Susan Kates , LMFT

Susan Kates is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in Wyoming with 30 years of professional experience. She has spent her career supporting people facing family conflict, trauma, and chemical dependency, bringing a long history of work in both hospital and outpatient settings and outreach with individuals experiencing homelessness.

Susan combines practical, outcome-oriented methods with trauma-informed care. Her primary therapeutic approaches include Solution-Focused work, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and trauma-focused strategies. She is also certified in Smart Recovery, an approach for supporting people managing substance use concerns.

Susan aims to create an open, nonjudgmental space where thoughts and feelings can be expressed and explored. She approaches therapy as a collaborative process, supporting and empowering individuals as they take steps toward change. Her background working with children affected by trauma, families in conflict, and adults managing addiction informs a flexible style that adapts to each person’s needs and goals.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care with Susan Kates

Susan Kates uses Solution-Focused Therapy to help people identify practical steps and small changes that lead toward clearer goals. This approach concentrates on strengths and immediate solutions rather than only exploring problems, and it can be helpful for relationship issues, stress, and navigating life transitions.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which explores the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and offers structured strategies to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and address patterns that get in the way of daily functioning.

Trauma-focused techniques are integrated when past traumatic experiences are central to a person’s concerns. These methods focus on reducing trauma-related symptoms and building coping skills so people can feel steadier in their relationships and daily life.

Susan approaches selection of methods collaboratively - she works with each person to determine which approach or combination of strategies best fits their needs, goals, and preferences. Licensed professionals and therapists often adapt techniques over time as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules or to access care from another location. These options support ongoing work, follow-up between sessions, and consistent access to therapeutic support when it is needed.