Susan Acosta, LCSW - Therapist in New York

About Susan

Susan Acosta is a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on family and parenting concerns alongside related issues like addiction, relationships, stress, anxiety, and parenting struggles. She practices in New York and brings 20 years of experience to conversations about coping with life changes and emotional strain.

Susan aims to listen without judgment and meet people where they are so they can begin to make practical changes. Her style is straightforward and respectful.

Background and approach

Sessions begin with plain talk about what feels most urgent and what is realistic to change. She adapts her methods to fit each person’s situation, using tools that can be practiced between meetings. The work is collaborative and paced to match the client’s needs.

Susan draws from client-centered methods that center the person’s experience and from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify thoughts and behaviors that maintain problems. She also uses Motivational Interviewing to help people find their own reasons to change, and Solution-Focused Therapy to build small, concrete steps forward.

These approaches are chosen to address issues such as substance use, family conflict, blended family adjustments, codependency, divorce, anger, and self-esteem struggles. In sessions she aims to create clear goals and simple strategies parents and family members can try at home. People can expect direct feedback, practical suggestions, and continued encouragement.

Her goal is to help clients develop skills that make daily life feel more manageable.

Therapy approaches and online sessions that fit family life

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding each person’s experience without judgment. It helps people feel heard and supported while they decide what changes matter most to them.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the thoughts and actions that keep problems going. It teaches simple skills to test unhelpful thoughts and change behaviors, which can help with anxiety, low mood, and parenting stress.

Motivational Interviewing helps people find their own motivation for change. It is useful when someone is weighing options about substance use, relationship choices, or new habits.

Choosing the right method is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each client to pick approaches that match goals, timing, and comfort level. Together they will adjust the plan as needed so it stays useful and realistic.

Online therapy offers flexibility for busy families. Video calls let conversations feel more personal, phone sessions remove travel time, and live chat or text-based messaging can fit quick check-ins into a hectic day. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while juggling school, work, and caregiving.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Motivational Interviewing

A way of working through mixed feelings about change without being pushed. The therapist helps you weigh things up and find your own reasons, which often makes a difficult decision feel less stuck.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does she help with?

Susan works with issues including addictions, relationship and family conflicts, stress, anxiety, parenting concerns, intimacy-related matters, anger, self-esteem, depression, and coping with life changes. She also focuses on blended family issues, codependency, dependent personality patterns, divorce and separation, and drug and alcohol addiction.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

The approach is person-focused and practical. Susan listens without judgment, helps set clear goals, and offers tools clients can use between sessions.

What experience does she bring?

She has 20 years of professional work experience supporting people with family and addiction-related concerns in New York.

What are her credentials and location?

Susan holds an LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - with license number NY LCSW 053059 and she practices in New York.

In which languages can sessions be held?

Sessions are offered in English.

What session formats are available?

Work can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs.

How does billing and cost work?

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 this therapist?

To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session based on the therapist’s availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Addictions
Relationship issues
Family conflicts

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience: 20 years
Licensed: New York
Languages: English

Next step

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