Jeston Sussman, LICSW

Clinical Interests: I have over 10 years of experience providing therapy to individuals and families.  I specialize in helping people cope with past and current traumas, depression, and anxiety, often using art as a medium for self-expression and story-telling.  I am passionate about using evidence-based interventions including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Trauma Focused therapy and Mindfulness therapy. 

I am guided by person-centered therapy, an approach developed by psychologist Carl Rogers, whose technique centered on 3 features: genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathetic understanding.  I believe in the capacity of each person to increase their understanding of how internal experiences, like thoughts and feelings, interact with external experiences in order to enact change. I will strive to create a comfortable, accepting and non-judgmental environment that contributes to a feeling of safety, support and care, while seeking to understand my client's point of view.  I will encourage my clients to reflect on their own inner thoughts and emotions to gain new insights that may lead to personal growth and self-healing.

Education: M.S.W, The Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice at The University of Chicago, 2013. B.A., University of Massachusetts, 2010- English major, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies major, Art minor.

Professional Experience: Advanced Clinical Social Work Fellow, Clinical Faculty at the Yale Child Study Center . Intensive In-home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS) Clinician, Enhanced Care Clinic (ECC) Senior Clinician at The Village for Families and Children. 

Certifications/Licenses: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW)

More about me: I grew up in Western Massachusetts and attended UMass Amherst as an undergraduate.  I lived in Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, and New Haven, CT before settling back home in Western Massachusetts.  I enjoy spending time with my family and two dogs, pottery, film photography, cooking, and long-distance running.