Susan Brown

I am a licensed clinical psychologist, both in Pennsylvania and Florida. I have worked with clients for over 20 years. I particularly enjoy working with women and girls as they manage the complex demands of modern life. I am also skilled in treating depression and anxiety. I use a combination of experience and perspectives from both my clinical and organizational work. This is classic talk therapy using tested practices and protocols — especially Cognitive Behavioral and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. I have experience in working with body image issues, as well as developing a full and clear sense of self.

Life Skills Coaching – This approach combines learning specific, observable, practical skills within a therapeutic environment. It often follows from an assessment that targets the specific issues that need to be addressed. For many kids, this is more palatable than therapy. For parents, it often helps them manage the anxiety of “what should I be doing to help?” The specific skill practices that are offered include: listening, appreciative inquiry, negotiation, organization and planning, goal setting, progress management and getting yourself heard and understood. The end result is a positive, productive, satisfying relationship within your family and a blueprint for modifying relationships over time and developmental stages.

Managing the changing relationship between adolescents and their parents. This two way dynamic has been fraught with trouble for many well meaning parents and their children. For parents, recognizing the developmental milestones of their children is not easy. A critical question is: how do I negotiate a positive relationship with my adolescent while fulfilling my responsibilities as a parent? For kids, the key question is how do I establish and maintain my own sense of who I am while still being connected to my family? The path to answering both these questions can be significantly smoothed by learning and practicing some key skills. They include: listening, appreciative inquiry, negotiating and building perspective

Body Image Disorders and Eating Disorders — Women have been trained to deny the reality of the female form, to strive for a body type that is uncommon for most and to measure their worth according to the scale or dress size. This pressure often creates an undue focus on body image. Particularly for adolescent girls, this distorted sense of self can be surfaced in eating disordered behavior. My expertise in this area is deep and addresses the complex anxiety and depression that is typically a companion to this spectrum of disorders.

Adult Children of Alcoholics — ACOA’s often experience distinct and somewhat paradoxical life experiences. Often, they have highly developed coping or survival skills that block them from experiencing the kind of intimate relationships they would like. This population of frequently high-functioning adults can benefit greatly from a supportive and structured therapeutic process.

Adolescent girls — have a particularly difficult path to walk. Girls today are presented with conflicting images of what success and happiness is for a woman. The media, especially social influencers, also bombard them with less than healthy and constructive images. Although they want to negotiate supportive and respectful relationships, girls often need the support and distance that therapy can offer.