Susan VanHuizen

Susan VanHuizen is an LMSW with 20 years of clinical experience helping people find steadier footing during hard times. She focuses on depression, anxiety, stress, and addiction concerns and works with people who feel stuck or overwhelmed.

She aims to make therapy straightforward and practical. Sessions often involve learning skills to manage strong feelings, cutting through shame, and rebuilding confidence after big life changes like separation or health setbacks. She also supports people facing isolation and loneliness as part of those struggles.

Susan uses a mix of strategies drawn from well-known approaches to help clients change thoughts and behaviors and learn new ways to cope. That can mean practicing mindful attention to the present moment, sharpening problem-solving skills, or finding motivation to follow through on goals. The work is collaborative and paced to each person.

She pays close attention to life context, such as chronic pain, aging concerns, or financial strain, and connects those realities to day-to-day coping. Expectations and strategies are discussed openly so people know what to try between sessions.

Susan describes her role as a steady guide rather than a fixer. She aims to help people notice strengths, reduce harmful patterns such as codependency, and build routines that support better mood and clearer purpose.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online sessions

CBT helps people identify unhelpful thought patterns and test new behaviors. Online work with CBT often includes concrete homework, thought records, and step-by-step behavior experiments to reduce anxiety or low mood.

DBT offers skills for managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal effectiveness. In online sessions that use DBT-informed techniques, clients practice breathing and grounding skills, learn ways to tolerate distress, and rehearse clearer communication strategies.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, preferences, and daily life. That may mean trying a few techniques and adjusting based on what helps most.

The biography does not list specific remote formats, so confirm current session options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time so therapeutic work can happen between errands or during a lunch break. It also lets people practice skills in the settings where their challenges occur, which can make lessons more immediately useful.