Licensed to practice in California and accepts 56 insurances. Specializes in ADHD, Life Transitions, Women's Issues and 7 more.
Ilena Sussman
(she/her)
About me
Providing psychotherapeutic services to those seeking emotional sustenance and healthy psychological support during these very stressful times. I have been working in this field for approximately 20 years now. My experience is with all school grade levels, as well as adults from all walks of life. I find that the ideal patient is open-minded (willing to look at things from different perspectives), consistent (with attendance/self-care/psychoeducation), and humble to learn. My patients have described me as kind, trustworthy, accepting, an excellent mentor, dependable, and down-to-earth. Short-term and long-term assistance provided for: Adults (18+) Individual Therapy Anxiety Depression Coping Skills ADHD Asperger’s Syndrome Autism Spectrum Disorder Codependency Developmental Disorders Intellectual Disability Life Transitions Peer Relationships Self-Esteem Spirituality Stress Women’s Issues Mood Disorders Thinking Disorders Trauma Certified
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
We will complete an intake and I will ask you questions to get to know you better. I will check in with you what your goals for therapy will be and what brought you to treatment. We can try to identify if their is a regular meeting time that works best for you and reserve a space For our sessions ongoing if helpful.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I genuinely have lots of experience with all types of patients/issues as I have previously worked as a generalist through many professional agencies. I now have the luxury of bringing all my skills into private practice here on the Grow Therapy Platform. Thank you for reading my profile I look forward to working with you. Homework is provided upon special request.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I prefer to work with clients who have realistic expectations and goals for therapy. It’s important that if someone wants to improve that they practice skills outside of sessions. Folks that are able to be open to trust and be consistent get the best results in treatment. Neurodivergence, Relationship Conflicts, Trauma, Mood Disorders, Self-Esteem Issues, Stress Management, Adjustment Troubles, and Women’s Issues.
Specialties
Top specialties
ADHD
Life Transitions
Women's Issues
Other specialties
Anxiety
Coping Skills
Depression
Family Conflict
Health/Medical Issues
Peer Relationships
Perinatal Mental Health
Identifies as
Christian
Woman
Serves ages
Adults (18 to 64)
Elders (65 and above)
Licensed in
California
Accepts
Aetna
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - Lucent Health
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Medicare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Ambetter from Health Net
Amerihealth Administrators
Amerihealth NJ Medicare Advantage
Anthem
Blue Cross
Independence Administrators
Independence Blue Cross
Arlo
AvMed
Blue Shield
Blue Shield of California - Medicare
Independence Personal Choice 65 PPO
Independence Keystone 65 HMO
Carelon Behavioral Health (Commercial)
Sutter Health Plan
IHSS Healthy Workers
Cash - $200 per session
Centivo
Cigna
Cigna - HealthEZ
EAP:Cigna
EAP:Evernorth
EAP:UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Evernorth
GTEB
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Health Net (Commercial)
Humana - Medicare
Humana Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Scripps Health Plan
Sharp Health Plan
Surest (formerly Bind)
Tufts Health/Cigna
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicare
UnitedHealthcare Complete Care (C-SNP)
Location
Virtual
My treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT usually involves changing thinking patterns. It’s a form of psychological treatment that has been demonstrated to be effective for a broad range of problems.
Christian Counseling
Focuses on the clients strengths and abilities to improve their quality of life and reduce symptoms. It is based on positive psychology.
Strength-Based
Brainstorming options based on personal strengths and what has worked before
7 ratings with written reviews
March 30, 2026
Ilena is the best therapist I've ever had. I feel really safe talking through things with her, no matter how crazy my thoughts seem to get. She grounds me - couldn't recommend her enough. Perfect balance between listening & advising, and isn't afraid of the serious stuff. I feel a significant positive shift in my overall mental health. Thank you, Ilena.
Verified client, age 25-34
February 17, 2026
Ilena is very warm and shows empathy while instilling solutions and reasoning within the emotional capacity of each session.
Verified client, age 55-64
January 23, 2026
I have been working with Ilena for just over a year, and she consistently offers excellent advice to build on topics that I'm exploring. She challenges me to work through thoughts and experiences and relate them to my current situation. I always look forward to our sessions and feel they are quite productive and helpful to my personal development. I think that I am a better partner and father than I was when I started working with Ilena.