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SM Portrait of Susan Mellema

Susan Mellema

Experienced LCSW focused on practical support

LCSW Illinois

Experience
30 years in practice
Focus areas
Addictions, Family, Trauma and abuse
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages
English
Continue with Susan

About Susan

Susan Mellema is an Illinois-licensed LCSW with three decades of experience helping people navigate addictions, family conflict, trauma and abuse, and grief.

Background and approach

She centers work on each person's existing strengths and life knowledge, inviting clients to view themselves as the experts of their own story while she offers support, guidance, and clinical skills honed over 30 years. Her style blends practical, goal-focused techniques with an empathic, client-centered stance.

Susan draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with motivational and solution-focused methods to address patterns that maintain distress and to build new coping strategies. She also integrates trauma-focused work when past events continue to affect present functioning.

Susan welcomes individuals seeking to move toward greater fulfillment and healthier relationships, and she emphasizes collaboration, respect, and empowerment throughout the process. Her practice reflects attention to family systems, adoption and foster care concerns, caregiver stress, codependency, multicultural issues, and a range of life transitions such as divorce or serious illness.

How Susan Uses Therapeutic Approaches Online

Susan often integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy when working with online clients. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce distress and build practical coping skills, which can be useful for issues like anxiety, addiction-related behaviors, and grief reactions. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathy, active listening, and validation, creating a space where clients' own insights and strengths guide the work.

Finding the right approach is treated as a collaborative process. The therapist discusses goals and preferences with each person and adapts methods over time so the work reflects what is most useful and acceptable for the client's needs and pace.

Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, maintain continuity during transitions, and access support from home or other convenient locations, while allowing therapists to tailor format and pacing to each client's preferences.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she commonly address?
Susan works with people facing addictions, family problems, trauma and abuse, grief, and parenting challenges, as well as related issues like adoption and foster care, caregiver stress, codependency, and communication difficulties.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach emphasizes collaboration and practical skill building, combining client-centered support with cognitive behavioral techniques and solution-focused strategies to help clients set and meet meaningful goals.
How much experience does she have?
She brings 30 years of professional experience to her practice, offering long-term clinical perspective across a range of life and family challenges.
What credentials and location are listed?
Susan holds the LCSW credential and is licensed in Illinois under IL LCSW 149.011313.
Does she offer services in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are provided in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available?
Clients can meet via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on preference and scheduling.
How are sessions billed and what does it cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

AddictionsFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefParenting issues

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careBlended family issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressCodependencyCommunication problemsDivorce and separationDrug and alcohol addictionFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameIntellectual disabilityMulticultural concernsPregnancy and childbirthSelf-loveWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Motivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

30+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English