Susan Willacker-Brown, MA, TLLP, NCSP, is a graduate of the School and Community Psychology program at Wayne State University. Susan seeks to partner with parents and families to address difficulties that children often experience, including anxiety, behavioral difficulties, learning challenges, and adjustment to changing life circumstances.

 

Susan believes that parents/caregivers are not only their children’s first teachers, but often their best therapists. She seeks to support parents (biological, adoptive, step, foster) and families of all types as they navigate the often-challenging work of nurturing and supporting the children in their care. Susan believes in helping parents to “secure their own oxygen masks before assisting others,” by providing a safe space for parents to explore their own identities and experiences as caregivers. She is also experienced at providing practical guidance to parents facing challenging moments with their children. Every parent, child and family is different, and the unique challenges they face call for an individualized approach to each.  Susan’s work is informed by her background in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Susan is comfortable working with caregivers of all types, but is particularly interested in supporting families working to co-parent during/after parental separation, blended families, and LGBTQ+ parents/families.

 

In addition to her work with Hutchison & Associates, Susan is a nationally-certified School Psychologist currently serving the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. She draws on her experience in the school setting to provide thorough psychological/psychoeducational/neuropsychological evaluation services to both children and adults at Hutchison & Associates. Susan seeks to make the evaluation process both practically beneficial and personally therapeutic, providing feedback that clients can use to improve their functioning at home, school, or work, while also helping them to better understand and appreciate their unique strengths.