About Suzanne

I am a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in the state of Illinois specializing in individual, couples, and family psychotherapy, and maintain a private practice in Champaign, IL. In addition to my private practice, I am employed by Dovetail Employee Assistance and Management Consulting where I am a senior clinical associate who works with different individual clients from all types of workplaces.  At Dovetail, I have served as a consultant to various business organizations.

With over 10 years experience as a clinician, and a graduate of Phillips Graduate Institute, California where I specialized in post-modern and systems therapies, I am a private practitioner working with a broad spectrum of clients. Among my areas of expertise are marriage/couples counseling, life cycle transitions, culture, and workplace issues.

 

In addition, I have presented to general audiences and many major corporations on topics ranging from alcohol and drugs in the workplace, Americans with Disabilities, Change Management for Management, Change Management for Employees, Conflict Resolution: Dealing with Difficult People, Diversity in the Workplace, Diversity Sensitivity, Diversity: the Culture of Gender, Grief in the Workplace, Preventing workplace violence, Stress: Defining, Managing, and seeking Help, Time Management: Being Happy Doing Less.

 

My strength in counseling is that I am a practical, interactive, person-centered therapist. My treatment approach is foundationally from a systemic perspective. I believe that people belong to many different relationship systems and each person in the relationship is important to the balance of the whole. When relationships become out of balance, it is a result of many different factors and patterns that can be examined within the process of therapy. I place a strong emphasis on health communication which includes support and practical feedback to help clients resolve current problems and long-standing patterns. 

Moreover, I do not believe that therapy is a "forever" activity. Life is not lived in the therapy room. It is lived in "real-time." Life is more than survival; it is about living artistically. In therapy I incorporate a blend of conventional and alternatives approaches, drawing upon a variety of styles and techniques to incorporate what will be most helpful for each client. With sensitivity and compassion, I work with each client to help them build on their strengths to identify and achieve life goals.

 

Education