Susan Mellema

Susan Mellema is a licensed clinical social worker with 30 years of professional experience in Illinois. She supports people who are facing addiction, family conflict, trauma, grief, and parenting stress. Susan works from the belief that each person knows their story best and already carries strengths to build on.

She uses a straightforward, respectful style in sessions. She listens first, then helps people identify small, practical steps they can try between meetings. Clients can expect clear talk about goals and steady encouragement as they try new ways of coping.

Susan often helps people manage the immediate demands of caregiving, blended family concerns, adoption and foster care issues, and challenges tied to illness such as cancer. She also works with struggles around codependency, communication breakdowns, divorce and separation, and problems rooted in family of origin.

Her approach draws on client-centered ideas, cognitive behavioral methods, motivational interviewing, solution-focused exercises, and trauma-focused strategies. These methods are used to address things like substance use, trauma reactions, grief, and relationship strain. Sessions focus on realistic, usable tools rather than abstract theory.

Susan serves people navigating multicultural concerns and those affected by intellectual disability in family systems and care situations. She encourages honest, simple conversation about what is working and what needs to change. To begin, she asks people to name a single goal and then helps shape a plan that fits daily life.

How these approaches guide online work

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding what matters most to the person seeking help. The therapist listens, reflects, and follows the client's lead to build solutions that fit daily life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. Motivational Interviewing helps people find their own reasons for change and strengthens motivation for steps like reducing substance use or improving relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, past efforts, and preferences. Together they decide which methods to try and adjust the plan over time based on what helps most.

Confirm current session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into busy days, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also help people join sessions from a quieter location, use less bandwidth when audio-only is preferred, or arrange times that work around caregiving and work schedules. Licensed professionals will collaborate with each person to shape sessions that match their life and goals.