PuttingFamilyFirst

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SM Portrait of Suzanne Martinez
Online therapist

Suzanne Martinez

Calm, experienced guidance for family and parenting

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Credentials
LMFT
Experience
25 years
Licensed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About Suzanne

Suzanne Martinez is a licensed marriage and family therapist who focuses on family and parenting concerns among a broad range of life issues. She writes plainly and listens carefully so parents and caregivers can explain what’s worrying them. Suzanne aims to make first steps feel manageable and practical for people juggling many responsibilities.

She brings 25 years of clinical work in Illinois to each appointment. That experience includes work in independent practice and time teaching others how to build healthier routines and relationships.

Background and approach

Suzanne also holds Illinois LMFT licensure - LMFT stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Her style starts by identifying strengths and what the client wants to protect or change. Sessions tend to be goal-focused and down-to-earth, with simple skills to try between meetings.

She uses tools from cognitive behavioral therapy to shift unhelpful thoughts and from emotionally focused methods to improve communication and connection. Suzanne also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and take small, meaningful steps toward them. She combines these approaches with an open, client-centered manner that keeps the client’s priorities central.

Practical concerns Suzanne addresses include stress, anxiety, grief, parenting challenges, addiction-related issues, sleep and eating problems, and coping with major life changes. She also supports people navigating blended family dynamics, adoption and foster care questions, attachment and caregiver stress, and forgiveness work. Sessions are offered in English and conducted online in a variety of formats.

Her work is aimed at helping clients make steady, usable progress in everyday life.

Therapeutic approaches and online options that fit busy lives

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people name what matters most to them and take small steps toward those values even when feelings are difficult. It can be useful for stress, anxiety, and making changes that align with your priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical strategies to reduce unhelpful thinking and build new habits. It often helps with anxiety, depression, sleep, and eating concerns. Emotionally-Focused Therapy, EFT, focuses on improving how people communicate and connect, which can ease relationship strain and help with parenting interactions.

Suzanne approaches choice of method as a team effort. She will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, then try approaches that match those needs. If something doesn’t fit, the plan can be adjusted so clients find what works in their daily lives.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility around work, family, and caregiving demands. These formats make it easier to meet from home or between errands and allow techniques and homework to be reviewed in ways that suit each client’s schedule.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

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.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of problems does Suzanne address?
She works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting challenges, addictions, sleep and eating problems, and coping with life changes.
What is her general therapy style?
She uses a strengths-based, client-centered style that focuses on practical steps and clear goals. Sessions often include skills you can use between meetings.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 25 years of experience practicing in Illinois, including independent practice work and teaching on personal well-being and psychological growth.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is an Illinois Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT, with license number IL LMFT 166000614 and practices in Illinois.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available online?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging as session formats.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
25 years
Licensed
Illinois
Languages
English

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