Susan Mellema, LCSW

Susan Mellema is a licensed clinical social worker in Illinois with 30 years of experience. She centers her work on practical changes that help people manage addiction, trauma, grief, and family challenges. She believes clients are the experts on their own stories and looks for strengths to build on. Susan offers steady support as people take the steps toward change.

Over three decades she has helped people cope with drug and alcohol problems and the ripple effects those issues create in families. She also works with people who are processing past abuse, loss, and complicated family dynamics like blended family issues and adoption or foster care concerns. Her experience includes working alongside caregivers, people facing cancer, and those dealing with guilt, shame, or codependency.

Her approach is practical and person-focused. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. She also draws on client-centered principles to listen closely and build a working partnership. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused techniques are used to set achievable goals and keep momentum.

Sessions are aimed at clear, doable steps rather than long lectures. Susan helps people identify small changes that fit their life and encourages steady progress. She pays attention to each person’s cultural background and how family history shapes current struggles.

People can expect a calm, straightforward style and a focus on real-world problem solving. Susan helps clients break problems into manageable parts and works with them to develop coping skills they can use day to day.

Practical approaches for online care

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building a respectful, nonjudgmental working relationship. It helps people feel heard and helps the therapist and client set goals together based on the client’s priorities.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and helps people try specific strategies to change unhelpful patterns. It is often used for addictions, grief reactions, and coping with trauma-related symptoms.

Motivational Interviewing helps people resolve mixed feelings about change by exploring values and increasing motivation. It works well when someone wants to move toward recovery but is unsure how to start.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, needs, and comfort level. That process can include trying different techniques and adjusting as progress is made.

Online sessions offer flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow for face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can be used when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits brief check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to stay connected during the work of change.