Susan Lipkin, LISW
Practical, story-focused therapy for life challenges
Details
| Name | Susan Lipkin |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LISW |
| Based in | Ohio |
| Licensed in | Ohio |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 36 |
About Susan
Susan Lipkin is a licensed independent social worker with many years of clinical experience. She listens closely and helps people name what matters to them. Her work is practical and down-to-earth, and she aims to make sessions understandable and useful for everyday life.
Susan uses a client-centered stance that puts the person's goals first. She combines this with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy when that approach fits the situation. She also draws on Narrative Therapy and mindfulness ideas to help people make sense of painful memories and recurring patterns.
Background and approach
Over decades of practice she has worked in community mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, veterans' services, and independent practice. Those settings shaped how she responds to trauma, grief, and long-term stress. Her background includes supporting people through relationship strain, domestic violence, and infertility-related distress.
Susan has experience helping people cope with depression, anxiety, career concerns, and the ups and downs of life transitions. She also helps people facing chronic illness, caregiver stress, and complicated family dynamics. Sessions focus on clear goals, usable skills, and stories that feel truer to the person in the room.
Her Ohio license is LISW, which reflects long-term clinical social work practice. Outside of specific techniques, Susan emphasizes warmth, acceptance, and practical problem-solving. She invites people to try work that fits their needs and to make changes at a pace that feels right.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Trauma and abuse among the things Susan works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Depression
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Blended family issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Susan among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Susan among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Susan among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Susan among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Susan among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Susan directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Susan directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and practical work translates online
Online sessions can use Narrative Therapy to help people reconsider the stories they tell about themselves. Narrative approaches focus on separating a person from their problems and finding alternative, more helpful narratives that lessen shame and blame.Client-Centered Therapy places the persons own goals and values at the center. That means the therapist listens without judgment, reflects what she hears, and helps clients decide what matters most in their lives. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts and behaviors affect mood and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful patterns. CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Susan treats approach choice as a collaborative process and checks in regularly to see what is helping. She adapts methods to fit each person's needs and comfort level rather than sticking to a single way of working.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video lets people talk face-to-face; phone calls can be simpler when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and messaging offer short check-ins or a way to keep momentum between longer sessions. These options make it easier to schedule therapy around work, caregiving, or health limitations.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
Susan supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, grief, parenting strain, bipolar mood issues, and compassion fatigue, among other life challenges.
What is her style of therapy like?
She takes a client-centered, collaborative approach and uses Narrative Therapy ideas to reframe problems. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mindfulness practices are added when they fit the clients goals.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 36 years of clinical experience working across hospitals, community mental health centers, veterans' services, and independent practice.
What credentials and region apply to her practice?
She holds an LISW credential and practices in Ohio as an Ohio LISW.
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and communication preferences.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin if I want to work together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapists availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Susan are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Susan where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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