Practitioner record · Checked 6 Nov 2026
Susan Samek has been in practice 30 years and is licensed in Pennsylvania. Susan lists stress, Anxiety, addictions and grief among 11 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Susan's own BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a rating.
01 · Who Susan works with
Susan lists 11 specialisms. 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
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
As a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist for over thirty years, I offer two different approaches for those seeking help to make sense of life’s challenges, identifying needs and setting achievable and meaningful goals for growth. With my calm, gentle demeanor, I offer my clients a safe and comfortable place in which to delve into self discovery. My thoughtful engagement style, with unconditional positive regard and empathy, set the stage for real understanding, and when necessary, change. It is my sincere hope that I make my clients feel like they have been heard and validated.
For as long as I can remember, I had a passion for understanding why our experiences and environment make us who we are, and how they affect the way we relate to the world and each other. Art was my safe space for self reflection and expression, and an integral tool for processing complex life events. After a long and committed engagement with my own therapeutic journey, it became my life’s calling to make the tools of art and talk therapy accessible to others for their own healing journey.
I have a firm belief that we begin to heal when we truly understand the roots of our habits, patterns, and trauma. We can’t control our past or things that have happened to us, but we can begin to cultivate an awareness around those things and use that awareness as a tool to create the futures we want. With acceptance and forgiveness we can experience an inner growth and a resilience that will prepare us for all the ups and downs of life.
Susan Samek, on the BetterHelp listing · read 6 Nov 2026
03 · What happens next
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
04 · Before you commit
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.
“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 30 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.
05 · Practical details
06 · Provenance
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 6 Nov 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.
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