Currently Accepting New Clients

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About Susan Maguire, LCSW, Clear Skye Counseling


I work with adults—often in their 40s, 50s, and 60s—who want a steady place to make sense of the emotional challenges that arise in midlife.

You may be carrying responsibilities you never imagined, navigating transitions you didn’t choose, or noticing emotional patterns that no longer feel sustainable.

Midlife can be a complex and tender season.

Even people who have always coped well can find themselves feeling overwhelmed, depleted, or unsure of what they need. 

At Clear Skye Counseling, my work is grounded in the belief that therapy offers something rare: a calm, thoughtful space to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with yourself.

My Approach

I practice a relational, insight‑oriented style of therapy. This means we pay attention to your internal experience, the patterns that have shaped your life, and the emotional pressures you’ve carried for years. We work collaboratively and at a pace that respects where you are.

My role is not to offer quick fixes or surface‑level strategies. Instead, I help you explore what’s beneath the overwhelm — the expectations, beliefs, and long‑standing ways of coping that may no longer serve you. Together, we look at what feels heavy, what feels unclear, and what might support a more grounded and sustainable way forward.

Therapy in midlife isn’t about reinventing yourself. It’s about reconnecting with yourself — with clarity, compassion, and steadiness.

Who I Work With

Many of the people I work with are high‑functioning adults who have spent years holding things together for others. They may look capable on the outside while feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally tired on the inside. They’re often navigating:

•     anxiety or chronic stress

•     depression or emotional fatigue

•     grief or major life transitions

•     perfectionism or long‑standing self‑pressure

•     questions about identity, purpose, or direction

I frequently work with women, and welcome adults of all genders who resonate with the emotional experience and challenges of midlife.

Why This Work Matters to Me

Like many people in midlife, my own life and career have included shifts, questions, and moments of rethinking things. Doing my own personal work — alongside years of listening to and supporting adults through complex emotional seasons — has shaped the way I work. It’s deepened my respect for the courage it takes to grow, and it’s a big part of why this work continues to matter so much to me.

The name of my company, Clear Skye Counseling & Coaching, was inspired by the beauty and spaciousness of the Isle of Skye in Scotland.



EDUCATION / LICENSES

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker in
    Virginia (LCSW, 0904009884), Maryland (LCSW-C, 20377) and Washington, DC (LICSW, LC50081472)
  • M.S.W., Masters in Social Work, Clinical Focus, Catholic University, Washington, DC 
  • M.A., Masters in Public Communication, American University, Washington, DC
  • B.S., Bachelor of Science, Journalism, University of Colorado, Boulder

POST GRADUATE TRAINING

My post‑graduate training includes advanced work in relational and insight‑oriented therapy, grief and loss, anxiety, and midlife transitions. I continue to engage in ongoing professional development that supports holistic, thoughtful, grounded clinical work.

  • EFT, Emotionally Focused Therapy-Training Externship
  • AEDP, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy-Level 1
  • Clinical Program in Psychotherapy Practice, Washington School of Psychiatry 
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Certificate Training, PESI, Inc.
  • Internal Family Systems training, Life Change Psychotherapy Institute 
  • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) 
  • Professional MInd-Body Training Program, (Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Washington, DC)
  • Professional Certified Coach-PCC, (International Coach Federation)

If You’re Considering Therapy

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or unsure how to move forward, you don’t have to sort through it alone. A brief consultation call gives us a chance to talk about what’s been going on and whether working together feels like a good fit.

Schedule a Consultation