Dr. West is a three time presidential fellow whose career is replete
with awards and accolades. Having earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Auburn University in 2003, Dr. Susan
West moved to Charleston, South Carolina to embark on her professional career.
Dr. West’s
counseling and clinical training have been extensive. She has worked with patients across the age span in various settings
including numerous college counseling centers, outpatient and inpatient mental health clinics, hospitals, and private practices.
Yet the work that Dr. West is most drawn to time and time again is providing clinical psychological services to men, women,
and their families.
This is especially clear in Dr. West’s current
endeavors at her practice, Daniel Island Psychological Associates, and as the former Public Education Coordinator (PEC) for
the South Carolina Psychological Association (SCPA). Over eight years ago, Dr. West began to notice a significant trend
in those who were seeking psychological services at her practice-women and their families. Although this trend is not
uncommon in the field of psychology, the presenting concerns were definitely clustered around parenting, marriage, and postpartum
depression symptoms. Dr. West responded to the trend and began developing a comprehensive multidisciplinary model of
psychological care for her patients. This included providing: individual psychotherapy, group psychotherapy, frequent
and ongoing consultation with multi-disciplinary professionals, and education/outreach programming targeting individual and
family mental and physical health issues. Dr. West believes that her model of care not only provides comprehensive treatment
for her patients; it also promotes a better understanding and awareness of the psychological needs in general.
As the former South Carolina Psychological Association's Public Education Coordinator, Dr. West not only promoted
a better understanding of mental health issues but served a liaison between the media outlets in South Carolina and the South
Carolina Psychological Association (SCPA). Dr. West’s current clinical work and outreach programming continues
promotes the American Psychological Association (APA)’s mind body campaign by increasing public awareness of current
psychological issues and responding to national news items that are of psychological interests e.g., Virginia Tech tragedy,
issues related to hurricane Katrina, and the psychological issues related to the current economic situation in the United
States.
Please click below to download a copy of Dr. West's Vitae
Dr. West's Vitae
