Susan Mullen
As a licensed therapist in Colorado, I bring 20 years of dedicated experience supporting individuals through life's complex challenges. My professional approach centers on helping clients navigate stress, anxiety, transitions, parenting difficulties, professional challenges, and self-esteem concerns with compassionate, personalized care. I specialize in supporting individuals through significant life transitions, communication challenges, and purposeful personal growth. My expertise extends to working with caregivers, families experiencing stress, and individuals managing neurodevelopmental differences such as autism spectrum conditions and intellectual disabilities. My therapeutic style emphasizes understanding, collaboration, and empowerment. I create a supportive environment where clients can explore their experiences, develop meaningful coping strategies, and cultivate resilience. Whether you're facing life changes, seeking to improve relationships, or working to understand yourself more deeply, I'm committed to walking alongside you with genuine empathy and professional guidance.
First session
A Typical Therapy Session: A Collaborative Journey As a strengths-based, eclectic, and CBT-based therapist, my approach is centered on empowering you to tap into your unique strengths and abilities. When working with parents, I also draw on my training in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) to support you in building a stronger, more loving relationship with your child. Our Session Together When we meet, we'll start by checking in and looking at what might be helpful for our time together. I'll ask you to share what's been on your mind and in your heart lately, and we'll work together to identify the most important issues to focus on. Exploring Your Strengths Using a strengths-based approach, we'll explore your values, skills, and or accomplishments. We'll identify areas where you’ve felt effective in your life and where you'd like to grow and develop. This helps us build a strong foundation for our work together and empowers you to take an active role in your therapeutic journey. Practical Tools and Strategies As we work together, we may use eclectic, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to help you understand and challenge unhelpful thought patterns, and develop more adaptive coping strategies. For example, we might work on: - Identifying and reframing negative self-talk - Developing more effective communication skills - Building resilience and stress management techniques When working with parents, I may also use PCIT techniques to support you in: - Developing a more positive and supportive relationship with your child - Improving communication and problem-solving skills - Managing challenging behaviors and emotions A Collaborative Approach Throughout our session, I'll be actively listening, asking questions, and providing feedback. I'll also be checking in with you regularly to make sure we're on the same page and that you feel heard and understood. Take-Home Messages and Next Steps At the end of our session, we'll summarize the key takeaways and discuss next steps. You may receive homework assignments or exercises to practice between sessions, and we'll work together to schedule our next appointment. Empowered and Supported My goal is to empower you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to achieve your goals and live a more fulfilling life. I believe that you have the strength and resilience to overcome challenges and make positive changes, and I'm here to support you every step of the way.
Strengths
A Journey of Growth and Discovery: 20 Years of Experience Over the past 20 years, I've had the privilege of working with a diverse range of individuals, including adults, groups, and couples, in both rural and urban settings. This journey has taught me the importance of being open to learning, adapting to new situations, and tailoring my approach to meet the unique needs of each person. Lessons from the Field Through my work, I've come to realize that every person's story is unique, and that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to therapy. I've learned to listen and be flexible, and to draw on a range of skills and strategies to support individuals in achieving their goals. I've also learned that therapy is a collaborative process, and that the most effective outcomes come from working together with clients to identify and build on their strengths. Empowering People to Find Their Own Strengths Throughout my career, I've been driven by a passion to support people in discovering and developing their own coping and resilience strategies. I believe that every individual has the capacity for growth, healing, and transformation, and that therapy should be a supportive and collaborative process. Continuing to Learn and Grow I'm grateful for the opportunity to continue learning, growing, and evolving as a therapist, and to work to share that new knowledge with individuals who are seeking to empower themselves and live more fulfilling lives.
Ideal clients
Supporting Your Journey My skill set lies in supporting individuals seeking to navigate life's challenges and cultivate personal growth. My approach can be a good fit for those who: - Are curious about themselves and want to learn more - Are motivated to make positive changes in their lives - Are looking for a supportive and collaborative environment to explore their challenges and goals - Want to develop practical tools and strategies to build resilience and confidence Concerns and Goals - Building stronger relationships: exhausted young parents trying to balance childcare and relationships, couples navigating life changes and communication challenges, or individuals seeking to improve their relationships with family members or friends - Overcoming self-doubt and building confidence: individuals struggling with imposter syndrome, perfectionism, or self-criticism, or those seeking to build confidence in their personal or professional lives - Breaking through feelings of stuckness: people feeling uncertain about their career path, struggling to find purpose or meaning, or experiencing burnout and exhaustion - Developing greater selfawareness and selfcompassion: individuals seeking to understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, or those wanting to cultivate a more compassionate and kind relationship with themselves - Navigating significant life transitions: new parents adjusting to parenthood, individuals going through divorce or separation, or people navigating major life changes such as retirement, aging, or health challenges A Good Match - Are open to exploring and learning about themselves - Are willing to take an active role in their therapeutic journey - Are seeking a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences - Are committed to personal growth and development
Treatment methods
Strength-Based
Over 20 years experience supporting clients through Strengths-based therapy which works by guiding you to identify and leverage your existing personal assets, resilience, and talents to overcome challenges and achieve your goals.
Parent-Child Interaction (PCIT)
Leveraging more than 20 years of experience to successfully guide clients through Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) which is an evidence-based treatment where therapists empower parents and caregivers to enhance the parent-child bond and effectively manage disruptive behaviors by balancing child directed and parent directed skill sets. Parent directed skills include managing disruptive behaviors by giving brief, positive instructions, previewing behavioral expectations before entering new environments, and maintaining a calm, neutral tone during high-stress outbursts.
Eclectic
Supporting clients through multifaceted challenges for more than two decades through Eclectic therapy which works by providing you with a flexible, integrative experience where personalized approaches are selected and techniques are combined from different modalities, such as but not limited to, Creative, Existential, and Humanistic to best fit your unique needs.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Providing dedicated client support and guidance for over 20 years through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which works by helping you identify and restructure unhelpful thought patterns and core beliefs to directly change your emotional responses and behaviors.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- ColoradoLicense LPC.0005508