Susan Hoffstetter

Susan Hoffstetter is an Illinois licensed clinical professional counselor with 16 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, anger, addictions, trauma, and bipolar disorder. She meets people where they are and treats their concerns with direct, respectful care. Susan works from the idea that clients know their own stories best. She looks for existing strengths and practical steps people can use right away. The first contact can feel hard, and she acknowledges the courage it takes to begin. In sessions she listens for patterns that keep problems active and helps clients try different ways of responding. She offers straightforward tools to manage overwhelming feelings and to reduce symptoms like worry, intrusive thoughts, and impulsive habits. She also supports people processing grief and past abuse, and those facing obsessive-compulsive behaviors or trichotillomania. Her practice includes attention to relationship stress and family-related pressures by helping individuals sort their own reactions and set clearer boundaries. Susan also assists people coping after natural or human-caused disasters and those recovering from sexual assault. Susan holds an Illinois LCPC, which stands for Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She conducts sessions in English and works with people located in Illinois. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist's availability.

How evidence-based techniques translate to online therapy

Evidence-based therapeutic techniques often include structured, skills-focused methods that teach concrete ways to manage emotions and change behavior. One common approach involves learning coping skills for intense feelings such as anger or anxiety - practicing breathing, grounding, and short behavioral experiments to test new responses in daily life. These tools help people reduce reactivity and regain a sense of control. Another frequently used method emphasizes processing traumatic memories and their effects by pacing exposure and teaching regulation strategies. This helps people decrease intrusive memories and interrupt patterns tied to past abuse or disaster-related stress. Both approaches aim for clear, measurable steps rather than abstract theory. Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to match techniques to their needs, goals, and comfort. Together they decide which strategies to try and adjust the plan based on what helps most. Confirm current session options with the therapist before booking, as specific formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins during a lunch break, and reduce travel time. It also lets people practice skills in the settings where they actually live and react, which can speed up progress.