Susan VanHuizen, LMSW

Susan VanHuizen is a licensed master social worker with 20 years of clinical experience in Michigan. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and addictions. Her work often centers on practical steps that make day-to-day life easier.

She emphasizes short, clear strategies people can use between sessions. That includes learning coping skills, changing unhelpful thinking patterns, and building routines that support recovery and stability. Sessions move at the client’s pace and focus on what matters now.

Susan also helps people facing life changes like divorce, chronic illness, or retirement. She pays attention to how grief, guilt, and shame can affect self-esteem and decision making. The goal is to help people regain a sense of direction and ease.

Her approach blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy ideas, mindfulness, and Motivational Interviewing. Those tools are used to address problems like codependency, substance use, chronic pain, and loneliness. She uses whichever methods fit each person’s situation.

People can expect a respectful, nonjudgmental conversation that focuses on concrete steps. Susan encourages rebuilding strengths and practical problem solving. The pace and focus are guided by each person’s needs and goals.

How therapeutic approaches guide online work

Susan uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change patterns of thinking that feed anxiety and depression. CBT focuses on specific thoughts and behaviors and teaches practical skills to test new ways of acting and thinking.

She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy ideas, which emphasize emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and improving relationships. DBT-informed techniques can be helpful for managing intense emotions and reducing impulsive behaviors.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and daily life, then try methods that fit those needs. Adjustments are made over time based on what helps most.

Many people find online sessions easier to fit into busy schedules and to keep continuity during health challenges or life transitions. If you plan to use online therapy, confirm the supported session formats before booking. Online options can make it simpler to schedule shorter check-ins, avoid travel time, and maintain therapy during periods of limited mobility or medical care.