Susan Sparks, LCSW

Licensed in Illinois · 10 years in practice

Susan Sparks is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and parenting challenges.

License and registration

LCSW, Illinois: 149.016759 · expires November 2027
NPI: 1275994543 · national provider identifier
Years in practice: 10
Languages: English

Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.

About Susan

Susan Sparks is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, grief, depression, and parenting challenges. She focuses on practical steps people can use right away. Her approach is calm and straightforward, aimed at making day-to-day life more manageable.

She has a background in community work that spans decades and brings ten years of clinical experience as an LCSW. Susan focuses on clear, research-backed techniques to address behavior, mood, and coping skills.

Background and approach

She tailors sessions to each person’s needs and life stage. Susan often uses a mix of Cognitive Behavioral techniques and behavioral strategies to address anxiety, depression, and anger. For younger clients she draws on play-based ideas and applied behavior approaches to support emotional growth and better routines.

Mindfulness exercises and holistic tools are used when they fit a person’s goals. Sessions look at strengths first and build practical skills from there. She helps parents with parenting stress, sleep and eating concerns, and ways to support a child’s behavior.

For adults she helps with relationship issues, career stress, intimacy concerns, and coping with life changes including grief and compassion fatigue. Susan aims to help people recognize what they already do well and add tools to meet challenges. Her style is goal-focused but flexible, with an emphasis on usable strategies and steady progress.

Focus areas and approaches

Everything Susan lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.

Stress, Anxiety
Relationship issues
Trauma and abuse
Grief
Depression
Family conflicts
Intimacy-related issues
Eating disorders
Sleeping disorders
Parenting issues
Anger management
Self esteem
Career difficulties
Bipolar disorder
Coping with life changes
Compassion fatigue
ADHD

Online support

Approaches that translate well to online care

Many of the approaches Susan uses work well in remote sessions because they focus on specific skills and everyday routines. Cognitive Behavioral techniques help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors; this is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress. Behavioral strategies and applied behavior ideas focus on changing routines and reinforcing helpful habits, which can support sleep, eating, parenting, and anger management.

Play-based ideas and mindfulness practices are also adaptable to online formats. For younger clients or those who benefit from experiential work, play-based strategies can be shared with caregivers and practiced between meetings. Mindfulness exercises teach breathing and attention skills that people can use on their own between sessions.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to find which techniques fit their goals, preferences, and daily life, and will adjust methods over time. Clients and the therapist decide together what to try and how to measure progress.

Online sessions offer practical benefits like scheduling flexibility and easier access from different locations. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction, phone sessions can be used when bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text-based messaging make brief check-ins and ongoing support easier to fit into a busy day. These options help people keep consistent work on goals even when schedules are tight.

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Questions people ask

What kinds of concerns does she help with?

Susan works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy-related issues, parenting and family concerns, eating and sleeping problems, anger, self-esteem, career stress, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and coping with life changes.

What is her general therapy style?

She uses practical, research-based techniques and keeps sessions focused on clear goals and skills you can use between meetings.

How long has she been practicing?

Susan has worked in community settings for many years and has ten years of clinical experience as an LCSW.

Where is she licensed and located?

She practices as an Illinois LCSW and is based in Illinois.

Which languages are supported?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can international clients work with her?

She does not work with international clients at this time.

What session formats are available?

Therapy is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging.

How are costs and scheduling handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time; to start, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

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