Practitioner record · Checked 6 Nov 2026
Susan Schwerd has been in practice 24 years and is licensed in Maryland. Susan lists stress, Anxiety, trauma and abuse and self esteem among 21 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 13 specialisms and 8 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
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland. I have been practicing since 1999, when I graduated from Temple University with a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology. I spent the first 7 years of my counseling career working in a large outpatient mental health organization, several as assistant clinical director, before entering private practice. Prior to becoming a psychotherapist, I spent 10 years as Director of Human Resources for a mid-sized corporation.
My goal is to facilitate your healing, growth, and transformation. Rooted in the psychodynamic orientation, my therapeutic approach is "active eclectic", utilizing cognitive behavioral, Adlerian, and Solution-focused interventions. I facilitate change by helping clients understand the underlying reasons why they feel conflicted and by helping identify patterns of behavior that are keeping them stuck. Together we work to develop new, healthier ways to respond to present day challenges.
My practice focuses on supporting clients with mood disorders & chronic mental illness; anger & stress management; emotional self-regulation; trauma; chronic pain, medical illness & physical injury; grief & loss, and other difficult life transitions. My previous career in HR prepared me to "coach" clients seeking Personal Growth & Professional Productivity.
Neurofeedback, Eye Movement Integration, and Clinical Hypnosis are frequently used as adjuncts to psychotherapy in my private practice. Online clients can learn self-hypnosis and breathing techniques, powerful tools to regulate chronic pain and anxiety, helping reclaim control over their lives. I have also worked extensively with veterans and their families in the Washington DC area, having received special training from military organizations for non-military professionals.
I utilize Live Video & Phone sessions, & I will respond to a few messages between sessions, but I do not conduct therapy via Live Chat or messaging.
PLEASE NOTE: my SUMMER HOURS are: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12 noon - 6pm Tuesday & Thursday 5, 6, 7 pm
Susan Schwerd, on the BetterHelp listing · read 6 Nov 2026
03 · How Susan works
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.
Also listed
04 · 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.
05 · 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.
“You list both Solution-Focused Brief Therapy and Psychodynamic 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 24 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
07 · 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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