Dr. Susan Fleming, LMFT

Dr. Susan Fleming is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 18 years of experience in California. She centers her work on practical help for people weighed down by anxiety, stress, addiction, depression, and relationship strain. Her style is straightforward and warm, aimed at making therapy feel doable for busy lives.

She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which looks at thoughts and behaviors and helps people build new ways of coping. She also draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy to address attachment and patterns in close relationships. Sessions focus on small, concrete steps that can be practiced between meetings.

Dr. Fleming often prioritizes improving communication and easing social anxiety and isolation. She helps clients learn clearer ways to express needs, set boundaries, and reconnect with themselves. Work may include skill practice, role-play, and short assignments people can try at home.

Her approach is direct but respectful. She listens, reflects what she hears, and then suggests specific strategies to try. That makes sessions feel like a partnership rather than a lecture.

People who come to her tend to be looking for tangible change rather than lengthy interpretation. She supports recovery from addictive patterns, builds tools for managing low mood, and helps repair relationship patterns. Sessions are paced to fit each person’s goals and life demands.

CBT and Emotion-Focused Work Online

Dr. Fleming uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors. CBT focuses on practical tools like thought records, behavior experiments, and gradual exposure for social anxiety or phobia. Emotionally-Focused Therapy is used to notice patterns in relationships and to try new ways of connecting and responding that reduce conflict and increase understanding.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. She will discuss goals and preferences with each person and adjust methods as needed. The plan evolves based on what is working and what feels manageable for the client.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to meet. Video calls let people work face-to-face when convenient. Phone sessions can fit into a short break or require less bandwidth. Live chat and text messaging are handy for quick check-ins, brief coaching, or following up on skills between sessions. These options make it easier to fit regular work on goals into a busy life.