About Susan
Susan Merletti is a California-based licensed professional counselor certified as LPCC with 39 years of clinical experience. She helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship pain, and the effects of unresolved trauma. She also supports those facing cancer, chronic illness, and other medical challenges.
Susan emphasizes practical steps and steady support as people work toward a more satisfying life. Susan believes each person knows their story best.
Background and approach
She listens first and asks questions that help clients notice strengths they already have. Conversations focus on what is happening now and what small, realistic changes feel manageable. Her sessions often blend short-term skill-building with deeper reflection.
Susan uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to address unhelpful thoughts and from mindfulness to help people stay grounded. She also draws on client-centered values to keep the work focused on the client's goals. Clients come for help with many concerns, including grief, intimacy issues, eating and sleep problems, anger, and low self-esteem.
She also assists people coping with career transitions, caregiving strain, and compassion fatigue. Susan pays attention to relationship patterns and family of origin issues that affect daily life. Her style is calm and steady, with an emphasis on collaboration.
She supports clients in setting clear, achievable goals and tracking progress. For many people, this approach makes hard problems feel more manageable and less overwhelming.
Therapeutic approaches and online options
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following the client's lead. The therapist offers acceptance and reflection to help people clarify goals and feel understood. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, targets thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and teaches practical skills for changing them. Both approaches can help with anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, and stress.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't helped in the past. Together they choose or adapt methods so sessions feel useful and manageable rather than one-size-fits-all.
Online therapy offers flexibility for busy schedules. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation when seeing facial cues matters. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for brief check-ins, mood tracking, or when writing helps someone organize thoughts. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or medical routines.
Questions people ask
What concerns does she help with?
What is her therapeutic style?
How long has she been practicing?
Where is she licensed and based?
Which languages are supported?
Can people outside the U.S. work with her?
What session formats are offered?
How are fees handled and how do I start?
What this counselor 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