Susan Phillips, LMHC

Susan Phillips is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in Florida with 25 years of experience in clinical work. She focuses on listening carefully so people feel understood and can begin to untangle painful patterns. Her background includes many common struggles like anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and addictions. Susan uses a client-centered way of working that keeps the person’s goals front and center. She brings in practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing when they match a client’s needs. Sessions aim to be straightforward and goal-oriented, with an emphasis on real changes that fit a person’s life. She also draws on solution-focused and trauma-focused techniques when clients need targeted strategies for coping and recovery. That can include short-term problem solving, addressing painful memories, or building new coping skills for stress and anger. Parenting education and grief work are woven into sessions when relevant. Over her career Susan has supported people dealing with relationship and family concerns, career stress, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. She pays attention to patterns that come from family of origin, abandonment, or caregiving burdens. Chronic illness, end-of-life matters, and issues tied to adoption or foster care are part of her experience. People who prefer a calm, practical style and clear steps often find her approach helpful. She invites clients to be active partners in therapy and to focus on achievable goals that feel meaningful to them.

How therapeutic approaches shape online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting so people feel heard and can name what matters most. It helps when someone needs a steady, respectful space to sort out feelings and set goals. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and many everyday problems that respond to step-by-step strategies. Motivational interviewing helps people find their own reasons to change. It can be effective when someone feels stuck or ambivalent about making changes related to addictions, health, or lifestyle. Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, values, and comfort level. That choice can shift as progress is made. Confirm the current session options before you book so you know what formats are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - shorter check-ins can be scheduled around work, and remote meetings remove travel time. It also allows continuity of care when schedules or locations change. Licensed professionals adapt exercises and tools used in these approaches so the therapy remains practical and focused, even when delivered remotely.