PuttingFamilyFirst

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

SM Portrait of Susan Merletti
Online therapist

Susan Merletti

Calm guidance for life changes

Book with Susan
Credentials
LPCC
Experience
39 years
Licensed in
California
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Susan

Susan Merletti is a California-licensed professional counselor, LPCC, with 39 years of clinical experience. She focuses on supporting people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, trauma, and health-related challenges like cancer and chronic illness. Susan believes most people already hold important strengths and that therapy helps put those strengths to work.

She frames the first step toward change as an act of courage and offers steady support during that process.

Background and approach

In sessions she listens closely and centers the person's own perspective. Conversations aim to clarify what matters most and to develop realistic steps forward. She uses straightforward techniques to address symptoms and practical problems, then revisits deeper life patterns when helpful.

Susan blends techniques from client-centered work and cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice thoughts and habits that get in the way. She also draws on mindfulness to help manage overwhelming feelings. At times she explores life history and relationships to uncover patterns that repeat.

Her focus includes a wide range of concerns commonly tied to family and parenting issues, along with grief, intimacy, body image, and coping with major life changes. Sessions may address communication problems, codependency, and sexual assault recovery when those are part of a person's story. Susan offers sessions in English and provides a mix of contact styles to suit different routines.

She emphasizes collaboration - setting goals together and adjusting the plan as needs change.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Susan commonly blends client-centered work with cognitive behavioral techniques. Client-centered therapy means the session centers on the person’s perspective, with the therapist listening empathically and helping the client name goals. This approach is useful for building self-understanding and confidence.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, helps people notice and change thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to stress, anxiety, or depression. It often involves trying small experiments or new habits between sessions to reduce symptoms and improve daily function.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, then adjust methods over time. That collaborative stance helps the plan stay practical and responsive to change.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy family routines and to keep continuity when life gets hectic. The variety of formats also allows people to choose what feels most comfortable for sharing and practicing new skills.

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.

Mindfulness Therapy

Attention training: noticing thoughts and physical feelings as they arrive without being carried off by them. Much of it is practice you do yourself, so guidance over video or audio works much as it would in person.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems can be brought to therapy here?
Susan works with a broad range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy-related issues, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, body image, chronic illness, and more.
How would sessions typically feel or proceed?
Sessions focus on listening first, then identifying small, workable steps. Techniques include talking through thoughts and behaviors, practicing mindfulness, and exploring patterns from a person’s history when useful.
What is Susan's professional background?
She is a licensed professional counselor with 39 years of experience working with people facing emotional, relational, and health-related challenges.
Where is this practice based and what credential is held?
The clinician is licensed in California as an LPCC with license number CA LPCC 1253.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are offered for online work?
Therapy is available through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to match different schedules and communication preferences.
How does billing and cost work?
Costs vary with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps should someone take to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
39 years
Licensed
California
Languages
English

Next step

Talk to Susan

  • Takes a few minutes
  • Nothing to set up just to look
  • Stop at any point
Book with Susan