Susan MacDonald , LMHC

Susan MacDonald is a licensed mental health counselor in Rhode Island with 14 years of clinical experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, self-esteem, and coping with life changes. Susan aims to make the first steps toward change feel manageable and clear.

Susan aims to create an open, nonjudgmental space where people can talk about what is hardest for them. She listens closely and helps clients sort through feelings and practical choices. Sessions move at a steady, respectful pace and focus on what matters most to the client.

Her work draws on client-centered methods that keep the person's goals at the center. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to help people notice and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. Dialectical behavior strategies and mindfulness practices are included when clients need tools for emotional regulation and staying present.

Susan has supported people facing codependency, communication problems, divorce and separation, family of origin issues, and midlife concerns. She also helps with panic, obsessive-compulsive patterns, post-traumatic stress, feelings of emptiness, and struggles with self-love and shame.

Sessions are offered in English and are delivered through video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Susan works collaboratively to set goals and to choose exercises that fit a person's life and schedule.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Her work includes client-centered therapy, which focuses on listening closely and following the client's priorities to guide each session. This approach helps when someone needs a supportive space to make sense of feelings and decide what matters most.

She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, a practical method that helps people spot unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors to reduce anxiety and low mood. CBT is often useful for worries, panic symptoms, and changing patterns that keep problems going.

Dialectical behavior therapy techniques are used to teach concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving communication. These skills can help with mood swings, overwhelming stress, and problems with impulsive reactions.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to identify goals, try techniques, and adjust the plan based on what helps. Clients are invited to give feedback so the methods fit their needs and daily life.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care more flexible. Video is useful for deeper conversational work, phone calls can fit into a busy day or reduce bandwidth needs, and chat or text are handy for brief check-ins and ongoing support between sessions. These options aim to help people maintain continuity of care around work and life commitments.