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LMFT

Susan Garner, LMFT

  • Experience20 years
  • LocationCalifornia
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Relationship
  • Therapy approachesAttachment-Based Therapy and Client-Centered Therapy
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About Susan

Susan Garner brings two decades of clinical experience to her psychotherapy practice, combining formal training with personal insight to support clients facing stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, trauma and abuse, intimacy issues, depression, grief, anger, self-esteem struggles, career concerns, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, and ADHD.

Background and approach

As an LMFT she focuses on understanding the emotional roots of difficulties and helps clients identify goals so they can move toward clearer thinking and healthier patterns. Her work blends evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioral techniques with attachment-focused and emotionally-focused approaches alongside mindfulness and psychodynamic influences.

This integrative stance allows her to tailor interventions to each person's needs, whether the concern arises from family-of-origin dynamics, attachment wounds, communication breakdowns, infidelity, or the stresses of midlife and blended families. She emphasizes collaboration, helping clients define objectives and develop practical skills for improved relationships, mood regulation, resilience, and self-confidence.

Susan practices in California as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and accepts international clients in English. She offers a compassionate, respectful presence and aims to foster a strong therapeutic alliance so clients can feel understood while working toward meaningful change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Attachment-Based Therapy emphasizes understanding patterns of emotional bonding and how early relationships influence current connections; it can be helpful for people struggling with trust, abandonment wounds, or attachment-related conflicts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression, and it often includes practical coping strategies. Mindfulness Therapy teaches present-moment awareness and stress management techniques that support emotional regulation and reduce reactivity.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with clients to assess their needs, goals, and preferences, and then tailor a blend of methods that feels most useful. This means testing techniques, adjusting focus over time, and building a partnership that centers the client’s values and objectives.

Online sessions are offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which makes it easier to schedule care around work, family, and travel. These formats increase flexibility and accessibility, allowing licensed professionals to deliver consistent, goal-oriented therapy across distances while supporting continuity of care and regular practice between sessions.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she commonly address?
Susan supports people with stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, trauma and abuse, intimacy issues, depression, grief, anger, self-esteem struggles, career concerns, bipolar disorder, coping with life changes, ADHD, and related topics such as abandonment, attachment issues, and blended family difficulties.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is collaborative and compassionate, combining warmth and respect with goal-focused work to help clients gain clarity and build practical skills for change.
What is her professional background?
She has 20 years of clinical experience and integrates training from multiple traditions, including mindfulness, psychodynamic ideas, CBT, attachment work, and emotionally-focused methods.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with CA LMFT 38979 and OR LMFT T1186 and practices from California.
Does she work with nonlocal or international clients?
Yes, she accepts international clients and conducts sessions in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions are offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesDepression

Also works with

Family conflictsGriefAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCodependencyCommunication problemsDependent personalityDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsGuilt and shameInfidelityJealousyMidlife crisisMood disordersPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Social anxiety and phobiaSomatizationYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

20+ years

Licensed

California, Oregon

Languages

English

What Susan can help with

Susan Garner works with clients on stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, and depression.

Susan works with clients from 17-70+ years of age, including individuals, families, and couples (including same sex couples).

How Susan approaches therapy

Susan's clinical approaches include Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Somatic Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Therapy.

Experience and training

Susan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in California, with 20 years of clinical experience.