Andrea Sussel, MSS

Parent Coach & Transition Specialist

Whether you are struggling with a transition or contemplating moving into one, I will bring my commitment, integrity and experience to that professional encounter and guide you through and help you build the confidence and skill sets to feel more empowered as a parent.

Asking for help often takes courage, and being willing to learn from your child's struggle, takes setting aside our parental ego in the name of knowing it's ok to not know all the answers. To be brave enough to take a close look at what we as parents can change in the service of a healthier family system is very well worth the discomfort it often brings.

I am a MSS graduate of Bryn Mawr College, Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, and hold a BS in Health and Physical Education from Penn State University. My advanced training is as a Certified Gestalt Therapist and I have co-led trainings at The Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA. I was recently featured in the award-winning documentary Fire and Sand about the Volcano relief efforts on Hawaii Island, where I served as a Red Cross volunteer.

Whether you are struggling with a transition or contemplating moving into one, I will bring my commitment, integrity and experience to that professional encounter.

I have worked with individuals, couples and families in a variety of setting - most recently in a highly regarded wilderness therapy program on Hawaii Island.

My almost-30-year-old son has been my biggest teacher, and I often tell him so. He typically responds by saying: "Really mom"? "Yes," I reply, "Because to raise you has required that I let go of how I thought things should or would be, and to dare to accept, let go, and love you as you are becoming, and to rise up within myself and be the most authentic, adventurous, mature and vulnerable human I can be."

Always supportive and honest, Andrea helped me to more clearly see, understand, and navigate situations with my son, and shared excellent tools and resources. Most importantly, she gave me courage and hope. In our work together, she used new and more effective communication techniques; I in turn was able to use them to improve communication with my son. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Andrea’s parenting support. I gained valuable skills and grew as a parent during my work with her; it was truly an invaluable investment in myself and my family.

— Parent