About Dr. Susan

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Dr. Susan’s professional and personal experiences inspired the founding of Nature’s Oak Counseling.
She focuses on integrative psychological and relational health, blending traditional and holistic approaches to enhance mood, life satisfaction, and relationship well-being. Dr. Susan empowers individuals to access their own inner resources and harness the healing power within. She believes we are often taught to seek solutions outside ourselves, when the answers already lie within. Through her approach, clients learn to recognize, tap into, and strengthen their innate abilities while developing new skills for lasting growth.

Dr. Susan has a well-established, integrative psychotherapy private practice in Tampa, Florida. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (MH-2945) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (MT-1837) with over 25 years in the Mental Health Counseling Field. She practices individual, group, and couple and family therapy, bringing comprehensive services for emotional/brain health. She recognizes that optimal wellness requires attention to the mind, body, spiritual, and social aspects of one’s life. 

Dr. Susan has been working as a therapist since 1986 in a variety of settings. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, and a Doctorate degree in Social and Systemic Studies for Marriage and Family Therapy. In addition to private practice, her counseling experience consists of working with children, adolescents, and adults in residential and intensive outpatient psychiatric and chemical dependency programs in clinical and supervisory positions. She is the former owner of Nature's Oak Wellness Center. Currently, her dog, Owen, accompanies her in counseling sessions for the comfort of her clients and to give Owen a purpose.

During the span of her career, she has worked as an Adjunct College Professor, and has developed and presented several seminars on topics such as: Parenting, Stress Management, Domestic Violence, Relationship Enhancement, Postpartum Mood Disorders, Family Business, Alcohol, and Drug abuse. She has special training in trauma treatment, Heartmath and has taught Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Classes.

On the personal front, Dr. Susan has been married since 1992 and has raised 2 children, which has given her real life experience with parenting and family development. Sadly, since the passing of her 19-year-old son, she now has real life experience with child loss as well. This has compelled her to expand her knowledge into the area of traumatic grief and use this tragic experience to help others facing such horrific losses of loved ones. Having healed from many past difficult life experiences herself, she is better able to understand and empathize with the problems of others. She has taken her life experience and used them to grow and help her clients. 

She prioritizes living a balanced life style that includes exercise, healthy eating, non-dogmatic spirituality, hobbies, friends, family, job, she enjoys outdoor activities, reading, and animals.

Credentials

• Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• B.A. in Psychology
• M.A. in Guidance and Counseling
• Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy
• Certified Heart-Math Clinician
• Certified Postpartum Mood Disorders (Postpartum international)
• RRT - Rapid Resolution Therapy Practitioner
• Certified Life Coach
• Certified Instructor for Mindful Based Stress Reduction
• ART -Accelerated Resolution Therapy Practitioner
• Retired State Registered Supervisor for Licensing Master Level Interns