Susana Valdez , LCSW

Susana Valdez is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, family conflict, and the effects of trauma and abuse. She works with adults who are navigating life transitions, grief, or ongoing emotional pain. Sessions are offered in English and Spanish to match client preference.

Her style is warm and direct. She creates a calm space where people can talk through painful memories, identify unhelpful patterns, and practice new ways of relating. She pays attention to how early attachment and life events shape current responses to stress and relationships.

Susana uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to help clients build resilience and improve communication. She focuses on small, practical steps that reduce anxiety and shame. Work might include practicing coping skills, naming triggers, and experimenting with different ways of speaking to others.

She has ten years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - in California. That background informs a pragmatic approach to everyday problems like parenting strain, blended family issues, addiction concerns, and immigration-related stress. Susana also addresses difficult feelings such as guilt, abandonment, and isolation.

Sessions can be a mix of talking, skill practice, and planning for real-life changes. Susana helps people set achievable goals and checks progress each week. Her aim is to make therapy feel useful and doable for busy lives.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Susana works with evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical change and emotional understanding. One approach she uses emphasizes identifying unhelpful thinking and shifting behavior through small experiments and skill practice to reduce anxiety and improve mood. This helps people who feel stuck in worry or low energy.

Another focus is relationship and attachment work that looks at how early patterns shape current interactions. Sessions may concentrate on clearer communication, setting boundaries, and repairing trust after conflict or abandonment experiences.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Susana collaborates with each person to match methods to their needs, goals, and preferences. She checks in regularly and adapts the plan if something isn’t helping.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and comfort levels. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and skill coaching. Phone sessions can be a good choice when bandwidth is limited or for a simpler check-in. Live chat and text messaging make it easier to send short updates, try brief exercises between sessions, or fit therapy into a busy day.