achievable goals.
People who come to her can expect a collaborative, respectful approach that names strengths and next steps. Sessions are paced to fit each person’s needs and aim to leave them with usable tools for daily life.
What Susan works with
Everything Susan lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Susan helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Postpartum depression
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Susan lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-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 translate well to online therapy
Susan uses client-centered therapy to make sessions feel collaborative and supportive. This approach focuses on listening, validating a person’s experience, and helping them notice strengths they already have. It is helpful for people feeling overwhelmed, unsure, or needing a clearer sense of direction.She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions interact. CBT involves identifying unhelpful thought patterns and practicing new behaviors. It is practical for anxiety, depression, parenting stress, and managing day-to-day mood shifts.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Susan will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels most useful, and then try methods that fit each person’s situation. She checks in regularly and adjusts the plan as needed so sessions stay focused and relevant.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation for deeper interaction. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit a break during a busy day. Live chat and text messaging are useful for short check-ins, quick problem-solving, or when writing feels easier than speaking. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy parenting life or a changing schedule.
Questions people ask about Susan
What kinds of concerns can I bring to therapy?
Susan works with stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and parenting-related struggles. She also addresses grief, addictions, intimacy concerns, anger, ADHD, and life transitions.
What is her general therapy style like?
Her style is collaborative and straightforward. She emphasizes strengths, clear goals, and practical steps to try between sessions.
How much professional experience does she have?
She has 17 years of professional experience practicing in clinical settings and community work in Maine.
What credentials and location should I know about?
She holds a Maine Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor credential, abbreviated as ME LCPC, and practices in Maine.
Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available?
Sessions can be scheduled as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different schedules and needs.
How does cost work for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.
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