About Susan
Susan Garner is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) based in California who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, trauma and intimacy-related concerns. She brings 20 years of clinical experience to sessions and combines life experience with professional training to support practical change. Sessions are focused on clear goals and steady progress toward what matters to each person.
Susan uses straightforward conversation to help people name their problems and decide what to work on.
How Susan works
She draws on attachment ideas to look at relationship patterns, cognitive behavioral tools to shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and mindfulness practices to manage overwhelming feelings. Her approach is calm and relational, with attention to emotions and everyday coping skills. Many clients come with complicated histories tied to family of origin, grief, anger, abuse, or midlife transitions.
Susan helps people untangle those patterns and learn new ways of relating and communicating. She also supports people navigating career strain, body image concerns, or questions of identity and purpose. Susan brings experience working with issues such as codependency, abandonment, blended family challenges, infidelity, jealousy, and separation.
She aims to help clients build clearer boundaries, stronger communication, and more stable mood regulation. Progress is practical and paced to each person’s needs. Sessions can include short-term problem solving or longer work to address deep-seated patterns.
Susan emphasizes collaboration: clients set goals and she offers tools and guidance to reach them. Her work is steady, respectful, and focused on helping people feel more capable in daily life.
Susan lists 9 ways of working on the entry:
What Susan works with
The areas below are the ones Susan selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Jealousy
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Personality disorders
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | LMFT |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 20 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | California |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How Susan’s Approaches Work Online
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationship patterns shape current connections and emotional responses. Online sessions can help identify those patterns and change how people relate to others and themselves. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on practical strategies to notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, which can reduce anxiety and improve mood in everyday life. Mindfulness Therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to manage stress and strong emotions and to create calmer responses in tense moments.Finding the right approach is part of the process. Susan works collaboratively to match methods to each person’s goals and preferences. She will discuss options, try techniques together, and adjust the plan so it fits what is useful and realistic for the client.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues, while phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is low or when a quieter check-in is needed. Live chat or text-based messaging work well for brief check-ins, homework support, or when writing feels easier than speaking. These options make scheduling more flexible and help people keep therapy consistent around work and family life.
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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