About
- Addictions
- Depression
- Parenting support
About Susan
Susan O'Connell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Wisconsin with 35 years of experience. She has worked extensively with addictions and broadened her practice to include depression, stress and anxiety, relationship and family concerns, grief, and caregiver and compassion fatigue. Susan also addresses parenting challenges, intimacy-related issues, ADHD, and life transitions.
Her early work focused on addiction and the families affected by substance use. Over the decades she added experience in chronic medical issues and caregiver strain. That background shapes how she talks about coping, relapse risk, and supports for families without assuming any single path forward.
Susan favors practical tools in sessions. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify patterns of thinking and behavior. She also draws on Solution-Focused Therapy and client-centered ideas to help people set short-term goals and notice strengths they already have.
Expect conversations that include education and homework to build skills between sessions. She aims to help people put simple plans into practice and evaluate what works. Progress is treated as step-by-step work rather than instant change.
Her practice is grounded in decades of clinical work and ongoing learning. People often start by talking about one pressing problem and then move on to related issues like communication, boundaries, or coping with loss. Susan asks straightforward questions and helps people create realistic next steps.
How sessions work
How these approaches are used in online sessions
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and helping people identify their own goals. In practice that means the therapist reflects what the person says and supports decisions the person wants to pursue. This approach is helpful for building confidence and clarifying priorities.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. Online CBT sessions usually include learning simple skills, tracking patterns, and assigning small practical tasks to try between meetings. It is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.
Solution-Focused Therapy centers on setting short-term, achievable goals and noticing small changes. Sessions are forward-looking, with an emphasis on what people can do next rather than a long review of the past.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences. Plans can be adjusted as progress is made or priorities change.
The biography does not specify session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Therapists can use structured skill-building and homework in remote sessions just as they do in person, which helps people apply what they learn to daily life.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
Wisconsin
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
Susan works with stress, anxiety, addictions, depression, grief, parenting strain, relationship and family issues, and related topics such as caregiver fatigue and life changes.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
She uses practical approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and client-centered techniques, often pairing discussion with education and homework.
How much experience does she bring?
She has 35 years of clinical experience, with early work in addictions and long-term practice addressing a wide range of mental health and family concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) licensed in Wisconsin and practices from that state.
Can someone work with her in another country or language?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees and payment handled?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How does a person begin working with her?
Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.