Susan Johnston , LMFT

Susan Johnston is a licensed clinician who brings a thoughtful, team-oriented approach to working with individuals, couples, and families. She holds credentials as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - LMFT - and has also practiced as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, combining training in relationship-focused care with broad mental health experience. Her background includes work across office settings, residential and group homes, inpatient mental health care, intensive outpatient programs, probation services, and a college academic environment, which informs her practical and adaptable style.

Susan began her professional path as a returning adult student and has since developed experience in addiction treatment and family-centered interventions, helping people and their loved ones rebuild trust and a sense of possibility. She has worked with local community members as well as immigrant and refugee families, partnering with professional interpreters to honor language and cultural differences while pursuing shared goals.

Her counseling philosophy weaves humanistic and experiential approaches with emotional and cognitive techniques, all grounded in family systems theory. Susan prioritizes collaboration, tailoring treatment to each person or family so they can work toward the outcomes that matter most to them. She practices from Indiana and brings eight years of clinical experience to her work.

Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Susan Johnston integrates family systems work, humanistic and experiential approaches, and cognitive techniques into online therapy. Family systems work looks at patterns and relationships within families to identify how interactions influence feelings and behavior, which can be useful for couples, parenting challenges, and family conflict. Humanistic and experiential methods emphasize personal growth and emotional awareness, helping people explore values, build self-esteem, and process feelings in a supportive way. Cognitive techniques focus on identifying and adjusting unhelpful thoughts and coping skills, which can assist with anxiety, stress, and mood concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Susan collaborates with each person to determine what fits best. She tailors methods to a client’s goals, history, and preferences so that therapy supports realistic change and feels manageable.

Online sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging offer flexibility for busy schedules and different comfort levels. These options make it easier to maintain consistent care from licensed professionals without traveling, and they allow for continuity of work on relationship, emotional, and behavioral goals in ways that adapt to daily life.