About Suzanne
Suzanne Shumaker is a licensed clinical social worker, LCSW, practicing in California. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and addiction-related concerns. Her work centers on practical steps people can use right away to feel steadier in daily life.
Suzanne guides clients toward greater self-compassion and clearer life purpose. She helps people untangle guilt and shame so they can make choices that fit their values. Sessions often include learning new coping skills and practicing ways to respond differently to stress.
Background and approach
She uses a mix of client-centered care, cognitive behavioral tools, and elements of dialectical behavior work. That means she listens closely, then offers strategies to change unhelpful thinking and to build emotional regulation skills. The focus is on simple, useful techniques rather than technical language.
Suzanne also supports people coping with communication problems, forgiveness, and post-traumatic stress. She works with clients on self-esteem, self-love, and finding motivation after loss or major life changes. The aim is steady progress rather than quick fixes.
Every plan is shaped around a person's situation and goals. Suzanne collaborates with each person to choose approaches that fit their life. Her style is warm, straightforward, and focused on doable steps toward feeling better.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person's experience and creating a respectful, non-judgmental space. The therapist follows a person's lead and reflects back what matters most to them, which can help with anxiety and self-worth.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It teaches clear, practical exercises for changing unhelpful thinking and for learning coping skills that reduce stress and depressive symptoms.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, offers tools for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and better communication. These skills are useful when emotions feel intense or when someone wants steadier responses to triggers.
Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. The therapist works with each person to see what fits their goals, needs, and day-to-day life, and adjustments are made as progress is tracked.
Online sessions include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences. Video sessions allow face-to-face discussion, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and messaging or chat can suit short check-ins or ongoing skill practice. These options help make therapy more flexible and easier to fit into a busy life.
Questions people ask
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What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 3 years
- Licensed
- California
- Languages
- English
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