Sarah Suzuki, LCSW, CRADC
Owner & Founder, Chicago Compass Counseling
Directive, evidence-based therapy for behavior change.
I’m Sarah. I help people become more intentional about how they live, relate, and lead.
I am obsessed with the art and science of change. It wasn’t always like that, though.
When I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming a writer in New York City. I thought psychology was a waste of time.
That’s right. I used to think therapy was what I saw on TV and in movies. I wondered why anyone would open up to a stranger whose best response was, “But how does that make you FEEL?”
As an aspiring writer, I once interviewed a woman who was struggling with drugs and alcohol. Then she said, “I want to change. I just don’t know how.”
I was surprised. I thought people with addictions were supposed to be in DENIAL. That they LACKED DESIRE to change. That they were either fully motivated...or they weren’t.
How wrong I was! She taught me something important: like so many of us, she had the why, but not the how.
When I got a little more honest with myself, I realized I had the same problem. There were things I wanted to change, but I didn’t know how.
This opened up a whole new set of questions for me: How do people change? What actually helps? What makes change last?
Following those questions led me to this field, where I discovered a love for the art and science of change.
Since 2009, the question of how? has shaped my work.
We’ll work on what brought you in right away. I don’t believe you need to spend months circling a problem before therapy becomes useful. But as we get some traction, clients often find that therapy becomes about more than getting rid of what isn’t working.
Several clients have told me that working with me can feel a little like having an executive coach in their corner. I’m not a coach, and I’m not coaching you. What they’re describing is the collaborative, practical nature of our work: we’re paying attention to who you are in your life, how you want to show up, and what will help you feel more grounded and capable of leading your own life.
If you’re interested in working with me, book a free 15-minute therapist matching call with our intake team. You can share what you’re looking for, ask about my current availability, and get a sense of whether I might be a good fit.
On Being a Counselor
I’m an active therapist. I’m not going to sit back and silently take notes while you speak into the void. Instead, I’ll ask questions, offer feedback, share what I’m noticing, and make recommendations when I think they’ll help.
I’m friendly and direct. We’ll get concrete about what’s happening, what you want to change, and what to try next. You can expect us to focus on what’s useful to you right away.
Practitioner Background
I’ve worked across clinical settings and partnered with organizations around the process of change. Wherever I am, I keep coming back to the same questions: What helps us change? What gets in the way? And what happens when we know something needs to be different, but we don’t yet know how?
A lot of us are very good at getting through a crisis. Especially if we learned survival strategies at a young age. What can be harder is what comes after, when the immediate crisis has passed and we’re standing in the wreckage. Uncertainty can feel even harder when it seems like there’s still more to lose.
Emotional leadership is being present with both the pain and possibility of those moments. It’s acting with integrity when things hurt most. And therapy can absolutely help with that.
What becomes possible when we sit gently with our own humanity? There can be something restorative about that: being able to look honestly at what’s ours without immediately turning against ourselves. Sometimes, that creates room for a different response.
That possibility is at the heart of why I founded Chicago Compass Counseling: the belief that people are capable of change. You don’t have to “hit rock bottom” before deciding something needs to be different. And you don’t even have to be 100% committed to begin making meaningful changes.
How cool is that?
More About Sarah
Key Philosophical Beliefs
- People are capable of change.
- Behavior makes sense in context, even when it creates problems.
- When something feels binary, look for the third option.
- Setbacks give us useful information.
Counseling Training
- Master of Arts in Social Work, University of Chicago
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Illinois
- Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Minnesota
- Contextual Behavior Therapy Fellowship, University of Chicago
- Advanced training in Motivational Interviewing
Specializations and Experience
- Alcohol moderation and behavior change
- Anxiety, stress, and burnout
- Emotional leadership and values alignment
- Perfectionism and self-criticism
- Life transitions and questions about what comes next
- Vicarious trauma and moral injury
Sarah as a Person
I grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago and spent the early part of my career in Austin, Texas, before returning home to build Chicago Compass Counseling. I now live in Minneapolis, but Chicago is still my work home.
Outside of work, I write, read, garden, cross-country ski, and spend time with people I love. My husband Jac and I love walking around the Minneapolis lakes with our rescue dog, Deja.
