About Susan
Susan Wolanyk is a licensed professional counselor and licensed mental health counselor working from Ohio. She brings 13 years of experience helping people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, or major life changes. She is direct, compassionate, and grounded in practical ways to move forward.
Susan aims to make the first steps simple and understandable for worried parents and adults alike. Susan draws on person-centered care to meet people where they are.
Background and approach
She listens for strengths and what motivates each person, then uses straightforward tools to build coping and problem-solving skills. Sessions focus on small, manageable changes that can add up over time. Her background includes community mental health work with diverse populations and newcomers.
That experience shaped her patience for people facing immigration challenges, cultural shifts, and language barriers. Susan also has experience supporting those dealing with caregiving stress and aging-related concerns. She uses cognitive behavioral ideas to help identify unhelpful thinking and test new ways of responding.
Motivational interviewing helps when someone feels stuck and needs to find internal reasons to change. Trauma-focused methods are available for people recovering from abuse, loss, or post-traumatic stress. Susan describes therapy as a collaborative effort.
She helps people set realistic goals and follows their pace while encouraging progress. Her aim is to help clients reclaim daily functioning, rebuild self-esteem, and find a clearer sense of purpose.
Therapeutic approaches suited to online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building on a person’s strengths. In sessions the therapist follows the client’s lead, offers empathy, and helps people clarify goals and next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thinking patterns and behavior. It teaches practical strategies to test unhelpful thoughts and try new reactions, which can reduce anxiety and lift mood.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to decide which methods fit best based on needs, goals, and preferences. That may mean starting with person-centered listening, adding CBT exercises, or using motivational interviewing to build momentum for change.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Video sessions allow for a fuller conversation similar to in-person meetings. Phone sessions can be helpful when bandwidth is limited or a conversation is needed without video. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief check-ins, quick coping ideas, or ongoing support between sessions. These options help people fit therapy into busy schedules, manage sudden stressors, and keep progress moving forward.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Addictions
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Trauma and abuse
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 13 years
- Licensed
- Ohio, New York
- Languages
- English