Susan Yvette Underwood

Susan Yvette Underwood is a licensed professional counselor with 20 years of experience. She focuses on helping people navigate eating and food-related issues, trauma, and LGBTQ+ concerns while building stronger self-esteem and clearer life purpose.

Her work centers on practical, real-world steps people can use right away. Sessions often focus on learning coping skills for panic and social anxiety, handling difficult life changes, and processing shame or guilt. She aims to help people notice patterns, try new behaviors, and make choices that fit their values.

Clients can expect a collaborative approach that values their experience. The therapist listens closely and helps set small, achievable goals. Conversations may include learning communication strategies and ways to manage intense emotions.

Her practice also addresses related areas such as isolation, family of origin issues, codependency, and concerns around aging. She has experience supporting people dealing with domestic violence, dissociation, and HIV/AIDS, among other challenges.

Susan helps people explore identity and relationships without judgment. The goal is greater self-understanding and steady progress toward practical life changes. To begin, readers are encouraged to use the site's Start Therapy button and complete the short matching questionnaire.

Evidence-based approaches and online care

Many of the techniques used are evidence-based and focus on clear, teachable skills that people can practice between sessions. One common approach is skills-based work that teaches strategies for managing anxiety, panic, and intense emotions, which can help when coping with eating-related struggles and trauma. Another approach emphasizes processing traumatic experiences in a paced, supportive way so people can reduce the hold those memories have on daily life and build better coping routines.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist takes a collaborative stance, discussing options and adjusting methods to match a person's needs, goals, and preferences. Clients and therapist decide together what to try and when to shift tactics.

If you prefer online sessions, confirm the available session formats before booking since formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It can also help people maintain continuity of care through transitions, while the therapist helps tailor the pace and tools to how the person prefers to meet.