Susan Schwerd, LCPC

Susan Schwerd is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland with 24 years of practice. She helps people facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, depression, bipolar mood concerns, and grief. She also supports those coping with chronic pain, illness, cancer, and major life changes. Susan blends therapy and coaching to help people regain control and move forward.

Susan trained in counseling psychology and began practice in 1999 after graduating from Temple University with a master's degree in Counseling Psychology. Early in her career she worked in a large outpatient mental health organization and served several years as an assistant clinical director before moving into private practice. She also spent a decade as a human resources director, which informs her coaching focus on personal growth and workplace productivity.

Susan uses a psychodynamic foundation alongside an active, eclectic approach. She draws on solution-focused techniques to set clear goals and identify practical steps. Hypnotherapy and clinical hypnosis are offered as adjuncts to support symptom regulation like anxiety and chronic pain.

In sessions she helps people identify patterns that keep them stuck and try new responses to current problems. She teaches breathing and self-hypnosis skills that clients can use between meetings. Susan also incorporates neurofeedback and eye movement integration when appropriate as part of her broader clinical work.

Online work includes live video and phone sessions, and she replies to a limited number of messages between meetings. Her practice schedule varies seasonally, so clients should check current hours when arranging appointments.

How these approaches translate to online care

Psychodynamic Therapy focuses on understanding how past experiences and recurring patterns affect present feelings and choices. Online sessions using this approach help people talk through underlying issues and notice behaviors that keep them stuck.

Solution-Focused Therapy emphasizes practical change and clear goals. In virtual meetings this approach helps set short-term targets and practice small steps that fit daily life, such as trying a new coping strategy between sessions.

Hypnotherapy and clinical hypnosis are used as adjuncts to support symptom regulation like anxiety and chronic pain. Online instruction can include guided breathing and self-hypnosis techniques that clients learn and then use on their own to manage symptoms between appointments.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. This may mean combining psychodynamic reflection with solution-focused tasks and brief hypnosis practice when helpful.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule and reduce travel time. Phone or live video meetings allow check-ins from wherever a person is working or caring for family. Because session formats can change, confirm the current options before booking so they meet your practical needs.