Susan Gilliam, LCSW
LCSW CA 72288; issued 7/2016
Serving Adult Women in CA. Pending licensure in WV and FL.
Appointments: Video and Audio
Why Therapy?
Hello, I'm Susan
I help women bridge the gap between medical weight loss and mental peace.
Hi and hello! If you’re on a medical weight loss journey, you may not have considered mental health or behavioral counseling. However, formal mental support can be a valuable, and at times essential, complement to your medical tools.
This is because the problem was never food. Maybe it was traumatic stress, maybe it was feeling like a social outcast as a child, or maybe it was having food restricted and being put on diets at a young age. Whatever the reason, counseling can help you address the root cause from an emotional standpoint.
As a clinician, I use Beck CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy for weight loss), Dialectical Behavior Therapy, elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy, and Hakomi-informed methods. These empowering therapies will help you in ways that medication or surgery won’t.
I began using DBT with clients in 2014, to help teens and young adults stop self-harming and addictive behaviors. Now, I get to apply these same transformative principles in service of your health and long-term happiness. For Binge Eating Disorder and Transfer Addiction specifically, I use structured approaches like DBT-BED, Seeking Safety, and CBT-E (CBT for eating disorders).
I also incorporate holistic wellness practices such as aromatherapy, art, gentle restorative yoga, spiritual exploration and nature-based grounding into the counseling process, for those who are interested. My job is to do whatever I can to ensure that your emotional well-being is cared for in the same manner as your physical health.
My practice helps you to create your own path forward – a path defined by peace and presence rather than shame and a restless mind. I look forward to meeting you – my clients tend to be some of the most awesome people I know!
What I Do
Protect your medical investment.
If your emotional well-being and behavioral habits were given the same specialized attention as your physical health, what would shift in your life?
The Process
Come as you are.
I bring the roadmap with DBT, Hakomi-informed methods, compassion-focused therapy, and sensory-informed practices. You just tell me where you want to go.
1. Discovery - Your 30-minute free consultation
Your consultation can be conducted via phone call, video, or text message. We will address where you’re at in your health journey, answer any questions you have regarding the therapy process, and determine mutual fit. If I cannot meet your needs, I will find alternate resources for you.
2: Collaboration
Next is your initial counseling assessment and therapy planning meeting. This meeting is for me to further understand your needs. We’ll explore long and short-term goals using the miracle question, and create a therapy roadmap forward, based on what fits your life.
3. Integration
Through your ongoing sessions, what felt stuck begins to move. Time once spent unproductively is now yours to spend on healing, growth, and self-discovery. We refine your toolbox, and navigate ups and downs together with curiosity, not judgment.
My Training and Philosophy
ASMBS Masters in Behavioral Health
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery provides specialized training on advanced preoperative psychological evaluations, managing post-op recidivism, and treatment for unhealthy eating patterns.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Intensive Training Program
Marsha Linehan’s company, Behavioral Tech, offers robust cognitive-behavioral training, with a focus on skill development and life transformation. My clinical practice is grounded in her foundational principle – the importance of balancing acceptance with change.
Holistic & Somatic Practice
I believe that true behavioral change requires a whole-person shift, rooted in self-compassion and a connection to our truest self. In addition to complementary holistic practices, I teach Hakomi-informed methods, which are grounded in the belief that gentle, mindful attention to the body’s moment-to-moment experience is the primary avenue of therapeutic change.
I'm Here to Help
We Can Do This Work Together
Great care goes into building a supportive, comfortable therapeutic space for you to pursue your best life, which we start to build in the first meeting.
Susan Gilliam, LCSW
As a thank you for being here, drop your email and I’ll send you a sample of my three favorite, essential skills for women on weight loss journeys!
Stay In Touch
Office
61416 29 Palms Hwy, Suite 124 Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Phone Number
susan@susangilliam.com