Susan MacDonald, LMHC

Susan MacDonald is a licensed mental health counselor in Rhode Island with 14 years of experience. She helps people who are feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or stuck. She also supports people working on relationships, self-esteem, motivation, and major life changes.

Her approach begins with building a respectful, nonjudgmental space. Clients are invited to talk about thoughts and everyday habits that get in the way. Sessions focus on practical steps the person can try between meetings and on understanding patterns that keep problems repeating.

Susan blends several methods to match each person’s needs. She uses client-centered listening to follow what matters most to the person. She draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to spot and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. When emotions feel intense or overwhelming, she brings in strategies from dialectical behavior therapy to help manage them.

Mindfulness practices and motivational interviewing are also part of her toolkit. Mindfulness exercises help people notice thoughts and bodily reactions. Motivational interviewing helps clarify goals and find personal reasons to change.

Her style is practical and warm, aiming to help people make small, workable changes. She encourages steady progress rather than fast fixes. Prospective clients are invited to reach out and begin with a short matching questionnaire to schedule a first session.

Approaches that can guide online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following what matters to the person. It creates space for someone to talk through thoughts and feelings and helps build trust before trying new strategies.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It breaks problems into small pieces and uses simple exercises to change unhelpful thought patterns and habits, which can help with anxiety, depression, and daily stress.

Dialectical behavior therapy, DBT, offers tools for handling strong emotions and improving distress tolerance. It teaches skills for managing intense reactions and improving communication during conflict.

Finding the right approach is usually a collaborative process. The therapist will work with the person to identify goals and try methods that fit their needs and preferences. Adjustments are made over time based on what helps most.

Confirm the specific online session options before booking because formats are not listed in the profile. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises, homework, and mindfulness practices to work well in virtual sessions.