Suzanne Shumaker

Suzanne Shumaker is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in California with three years of clinical experience. She works with people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, addictions, low self-esteem, depression, and major life changes. Suzanne also focuses on communication problems, forgiveness, guilt and shame, life purpose, post-traumatic stress, and self-love.

She helps people explore what matters to them and figure out next steps when life feels unsettled. Sessions often include talking through difficult feelings and identifying practical coping skills. Suzanne draws on evidence-based tools while centering each person's immediate concerns.

Suzanne uses Client-Centered methods to listen and reflect what matters most to the client. She brings Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address unhelpful thoughts and patterns in daily life. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are offered for emotion regulation and distress tolerance when needed.

Her work is direct and practical. She helps clients build everyday routines and skills that make stress and anxiety more manageable. When addiction or trauma shows up, she helps people break down problems into steps they can act on.

People who come to Suzanne are often unsure what comes next after a change, or feel stuck in their relationships or work. She helps them name the problem, practice new habits, and try different ways of coping so decisions feel less overwhelming.

How her approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting what the client says. Online sessions using this approach center the conversation on what the person most wants to address and on practical next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at thought patterns and behaviors. Online CBT sessions often include homework, thought records, and concrete skill practice to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. These skills can be practiced in session and then used between meetings to manage strong feelings.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Suzanne will collaborate with each client to decide whether to lean more on listening and reflection, CBT techniques, or DBT skills based on their goals and preferences. She checks in as therapy progresses and adjusts the focus to match what is most helpful.

Session formats were not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. These practical benefits help people keep therapy consistent while they test different coping strategies and life choices.