Sue (Susie) Swartz, LMFT
Practical, narrative-focused therapy for life change
Details
| Name | Sue (Susie) Swartz |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LMFT |
| Based in | California |
| Licensed in | California |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 10 |
About Sue
Sue (Susie) Swartz is a licensed marriage and family therapist who helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, and major life changes. She also supports those dealing with addictions, relationship strain, parenting concerns, and LGBT issues. Her approach aims to help people find practical ways to feel steadier and more like themselves.
She draws on Narrative ideas to help people separate themselves from their problems and tell different stories about their lives.
Background and approach
Sue also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and attachment-informed work to help people notice their values and strengthen important bonds. Cognitive and client-centered methods appear in sessions when they fit a person’s needs. Sue frames therapy as a partnership.
She listens for patterns of thought and behavior that get in the way and helps people try new, manageable steps between sessions. Conversations are straightforward and focused on everyday change rather than jargon or tests.
Her background includes ten years as a licensed marriage and family therapist and prior experience in trauma, crisis intervention, victim advocacy, and work with severely mentally ill adults. That history shapes a calm, steady approach to hard problems. Sue practices in California and conducts sessions in English.
She offers a range of online formats so people can pick what fits their schedule and needs. The first step is a short matching questionnaire and scheduling through the Start Therapy flow.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief among the things Sue works with, alongside the areas below.
- 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 listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Sue among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Sue directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Sue directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and value-based approaches work online
Many clients find Narrative Therapy useful because it helps them separate themselves from the problems they live with and rewrite unhelpful life stories. Narrative work can be helpful for grief, relationship stress, and identity concerns by making space to notice different possibilities.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on learning what matters to a person and taking small committed steps toward those values even when feelings are hard. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Attachment-informed work looks at how early patterns of connection show up now and helps people try new ways of relating that feel safer and more satisfying.
Choosing the best approach is a shared process. The therapist will discuss goals, try a method, and adjust based on what feels most helpful for the client. That collaborative process means approaches can be blended to match needs and preferences.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to work together. Video calls let people meet face-to-face remotely, phone sessions can be a good match when video is not possible, live chat allows quick check-ins, and text messaging supports shorter reflections between sessions. These options help fit therapy into busy schedules and practical constraints while keeping focus on meaningful change.
Common questions about this listing
What concerns does this therapist address?
Sue supports people with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, coping with life changes, addictions, LGBT issues, relationship and family worries, and parenting challenges.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style is collaborative and down-to-earth. She uses Narrative ideas, client-centered listening, and practical steps to change patterns that cause distress.
What relevant experience does she bring?
She has ten years as a licensed marriage and family therapist and prior work in trauma, crisis intervention, victim advocacy, and with severely mentally ill adults.
Where is she based and what are her credentials?
She is based in California and holds the California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist credential, listed as LMFT.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats does she provide?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for online work.
How are fees and payments handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a session according to the therapist's availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Sue are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Sue where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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