Susan Stewart

Hello and welcome! I’m Susan, a Licensed Professional Counselor providing online somatic trauma therapy (telehealth) for adult women and men in Arkansas, New Mexico, and Texas. I specialize in psychotherapy for PTSD, complex trauma (developmental and relational trauma), stress, and grief and loss. My specialized training and work experience includes treatment for nervous system regulation, childhood emotional neglect, attachment wounds, and healing beyond traditional talk therapy. When “talking about it” hasn’t been enough… when your body still reacts even though you know you are safe… when you feel stuck, on edge, or shut down… or when you’ve done therapy and something still isn’t shifting—I invite you to consider a different approach to healing. Long after stressful events are over, the body and mind may continue to respond as if you are still in that time and place. This “living legacy” can make it difficult to fully enjoy your life. While your body carries your past, it also holds the possibility of your future. I believe in your inherent wholeness and capacity to heal. I offer individual therapy to help you make room for your own needs, feel more at ease, and have more choice in how you respond. You don’t have to know why you’re so tense, or why things feel so hard, to start getting help. While your body carries your past, it also holds the possibility of your future. Somatic psychotherapy helps people gently unwind patterns that can remain long after difficult experiences have ended. I believe in your inherent wholeness and capacity to heal. What is Somatic Psychotherapy? Stress and trauma are not held only in thoughts or emotions, they also live in the nervous system, in patterns of tension, movement, and protection. By gently working with these patterns through awareness of sensation and nervous system responses, somatic therapy can support greater regulation, integration, and a renewed sense of safety and connection. You Might be a Good Fit for Somatic Psychotherapy if... • You understand your reactions intellectually, but your body still responds as if you're unsafe. • You are searching for the "why" certain situations impact you so strongly. • You feel stuck in patterns of thinking, feeling, or behaving that seem to "come out of nowhere". You may find yourself “stuck on high alert,” shut down, or numb and you genuinely want this to change. • You are living with the effects of emotional neglect, chronic criticism, inconsistent caregiving, family conflict, divorce, childhood separations. • You may have gotten messages growing up that follow you today in ways that you see are no longer helpful. You might be hyper achieving at work or at home because you you got messages about that’s how you are valuable, loveable, or worthy. In therapy I will help you continue to hyperachieve at work or at home without that being your sole source of your identity. • You are seeking greater presence, emotional regulation, resilience, and inner stability. Who is Not A Good Fit for Telehealth? Telehealth may not be the best fit if... • you do not have access to a safe, private, quiet space; • you do not have reliable access to internet or adequate access to technology needed for a virtual therapy session; • if you are using insurance and your insurance does not cover telehealth; • you are experiencing complex or severe mental health symptoms such as acute feelings of suicidality, I recommend you find an in person therapist who can support you. About My Approach For more than a decade, I have specialized in treating stress, trauma, and grief. As an integrative psychotherapist, my primary modalities are Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) and Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST). My relational, somatic approach draws on the wisdom you carry, allowing healing to emerge naturally. My work draws on decades of personal and professional exploration of healing and is informed and enriched by my practice in, and lifelong love of, the arts. Next Steps Finding a therapist who is a good fit is important. I offer 20 minute no cost consultations to help you make that decision. For clients in Arkansas, I’m in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ambetter, and QualChoice. I offer private pay as well. I offer day-time sessions (9-4:30pm CT) on weekdays. Please click the Contact button at the top of the page or email me at susanstewart@therapysecure.com or call or text me at: 501.261.0472. Support, relief, and meaningful change are within reach. I look forward to hearing from you. _____________________________ Education: BFA, Texas Christian University, MFA, University of Hartford Counseling Education: MA, Counseling, Southwestern College, 2015 Specialized Training and Certifications: Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Integral Somatic Psychotherapy Practicioner Mindfulness-Based Somatic Emotional Processing (MBSEP) EMDRIA Certified Counseling Licensure: National Certified Counselor # 799283 AR Licensed Professional Counselor # P2006025 NM Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor # CCMH0199311 TX Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) #104508 Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider, National Board of Certified Counselors You may check my Arkansas Counseling Licensure Here: https://abecmft.portalus.thentiacloud.net/webs/portal/register/#/ Professional Memberships: American Counseling Association (ACA) International Association for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD) International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling (IARTC) United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP) Arkansas Counseling Association _____________________________ STEWART COUNSELING IS NOT AN EMERGENCY SERVICES PROVIDER. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Child Abuse Hotline: 800-482-5964 ; Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255) Seeking help is a sign of strength; you are not alone.