Psychologist
“The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.”
— The Emperor, Mulan

Psychotherapy

Dr. Susan Rudnicki utilizes a combination of therapeutic treatment approaches best tailored to her clients’ needs. In addition to motivational interviewing, she provides insight-oriented, solution-focused, family systems, and cognitive behavioral approaches to therapy in a confidential environment. She proposes that the process of personal change is navigating the fine line of challenge and acceptance. Her style is to be challenging, yet supportive; inquisitive, yet accepting; and direct, yet appreciative. She invites and urges clients to move forward in their lives so they can yield to their potential rather than feeling trapped and stuck when they are in fact not so. She reminds them that allowing others to make them feel inferior or devalued is a choice and can only occur with their permission. Together with clients, these sensitive endeavors are explored throughout the therapy process. Her clinical specialties include:
  • Academic Difficulties
  • Anxiety/Depression/Anger
  • Assertiveness Training/Boundary Building
  • Conflict Resolution/Problem-Solving
  • Peer Problems & Bullying
  • Self-Esteem Enhancement
  • Parent Training/Behavior Modification
  • Healthy Lifestyle Habits/Time Management
  • Teenage Rebellion
  • Women’s Issues

Assessments

Psychoeducational Assessments are administered to children, teens, and adults and are conducted to help identify the underlying causes of an individual’s emotional distress, learning difficulties, behavioral problems, substance use, and/or legal issues. An evaluation typically involves administering a range of standardized assessment measures that evaluate cognitive strengths and limitations, learning styles and differences, academic achievement, memory, attention/concentration, visual-spatial-motor functioning, language and phonological development, and speeded processing issues. As part of the assessments, personality styles and traits in addition to emotional, social, and behavioral levels of psychological functioning are evaluated as well. A comprehensive report detailing the results of the testing sessions, including information regarding diagnoses and specific intervention and treatment planning, is provided to and reviewed with appropriate personnel (parents, guardians, therapists, teachers, administrators, lawyers, and/or judges).
Mental Status Exams (MSE’s) are also conducted for clients of lawyers for various reasons. These measures assess a person’s appearance and attitude; orientation to person, place, and time; behavior; mood and affect; speech; thought process and content; perception; cognition; and insight and judgment. These factors are utilized to determine an individual’s competency to execute and/or make changes to a will as well as to assign a power of attorney or open a trust account. By analyzing, integrating, and interpreting the collateral report, review of a person’s medical and psychological history, current clinical interview, Mental Status Exam, and a battery of psychoeducational testing (if warranted), recommendations are offered to suggest whether the person is capable of making decisions regarding their welfare and estate.

Professional Consultation

Professional Consultation services with school personnel is provided to assist with individualized educational planning, which is beneficial for optimizing academic success. Collaboration with other health professionals, such as other therapists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, nutritionists, speech and occupational therapists, and lawyers, is also an integral component of the intervention process for clients to enhance their overall wellness, psychological functioning, and brain health. Such collaborative planning and referrals can include specialized and additional treatment programs such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy programs for adolescents and families, social skills training, speech and occupational therapy, pharmacological management, drug rehabilitation, community service, eating disorders treatment, and weight management programs.
“Be nice to yourself…It is hard to be happy when someone is mean to you all the time.” – Christina Arylo

Appointments

To schedule your next appointment, please call 770-312-2283 or email srrudnicki@gmail.com.

Our Location

The Susan PhD offices are located at 1851 Peeler Road, Unit C, Dunwoody, GA 30338.
View map on the Contact Page.
Appointments
To schedule your next appointment, please call 770-312-2283 or email srrudnicki@gmail.com. I will work with you to provide the most optimal appointment time.
New Client Intake Forms
Please fill out these forms and bring them with you to your first session.
Published Articles

Handbook of Psychology, Volume 9: Health Psychology, Chapter 9, Diabetes Mellitus, December, 2002

Social Support and Avoidant Coping: Correlates of Diabetes Mellitus During Pregnancy in Minority Women, Women’s Health, Volume 34, Issue 3, October 2001