Susan Charney, LCSW

Susan Charney is a licensed clinical social worker with 26 years of experience helping people navigate major life changes and personal challenges. She works with concerns like relationship strains, anxiety, depression, grief, eating and body image issues, career stress, and compassion fatigue. Susan focuses on practical steps people can take to feel steadier and more capable.

Her style is warm and down-to-earth. She listens first to understand each person's situation and goals. Sessions often center on clearer communication, managing stress, rebuilding self-esteem, and making choices that fit a person's values.

Susan draws on several therapeutic approaches to match what the client needs. She uses client-centered methods to follow the client's lead, cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors, and mindfulness skills to reduce overwhelming emotions. Trauma-focused work is available when past experiences are getting in the way.

She has a long history of supporting people through caregiving strain, chronic illness, cancer-related distress, blended family challenges, and midlife transitions. Susan also offers focused help around fertility, divorce and separation, and first responder stress.

Based in Arizona, Susan aims to make therapy practical and approachable. She helps people break big problems into manageable steps and build routines that support day-to-day life. The work is collaborative and paced to each person's needs.

How Susan Uses Therapy Approaches Online

Susan commonly draws on client-centered work and cognitive behavioral therapy in sessions. Client-centered therapy means she follows the client's lead, listens deeply, and helps people find their own solutions for relationship and life-change concerns. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress.

She also uses mindfulness practices to help people calm intense emotions and stay present during difficult moments. These practices can be helpful for grief, chronic illness stress, and compassion fatigue. Finding the right approach is part of the early work together; she will collaborate with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences.

Session logistics should be confirmed directly before scheduling because the biography does not list specific formats. Ask about available online or phone options when you book. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, shorten travel time, and allow brief check-ins when a full session is not needed. Susan will work with clients to adapt exercises and skills so they can be used between appointments and in everyday life.