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ABOUT ME

Meet Suzanne McKenna

I am a trauma-informed therapist and I utilize Internal Family Systems, Attachment Theory, and Mindfulness practices, in order to help my clients change and grow.

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I strive to foster a safe, nurturing, and non-judgmental environment for my clients to explore their unique lives, inclusive of births and deaths and joys and wounds. I believe that change can occur when clients feel truly accepted. In our culture, we receive many messages that we are not good enough or are not doing it “right,” and this can lead to problems with self-esteem, anxiety, shame, and depression. 

 

As a therapist, I draw from my rich life experience as a mother to three grown children.I enjoy traveling alongside my clients to help them navigate the many complexities of transitional times, such as pregnancy, motherhood, starting a new job or moving through divorce. These life events are significant stressors, even when the transition is one that has been personally chosen. These times of intense change bring with them an opportunity for growth and a chance for deepening our understanding of ourselves. 

 

I hope that together we can create an environment that helps you to move forward in your life, toward your personal goals for health and happiness. 

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SUZANNE MCKENNA

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“Most people are afraid of suffering. But suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. There can be no lotus flower without the mud.”

– Thich Nhat Hanh

MY STORY

Personal Journey

I became interested in the human mind and human behavior when I was in my teens. I wondered how much family life played a role in who I had become. How did my birth order and the siblings birthed before and after me contribute to my ideas about myself and the world? I started this inner exploration then. 

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I remember a young man that was convicted of a crime and was sentenced to death. I was outraged and convinced that his behavior came about because of some darkness in his childhood or early life, and I was devastated when he was put to death. I was young then, but I had a deep intuition that something was wrong with our system.

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In college, I was a Psychology major and took to it like a duck to water. I was so intrigued by the different theories of human behavior at the time. I remember Behaviorism being very popular during that time, but it made little sense to me, as I felt behavior was rooted in something deeper. 

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After a long life of being a stay-at-home mother to my three wonderful children, I decided to go back and get my Master’s in Counseling Psychology. It was 30 years later, and plenty had changed. There were many more theories of human behavior that incorporated mindfulness and information about how our brains work. 

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I have remained influenced by the work of Tara Brach, Dr. Peter Levine, Dr. Gabor Mate, Dr. Richard Schwartz, and Dr. Daniel Seigel to name a few. These humans helped to open and shape my mind in ways that felt so congruent with what  I already felt and believed. I have also been informed by my meditation practice and the connection and peace it affords me. In my own therapy, I have learned to have more compassion and love of my Self. This has been BIG and transformational for me. 

 

I truly believe that healing love and compassion for our Selves can be transformative for you as well. I strive to hold a loving, nonjudgmental space for you to explore your inner world, the good, the bad, and the ugly (although, I don’t consider anything ugly or bad). I will be there by your side to help you emerge whole and complete. 
 

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Education & Training

LMFT #124920

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Areas Of Focus

  • Prenatal and Postpartum

  • Anxiety and Depression

  • Couples Therapy

  • Working with Men

  • Parenting Concerns

  • Journey into Parenthood

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Trauna-Informed

Being a trauma-informed therapist, I use a lens of compassion and curiosity when working with my clients. When my client shares a concern, I might think, “What happened to them in their lives?” and not “What’s wrong with them?” My job is not to stop behavior from happening, but to explore the underlying thoughts and feelings that lead to the behavior. From there, clients have more of a choice to change the unwanted behavior. I strive to create a safe environment for clients to explore their own history of trauma if they choose to. 

02

Education & Training

  • 1989: Santa Clara University 

    • ​Bachelor of Science in Psychology

  • 2018: John F. Kennedy University

    • Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology

  • 2024: Level I

    • Internal Family Systems

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Internal Family Systems

By using IFS, a non-pathologizing approach to understanding mental health, clients understand parts of themselves better and personal healing can begin. For example, I often see postpartum clients struggling to parent "perfectly." These perfectionistic parts are often formed in our early childhoods when we are trying to make sense of our worlds and of the expectations placed on us. Parts are not bad, but they are often stuck doing a job when it is no longer useful.

Ways I Can Help

SERVICES

Therapy For Moms

I help moms on their journey through motherhood. Many clients start with me during their first postpartum experience and stay through their second children and beyond. I am here to partner with women and support them through this sacred journey.

Therapy For Men

Men often show up in therapy because they are struggling in their primary relationships. They are having a hard time connecting with their partners or are on the brink of divorce. I offer a supportive environment for men to explore their part in the struggle without judgment.

Parenting Support

Many clients come to therapy ashamed of the way they respond to their children. No one will be able to parent perfectly all the time. The main focus is bringing better understanding to their own triggers, along with their own regulated nervous system.

Couples Counseling

Distance between partners is the outcome from wall building. Unfortunately, distance can become so great that they don't feel they can find the connection they are looking for. Working together with a therapist can be helpful.

FAQ's

Have Questions?

  • How long is each therapy session?
    My sessions are typically 50 minutes long.
  • What type of payment do you accept?
    I accept cash or credit card.
  • Do you accept insurance?
    I currently do not accept insurance. However I am happy to provide you with a superbill that you can use to submit for reimbursement. The amount your insurance company reimburses will vary according to the plan you have. Please contact your insurance prior to our first session to confirm whether or not they will accept "out of network" providers and/or superbills, as payment for your session will still be collected before or on the day of service.
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