Work with Susan
Live Authentically & connect to self
When we live authentically, we are happiest.
My primary goal in working with anyone is to help them find their authentic truth, come back to their center and live the life they were meant to live.
So often—usually with good intentions—men and women lose their sense of self. Whether they've been taught to disregard their true essence and intuition as a child, they've compromised in service of the couplehood, made sacrifices that come with parenting, or even because of unspoken cultural expectations, most people lose at least a part of who they really are somewhere along the way.
Finding your truth helps you reconnect to yourself and will automatically help you feel more connected to those around you. Here are the services I provide. (My contact information is at the bottom of this page.)
Psychotherapy Services
Individuals or Couples
I work with individuals to gain insight into beliefs and patterns that may be outdated (i.e. from childhood) and that may be getting in the way of enjoying healthy relationships. People can't change what they're not conscious of. Much of what I do is to help individuals or couples understand the behind-the-scenes mechanics of adult relationships and help change bad habits.
I also work with individuals or couples at all stages of divorce. Although nothing will make the dissolution process “easy,” the main goal of my work is to make it easier. I do this by guiding people to the right resources, providing them with helpful information and by creating a support network to eliminate the sense of isolation that often comes with this life transition.
Groups
A group is a powerful tool to help people gain clarity on their situation, but also find a new community. By sharing, learning from others’ experiences, and letting support in, clients come out of isolation and heal.
I offer two different types of groups: Women’s Divorce Support Groups and a Relationship Insight Group (also just for women, but I know of group resources for men in the area).
The Divorce Groups designed to provide a safe, unbiased place to talk about feelings and experiences with others in a similar situation. No one will ever get tired of hearing your story or offer well-meaning (but misguided) suggestions like friends and relatives sometimes do.
The Relationship Insight Group follows a curriculum I developed to help participants become aware of relationship beliefs and patterns that no longer serve them. These patterns are often pervasive in intimate relationships as well as with other family members, meaningful friendships, and in the workplace.
Brainspotting & Trauma Healing
Brainspotting is a treatment technique using eye position and body sensations to access and process through stuck trauma. Because it reaches beyond the conscious (neocortical) brain, Brainspotting is able to bypass the more surface level thoughts and feelings and treat the deeper (subcortical) and body-based parts of the brain. Brainspotting does not overwhelm the brain. A good way to look at it is that it untangles the snarl of pain neurons.
For more information on this brain-based technique, go to Brainspotting.com.
Contact Susan
Since Covid, I have closed my two northern California offices and have reverted to phone and online sessions. I also hold one- and two-day in-person retreats as well as day-long workshops at my retreat center.
To schedule an appointment or inquire about the in-person offerings, click here or fill in your contact information and write “appointment request” in the subject line. I usually respond within 24-48 hours.
Don’t live locally?
For individuals and couples living outside the California who want to explore working with me, I have a background in coaching and I can provide distance coaching sessions.
Coaching differs from therapy in that it is solution-focused vs. problem-focused and tends to look ahead rather than in the past. Coaching is not as in-depth as therapy and does not provide adequate support for couples in crisis.
1 hour remote consultations
$215