Keren Sussman-Katz

ReGistered Associate Clinical Social Worker (ASW #125062)

    • Anxiety

    • Kids

    • Teens

    • Self-Esteem

    • Emotion Regulation & Coping Skills

    • Life Transitions

    • Social and Friendship Challenges

    • Parenting Support

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

    • Motivational Interviewing (MI)

    • Narrative-informed approaches

    • DBT-C–informed emotion regulation skills

    • Strengths-based and collaborative care

    • Master of Social Work, Wurzweiler School of Social Work

    • Master of Arts, Secondary English Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

    • Bachelor of Arts, English Literature, Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University

    • Trauma-Informed Practice (certification)

    • Clinical training in adolescent PHP and IOP treatment

    • School-Based Counseling and Social-Emotional Learning

    • Neurodiversity Affirming Care and Assessment

    • Coping Cat (CBT for Anxious Children)

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Our earliest relationships shape us. How we navigate them can transform us.

Our earliest relationships shape how we see ourselves and connect with others. Understanding those patterns can help us find new ways forward.

When your child is struggling, it's not always easy to understand why. Maybe your teen has become withdrawn or overwhelmed, your child is having trouble managing difficult feelings, or you keep finding yourselves having the same arguments without knowing how to make things better.

You want to help, but sometimes it's hard to know what your child needs or how best to respond.

I work with children, teens, and parents navigating anxiety, depression, emotional challenges, relationship difficulties, questions of identity and life transitions. I believe that before we can figure out what needs to change, we need to understand what's happening. That means looking beyond the behaviors and reactions we see on the surface and getting curious about the feelings, experiences, and beliefs underneath them.

With children and teens, my first priority is building a relationship where they feel comfortable, understood, and accepted for who they are. I want them to know they can talk openly, ask questions, and explore difficult feelings without worrying about being judged. Together, we'll work on understanding their emotions, developing coping skills, navigating relationships, and building confidence in their ability to handle challenges.

I’m also passionate about working with parents. Sometimes the way we respond to our children is shaped by experiences and expectations we don't even realize we're carrying. We may find ourselves getting frustrated, worrying too much, or falling into the same arguments over and over.

I'll help you make sense of those moments, understand what may be happening for both you and your child, and find practical ways to respond differently. We'll work on communication, boundaries, and building a relationship where your child feels understood and you feel more confident as a parent.

My hope is that our work together helps your family move beyond feeling stuck, develop new skills, and find more ways to connect with one another.From there, we can explore difficult feelings, identify what is getting in the way, and develop healthier, more intentional ways of responding.

I strongly believe in working collaboratively with families. When we understand how early relationship patterns have shaped the ways we respond to one another, we have an opportunity not only to create change in the present, but also to begin to repair patterns that may have caused hurt or disconnection over time.

I provide therapy under the supervision of Suri Nowosiolski, LCSW, , MSpEd. (CA Lic. 110814) at Hearts & Minds Psychotherapy Group.

I've spent more than 15 years working with young people, helping them find their voices, recognize their strengths, and discover what they're capable of.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent more than 15 years as an educator working with adolescents. I loved getting to know my students, understanding how they saw the world, and helping them develop confidence in themselves. Those years also taught me that there's often much more happening beneath a young person's behavior than we initially see.

As an English and humanities teacher, I developed a particular appreciation for the power of stories. We all carry stories about ourselves, our relationships, and what we believe we're capable of. Some of those stories help us grow, while others can leave us feeling stuck. I bring that perspective into my work as a therapist, helping clients recognize the beliefs they've developed about themselves and consider whether those beliefs are still serving them.

My clinical training has included working with adolescents in intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, where I supported young people struggling with anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, and other mental health challenges. I also have experience providing school-based support to children, helping them navigate social difficulties, manage emotions, and develop stronger interpersonal skills.

In my therapeutic work, I draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). These approaches help me combine a deeper understanding of each client's experiences with practical strategies for managing emotions, navigating relationships, and responding to challenges.

Having worked with children and adolescents in both educational and clinical settings, I've seen how much of a difference it can make when young people begin to recognize their strengths and develop confidence in their ability to handle difficult situations. It's something I value deeply and hope to help every child and teen I work with experience for themselves.

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