Susan Merletti , LPCC

Susan Merletti is a California licensed professional counselor, LPCC, with 39 years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and relationship concerns. Her work also addresses challenges related to chronic illness, cancer, addictions, body image, and sexuality. Susan presents as steady and encouraging and aims to help people build on their existing strengths.

People meet her when they want practical help for day-to-day struggles and for deeper emotional work. Sessions are aimed at clear goals such as better sleep, reduced worry, healthier boundaries, or coping with life changes. She uses straightforward conversation to identify what feels stuck and what can change next.

Susan draws on a few complementary approaches to shape the work. She centers the client’s perspective and uses cognitive-behavioral tools to reframe thoughts and habits. Mindfulness practices are used when helpful to build awareness and soothe stress.

Her style balances support and gentle challenge. She listens for patterns that come from family of origin, past trauma, or long-term health issues. From there she helps people try small, doable experiments to test new ways of relating and feeling.

People who contact Susan usually want a therapist who respects their story and offers practical steps. She guides conversations toward clearer choices, improved communication, and a gradual restoration of energy and self-trust.

How therapeutic approaches work online

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes the person's own experience and priorities; the therapist listens deeply and follows what matters most to the client so progress feels personally meaningful. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and patterns and testing small changes in thinking and behavior to reduce symptoms like anxiety or low mood.

Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, history, and preferences, and together they will try methods that feel right. Adjustments are made as the work unfolds so the plan fits the person's pace and needs.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make counseling more flexible. Video calls are useful for face-to-face conversation and nonverbal cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when a client prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging allow shorter check-ins, follow-up between sessions, or a written way to process thoughts. These options help people fit therapy into busy lives and different daily routines.