01 · Who Susan works with

Susan works with stress, Anxiety, addictions and relationship issues

Susan lists 15 specialisms and 21 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Susan chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Susan's own words

What Susan says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am a licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of Wisconsin. I began my career in the area of addictions, working both with the patient and families of people with substance abuse problems. I have since expanded on that area and have extensive experience working with depression, stress and anxiety, relationship issues, grief and loss, chronic medical issues, caregiver and compassion fatigue,

I try to meet each person that I work with where they are at and help them discover their strengths and develop plans to assist with the changes they would like to make. It takes alot to reach out for help, and I want to make sure that I honor that and help people feel that they are not alone in their struggles.

Since I have been in the field for a long time, I have been trained in a multitude of treatment approaches but I have committed to staying current in the new ideas that are being used. I currently rely heavily on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as Acceptance and Committment Therapy. I incorporate education and homework to augment the time that we spend together. I also feel strongly that I need to practice what I preach and work on maintaining a healthy lifestyle myself. At this point, I am working primarily Wednesday through Friday 9 to 5, and 8 to 2 on Saturdays. If you need evening appointments, please look for a therapist with that availability.

Susan O'Connell, on the BetterHelp listing · read 7 Oct 2026

03 · How Susan works

The 3 approaches Susan lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Susan lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Susan's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Susan runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Susan practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Susan's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Susan at this point.

2. Naming Susan specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Susan is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Susan.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking Susan

Built from what Susan actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Susan's - Susan has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 35 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LCSW

Licensed in

Wisconsin

Licence

WI LCSW 3011-123

Licence number

3011-123

Licence expires

28 Feb 2027

NPI

1417046376

Years in practice

35

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Susan's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 7 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Susan. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.