Works with
How Susan works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- MD, LCPC
- Licensed in
- Maryland
- Years in practice
- 24
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Susan
Susan Schwerd is a licensed clinician based in Maryland who helps people manage stress, anger, anxiety, and trauma. She also supports those struggling with mood disorders, grief, chronic pain, and major life changes. Her practical goal is to help people feel more in control and move forward.
Susan trained in counseling psychology and has practiced for 24 years. Early in her career she worked in outpatient mental health and served in leadership roles before moving into independent practice.
Background and approach
She also has a decade of experience in human resources, which informs her coaching for work and career concerns. Her style blends psychodynamic ideas with focused, short-term techniques. She listens for recurring patterns and helps people see why certain reactions keep happening.
From there she offers steps to try differently in day-to-day life. Clinical tools she commonly uses include hypnotherapy and solution-focused methods alongside psychodynamic work. She sometimes integrates neurofeedback and eye movement integration as adjuncts in her independent practice.
Online clients may learn self-hypnosis and breathing techniques to help with anxiety and pain. Sessions are offered by video and phone, and she responds to a limited number of messages between appointments. Her background working with veterans and in organizational settings often guides work around trauma, communication problems, and professional stress.
People seeking help with anger, panic, bipolar mood concerns, or long-term health-related distress may find a practical, experienced clinician who balances insight with concrete skills.
What Susan works with
Everything Susan lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Susan's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Trauma and abuse
- Self esteem
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Family conflicts
- Grief
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Compassion fatigue
- Cancer
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Traumatic brain injury
Approaches Susan lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate to online care
Psychodynamic Therapy helps people understand long-standing patterns and emotional conflicts. It focuses on how past experiences affect current feelings and behaviors, which can clarify why anger or anxiety repeat.Solution-Focused Therapy centers on concrete goals and small steps. Sessions emphasize practical strategies and what to try between meetings to see quick, useful changes.
Hypnotherapy uses guided relaxation and focused attention to teach self-hypnosis and breathing techniques. These tools can be helpful for managing anxiety, sleep trouble, and chronic pain when practiced regularly.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the client about symptoms, goals, and preferences, then recommend a mix of methods. That collaborative decision aims to match techniques to the person's needs rather than assume a single path.
Online sessions are offered by video calls and phone, with limited messaging between appointments. Video is useful for deeper conversation and teaching techniques; phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for a shorter check-in. Messaging can be used for brief follow-ups. These options give flexibility for people balancing work, caregiving, or medical needs.
Questions people ask about Susan
What kinds of problems does she address?
She supports people with stress, anger, anxiety, trauma, grief, sleep problems, mood disorders, and challenges related to chronic illness or pain.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style mixes psychodynamic listening with solution-focused steps and hypnotherapy techniques to help people identify patterns and try practical changes.
How much experience does she have?
She has been practicing for 24 years, with experience in outpatient mental health, independent practice, and prior work in human resources.
Where does she practice and what are her credentials?
She is based in Maryland and holds MD and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor credentials, shown as MD LCPC.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available online?
She offers video calls and phone sessions, and replies to a limited number of messages between sessions; live chat and messaging-only therapy are not used.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.