About Susan
Susan Trefts welcomes people who are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or worn down by stress and anxiety. She makes room for plain talk and steady support so clients can name what matters and take small steps forward. Susan is a licensed clinical social worker - LCSW - with 21 years of professional experience and licenses in Oregon and Washington.
She helps people working through trauma, grief, and compassion fatigue. Susan also supports those wanting to build self-esteem, improve body image, repair communication, and find more meaning and purpose.
Background and approach
Sessions focus on practical skills and on noticing the strengths a person already has. Susan uses a client-centered stance to follow what the client brings to sessions. That means she listens first, then tailors the work to each person’s goals and pace.
She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques to teach emotion regulation and coping tools when strong emotions get in the way. Her approach is collaborative and straightforward. Conversations include skill practice, problem-solving, and checking what is or is not helpful.
The aim is to leave people with tools they can use between appointments. People who choose Susan can expect calm, focused sessions that balance validation with practical steps. She encourages realistic goals and steady progress rather than quick fixes.
Susan works in Oregon and holds the Oregon LCSW license OR LCSW L5658 and the Washington LICSW LW60906461.
Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life
Client-centered therapy focuses on hearing each person’s story and following their lead. The therapist listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps set goals that feel meaningful. This approach is helpful for people who want a respectful space to make sense of their experience and to build on strengths.Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, teaches concrete skills for managing intense emotions and reducing distress. It includes methods for regulating feelings, tolerating hard moments, and improving communication. DBT techniques can be useful for people coping with trauma responses, anxiety, or frequent emotional overwhelm.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose which methods to use based on goals, needs, and personal preferences. That may mean combining client-centered listening with DBT skills practice over time.
Online sessions are offered by licensed professionals using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy days, choose shorter check-ins when needed, avoid video when bandwidth is limited, and continue work between appointments through messaging. The flexibility helps people stay consistent with therapy while balancing work, family, and other commitments.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 21 years
- Licensed
- Washington, Oregon
- Languages
- English