About Susan
Susan Merletti is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with 39 years of experience in California. She focuses on helping people manage stress and anxiety and works with those facing depression, relationship struggles, and the effects of trauma and chronic illness. She meets people where they are and respects each person's own understanding of their life story.
Her approach begins by listening closely to what matters most to the individual. She helps clients identify strengths they already have and uses those strengths to build practical coping steps.
Background and approach
Sessions are conversational and direct, with an emphasis on clear goals and small, achievable changes. Susan draws on several approaches to support different concerns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps unpack patterns of thinking and behavior that maintain anxiety and low mood.
Mindfulness practices teach simple skills to manage stress and bring attention to the present moment. She also uses Client-Centered Therapy to create a respectful, nonjudgmental space where clients shape their own path. Psychodynamic ideas are sometimes brought in to look at long-term patterns that affect relationships and self-esteem.
Together these methods help with sleep problems, anger, body image, grief, and other issues listed in her specialties. Sessions can suit people coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, or medical challenges like cancer and chronic pain. Susan aims to make each session practical, calm, and focused on concrete steps toward feeling more able to manage day-to-day life.
Approaches that translate well to online therapy
Client-Centered Therapy centers on listening and responding to what the client says. It helps people feel heard and supported while they decide what changes to make. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replacing them with clearer, more useful patterns; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and sleep problems.Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss options, try techniques, and adjust the plan based on what works for the client's goals and preferences. Sessions can mix methods so practical skills and deeper reflection both get attention.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video calls let people see facial cues and use screen-shared worksheets. Phone sessions need less bandwidth and can be an easier check-in during a lunch break. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for quick updates, brief coaching, or when a client prefers writing to speaking. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while still working on stress, anxiety, relationships, and other concerns.
Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns does Susan address?
What is her therapeutic style like?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What are her credentials and where is she based?
Which languages are offered for sessions?
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
What formats are available for sessions?
How does payment and scheduling work?
What this therapist works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Addictions
- Anger management
- Body image
- Cancer
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intimacy-related issues
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Sleeping disorders
- Women's issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 39 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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