Susan May

I have spent more than three decades trying to understand something that sounds simple but rarely is: people—the lives we live, the relationships we depend upon, the histories we inherit and the experiences that shape us, the many roles we occupy, and what happens when life changes in ways we did or did not choose.

Today, much of my clinical work brings that breadth of experience to complex family relationships across generations. I am particularly drawn to the places where history, changing roles, expectations, losses, and present-day circumstances intersect—and where familiar ways of understanding or responding to one another may no longer be working.

I bring a family-systems perspective to this work, integrating psychotherapy with practical family coaching. That means looking beyond the immediate conflict to consider what may be happening within each person, between family members, and in the larger context of their lives.

Understanding matters. Yet for me, it has never been enough simply to know why something is happening. I keep returning to the question: What can we do with what we now understand— and what might become possible because of it?

My work is active, collaborative, and individualized. Depending on what a family or individual needs, I may work with parents and their children—young or adult—siblings, couples, an entire family, or different family members at different points in the process. The goal is not necessarily agreement about the past, but enough insight and movement to communicate more effectively, establish healthier boundaries and connections, take meaningful accountability, and make more thoughtful choices about what comes next.

Ultimately, the work is about building greater capacity to adapt, strengthen relationships where possible, and become more intentional about what we shape and carry forward.