About Susan
Susan Gallenz is a licensed clinical social worker in Virginia with 15 years of practice. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, trauma, anger, and concerns related to LGBT identity. Her approach is straightforward and supportive for someone who may be feeling overwhelmed right now.
Susan believes clients know their own stories and brings a practical, strengths-based style to sessions. She listens carefully and helps people name what is hard.
Background and approach
Together she and the client set small, doable steps to ease symptoms and build coping skills. Her background includes a Master of Social Work from the University of Georgia and many years working in community settings. She also served as a volunteer with the U.S.
Peace Corps in Jamaica, supporting at-risk youth. Those experiences shaped her focus on real-life supports and problem solving. In sessions she helps people with panic attacks, mood and workplace struggles, loneliness, social anxiety, and issues tied to guilt, shame, or forgiveness.
She also supports women facing stress related to relationships and life changes. The work is practical and aimed at helping people feel steadier day to day. Susan uses conversation, coping skills, and goal-setting to move work forward.
She offers warmth and direct guidance while respecting each person’s pace. If someone is ready to try talking through things, she can help map a path forward.
How evidence-based approaches translate to online care
Many clients benefit from evidence-based techniques that focus on present symptoms and practical skills. Cognitive approaches help people identify and change unhelpful thinking patterns that feed anxiety and low mood. These methods teach clear steps to shift thoughts and behaviors and are useful for panic attacks, social anxiety, and mood concerns.Trauma-informed strategies focus on safety, grounding, and pacing. These approaches help people manage reactions to past hurt and build tolerance for difficult memories. Work on trauma often includes learning coping tools and gradually facing reminders in a supported way.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist and client review goals, try methods, and adjust based on what works. Susan will help people decide which techniques fit their needs and pace the work to match readiness and goals.
Online formats - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text messaging - offer flexibility for different days and needs. Video lets people read facial cues and do longer work. Phone calls need less bandwidth and can work well for a shorter check-in. Live chat and text messaging allow ongoing check-ins and brief support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while keeping the focus on practical progress.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Experience
- 15 years
- Licensed
- Virginia
- Languages
- English