Dr. Susan (Sue) Futeral, LCSW-C

Dr. Susan (Sue) Futeral is a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland with 33 years of experience. She focuses on practical support for people who are overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, trauma, eating concerns, and addictions. She aims to make the first step easier and acknowledges how hard that can feel.

Her approach centers on creating an open, nonjudgmental space where thoughts and feelings can be shared. Sessions are conversational and straightforward. She listens first, then helps people find small, useful changes they can try between meetings.

Sue uses a mix of methods drawn from attachment-based work and cognitive behavioral techniques. She also integrates mindfulness practices and solution-focused strategies to help people notice patterns and build new habits. Hypnotherapy is another tool she sometimes uses when it fits the client's goals.

She helps people who are coping with life changes, grief, relationship challenges, and a range of stress-related concerns. Additional areas of focus listed include body image, communication problems, first responder and veteran issues, obsessions and compulsions, and process addictions such as gambling or problematic exercise or pornography use.

Sue works in a way that invites collaboration. Therapy is paced to each person's needs, with clear, practical steps and attention to what is useful in day-to-day life. To begin, people complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions according to availability.

How her approaches translate to online work

Attachment-based work focuses on patterns in close relationships and how early bonds shape current reactions; online sessions can use this approach to track relationship triggers and practice different ways of connecting. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and offers concrete exercises to change unhelpful patterns; it is useful for anxiety, depression, and many stress-related problems. Mindfulness therapy teaches simple attention and breathing practices to reduce reactivity and improve focus during daily life.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapy process. The therapist will collaborate with each person to identify goals, try methods that fit those goals, and adjust techniques over time. This is a shared process where feedback guides the plan of care.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when helpful, and avoid travel time. Many people find remote sessions let them practice skills in the situations where problems actually occur, and the therapist can suggest practical exercises to use between meetings.