Dr. Susan (Sue) Futeral, LCSW-C

Dr. Susan (Sue) Futeral is a licensed clinical social worker in Maryland with 33 years of practice. She welcomes people who are nervous about beginning therapy and focuses on creating an open space where thoughts and feelings can be shared without judgment. Sue aims to make the first steps easier for someone ready to get help. Her work often addresses stress and anxiety, relationship concerns, trauma and abuse, and eating issues. She also helps with depression, addictions, grief, intimacy-related problems, sleep troubles, anger, self-esteem, and work or career stress. Additional areas of focus include ADHD, body image, communication problems, and post-traumatic stress among others. Sue uses practical approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy to help people change patterns and find workable steps forward. She also incorporates Attachment-Based ideas to look at how relationships shape feelings, and uses Mindfulness and Hypnotherapy as tools when they fit a person's goals. Sessions emphasize a nonjudgmental tone and clear goals. Conversations tend to focus on what is happening now, what has helped before, and what small changes could make daily life easier. The therapist aims to tailor each session to the person in front of her rather than following a one-size-fits-all plan. People who reach out can expect straightforward conversation about challenges and practical strategies to try between meetings. Sue encourages questions and shared decision making about which approaches to use as therapy progresses.

Approaches you might use in online sessions

Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early and current relationships shape feelings and behavior. It helps people understand patterns in close relationships and try new ways of relating that feel safer and more satisfying.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It uses concrete exercises to test unhelpful thoughts and practice new behaviors for anxiety, depression, and everyday stress.

Mindfulness Therapy brings attention to the present moment and teaches simple practices to reduce reactivity. It can help with anxiety, stress, and sleep problems by building steadier attention and calmer responses.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss options and collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. That shared decision making guides what is tried in early sessions and what is adjusted over time.

The biography does not list specific online formats, so confirm available session types before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT, attachment-informed work, and mindfulness practices effectively in remote sessions when both parties agree on how to proceed.