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LCSW

Susan Sparks, LCSW

  • Experience10 years
  • LocationIllinois
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Relationship
  • LanguagesEnglish
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About Susan

Susan Sparks is a licensed clinical social worker with a decade of professional therapy experience and a long history of community involvement.

Background and approach

She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and relationship concerns while also supporting issues related to parenting, eating and sleeping, bipolar disorder, compassion fatigue, and ADHD. Her work emphasizes practical skills and strengths so clients can apply tools to everyday life.

Trained at the University of Illinois and licensed in Illinois as an LCSW, she blends evidence-based techniques with developmentally informed strategies for children, young adults, and families as well as individual clients.

Her background includes extensive volunteer and paid roles in community settings, and she draws on therapeutic methods such as cognitive behavioral strategies, play-based interventions, behavioral approaches, applied behavior analysis, mindfulness practices, and holistic supports. Treatment plans are adapted to each person’s needs and stage of life.

Susan frames therapy as a collaborative process that builds on existing strengths while teaching concrete coping skills. She aims to help clients reduce symptoms, improve relationships, and develop sustainable routines and self-care habits that support longer-term well-being.

Evidence-based approaches and flexible online care



Susan frequently uses cognitive behavioral strategies, which help identify unhelpful thought patterns and teach practical skills for managing anxiety, depression, and stress. These techniques focus on changing thoughts and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. She also applies play-based and behavioral approaches with younger clients and families, using activities and structured routines to address behavioral challenges, improve self-regulation, and support parenting goals.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is treated as a collaborative process. The therapist and client work together to choose and adjust techniques based on the client’s goals, preferences, and life context, so treatment evolves as needs change and progress is made.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to offer flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These formats make it easier to fit regular sessions into busy lives, support continuity when in-person visits are difficult, and allow licensed professionals to deliver consistent, focused care across a variety of concerns and age groups.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?
Susan works with a range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, parenting challenges, eating and sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem, career concerns, bipolar disorder, compassion fatigue, and ADHD.
What is her general therapeutic style?
Her approach blends evidence-based techniques with practical, strengths-based work that focuses on skill building and coping strategies tailored to each person’s needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She brings 10 years of professional experience as a therapist, along with many additional years of community work and volunteer experience prior to clinical licensure.
What credentials and location are on record?
She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois and is licensed as an LCSW in Illinois with license number IL LCSW 149.016759.
Can clients reach her in other languages or from other countries?
Sessions are offered in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
Which session formats are available for online work?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are costs and payment handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What should someone do to begin therapy 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 abuseGriefDepression

Also works with

Family conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Experience

10+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English

What Susan can help with

Susan Sparks works with clients on stress and anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression.

Experience and training

Susan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Illinois, with 10 years of clinical experience.