At a glance
- Credentials
- LMHC
- License
- LMHC, Rhode Island / MHC00454
- NPI
- 1689966947
- Experience
- 14 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Rhode Island
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
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- Motivation-focused
- Skill building
- Warm and direct
About Susan
Susan MacDonald is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) based in Rhode Island. She brings 14 years of experience helping people who feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, low mood, or low self-esteem. She talks with clients in a straightforward way and aims to make the first steps toward change feel manageable.
Susan focuses on practical ways to strengthen confidence, increase motivation, and navigate life transitions. She helps people sort through relationship struggles, communication problems, and the fallout from separation or divorce. Concerns such as codependency, feelings of emptiness, guilt and shame, and loneliness are also part of her work.
Her approach combines Client-Centered Therapy with tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. She also draws on elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy to help clients build coping skills for panic, obsessive thoughts, mood difficulties, and trauma-related symptoms.
Susan aims to create an open, nonjudgmental space where clients can speak freely about thoughts and feelings. Sessions focus on small, achievable actions and on identifying patterns that get in the way of change. She supports people as they set goals, try new behaviors, and reflect on progress.
People who choose Susan often want clear, practical steps and steady encouragement. Her work emphasizes collaboration and respect for each person’s pace while helping them move toward greater self-acceptance and purpose.
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How therapy approaches translate to online care
Susan uses Motivational Interviewing to help people find internal reasons to change and to build momentum for new behaviors. This approach focuses on listening, asking guiding questions, and supporting a person’s own motivation to try different steps.
She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which centers on empathetic listening and working at the client’s pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to spot unhelpful thinking patterns and to practice small behavior changes that ease anxiety and low mood.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Susan will talk with each person about goals and preferences and recommend methods that fit their situation. That decision happens collaboratively and can change as progress is made.
If you are considering online sessions, confirm the available session formats before booking so you know what options are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy schedule, allow a shorter check-in when time is limited, and remove travel time so sessions feel more manageable during life transitions. Licensed professionals can adapt Motivational Interviewing and CBT techniques well to remote conversations, helping clients practice skills and track progress between meetings. -
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
CodependencyCommunication problemsDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesGuilt and shameIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPost-traumatic stressSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesTherapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Mindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyExperience
14+ years
Listed in
Rhode Island
Languages
English
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Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she commonly address?
Susan works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, low self-esteem, and coping with life changes. She also focuses on issues such as codependency, communication problems, and family of origin matters.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
She uses a client-centered style that emphasizes listening and collaboration. That approach is combined with practical tools from CBT and Motivational Interviewing to set goals and plan concrete steps.
What is her professional background?
She has 14 years of professional experience working with people facing mood and relationship concerns. Her work emphasizes encouragement and helping clients try manageable changes.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is a licensed mental health counselor, LMHC, practicing in Rhode Island.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients supported?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How is payment handled and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.
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Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers