Meet Susan

About Me

 

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)  with extensive training and experience supporting adults in midlife, older adults, and caregivers. I work with individuals and families to navigate the emotional, relational, and practical challenges of aging and caregiving. My areas of clinical focus include:

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• Psychotherapy for older adults: Supporting clients with anxiety, depression, life stage transitions, functional decline, social isolation, and challenges related to independence and quality of life.

• Caregiver support: Working with adult children and spouses managing the emotional and practical demands of caregiving, including dementia-related care, caregiver stress and burnout, and compassion fatigue.

• Chronic and acute illness counseling: Offering guidance and coping strategies for individuals facing chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, MS, advanced heart and lung disease, as well as transplant recovery.

• Hospice and bereavement counseling: Helping clients navigate grief, loss, and end-of-life transitions with emotional support and practical tools.

• Support group facilitation: Leading groups on caregiver burnout, dementia care, chronic illness management, and transplant recovery, fostering connection, shared learning, and peer support.

• Teaching and professional education: Serving as an adjunct professor at VCU for Mental Health in Later Life, training future clinicians on the psychological needs of older adults and families.

 

I use a person-centered, strengths-based approach, integrating evidence-informed techniques to help clients build resilience, develop coping skills, and navigate life’s challenges with confidence. My goal is to create a supportive environment where both clients and caregivers feel respected, understood, and empowered.