Susan Acosta, LCSW

Susan Acosta is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience helping people navigate addiction, relationship strain, family conflict, anxiety, depression, and parenting stress. She works with adults who are facing difficult life changes and wants to help them find clearer choices and steadier coping. Her approach is respectful, direct, and practical.

She follows a client-centered style, which means conversations are guided by each person’s goals and priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, is one of the main approaches she uses to help people notice unhelpful thought patterns and try different behaviors. Motivational Interviewing and solution-focused techniques are also used when clients want to build motivation and identify small, concrete steps forward.

Sessions are adapted to what the person needs in the moment. Some people want short-term work aimed at specific changes. Others prefer to explore longer patterns such as codependency, dependent personality traits, blended family challenges, or the emotional effects of divorce and separation. She also supports people working through drug and alcohol addiction.

In conversations she keeps language straightforward and avoids jargon. She focuses on practical tools people can use between sessions to manage stress, anger, intimacy issues, and self-esteem concerns. Progress is measured by how life feels different between meetings, not by labels.

Clients meet with her for video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. She tailors the plan together with each person and adjusts the pace as needed to match their goals and day-to-day life.

How her approaches translate to online sessions

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and testing new behaviors. Online CBT sessions often include practical exercises, thought records, and homework that can be reviewed together during calls or messaging. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening and building a supportive relationship; the therapist follows the person’s lead and helps clarify goals and feelings in a collaborative way.

Finding the right approach is a joint process. The therapist will discuss the options and help decide which methods fit a person’s goals, comfort, and day-to-day routine. Plans are adjusted over time, and the client’s feedback guides what to try next.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls let people use visual cues and longer conversations. Phone sessions are useful when bandwidth is limited or a person prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging work well for brief check-ins, step-by-step coaching, or when someone needs to fit a session into a busy day. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent and to practice skills between meetings.