Susan Trefts , LCSW, LICSW

Susan Trefts is a licensed clinical social worker with 21 years of professional experience, working with individuals dealing with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief and loss, and challenges with self esteem and motivation. She holds LCSW and LICSW credentials, reflecting clinical social work licensure in Oregon and Washington and demonstrating long-standing practice in assessing and supporting emotional and relational concerns.

Susan approaches therapy from a strengths-based perspective, affirming that each person is the expert of their own story and already carries resources that can support change. Her experience includes helping clients navigate compassion fatigue, body image concerns, communication problems, guilt and shame, and issues related to life purpose and self-love. She also offers focused care for post-traumatic stress and women's issues.

Taking the first step toward a more fulfilling life often requires courage, and Susan emphasizes a supportive, respectful stance as clients explore goals and build skills. She aims to create a collaborative space where practical strategies and personal insight come together to address immediate symptoms and long-term growth.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Client-Centered Therapy centers the individual, offering a respectful, nonjudgmental space where the therapist listens closely and follows the client's priorities. This approach helps people build self-understanding, increase confidence, and find solutions that fit their values, making it useful for concerns like self esteem, life purpose, and relationship issues.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) combines skills training and coaching to help people manage intense emotions, reduce self-destructive behaviors, and improve interpersonal effectiveness. DBT techniques can be especially helpful for anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, and compassion fatigue by teaching practical coping and emotion-regulation strategies.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Susan Trefts works collaboratively with clients to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they explore techniques, adjust strategies over time, and prioritize what feels most effective for the individual.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage in this work through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, access support from home, and continue therapy even when in-person visits are not possible, while maintaining the same focus on therapeutic goals and progress.