About Susan Maguire, LCSW, Pcc

A middle-aged woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, smiling, wearing a dark denim jacket with large buttons and a silver necklace, posing against a neutral background.

My Approach

I work from relational, attachment and insight‑oriented therapy approaches. In practice, that means we pay attention to the relationships and patterns that have shaped your life, the emotions and needs you’ve learned to push aside, and the pressures you’ve been carrying — often for years.

We go at your pace. My role isn’t to offer quick fixes or surface‑level strategies. It’s to help you explore what’s beneath the surface and 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 women I work with are high‑functioning — capable, accomplished, dependable. They may have spend years holding things together for everyone else. From the outside they look fine. On the inside they’re anxious, depleted, or quietly wondering why life doesn’t feel the way they expected it to.

They’re often navigating:

•     Anxiety or chronic stress that won’t let up

•     A low mood, emotional fatigue, or a flatness they can’t explain

•     Grief, loss or other major life transitions (or disruptions)

•     Perfectionism and relentless self‑pressure

•     Questions about identity, purpose, or what they actually want now

If any of this resonates with you, you’re in the right place. I welcome a chance for us to talk

If you’ve always been the capable one — the one who holds it together, shows up, and keeps everything on track — you may have arrived at a point where that’s no longer working the way it used to.

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

I’m Susan Maguire, a licensed therapist and certified coach based in Oldtown, Alexandria, Virginia. I work with women - many in midlife - who are carrying more than they let on — and are ready, maybe for the first time, to make time and space for themselves to feel better. While much of my work is with women in midlife, I also work with adults of any age who are drawn to reflective, insight-oriented work and are genuinely seeking to grow.

Let's Talk. Request a no-fee consultation call

The clients who enjoy working with me are usually seeking thoughtful, insight-oriented therapy and ready to explore and understand what’s happening beneath the surface for them.

A woman sitting on a gray leather couch with beige pillows in a well-lit room, wearing a peach blouse, black pants, and gray shoes, with a gentle smile and her chin resting on her hand.

Credentials & Experience

I have been working as a therapist for 15 years, and hold active licenses as a clinical social worker in Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC, and have completed post-graduate training in the approaches relevant to the clients I work with, including:

  • Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & Mindfulness-based CBT

  • Attachment & Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapies

  • Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

  • Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)

  • PCC Professional Certified Coach (International Coach Federation, ICF)

EDUCATION: M.S.W., Masters Social Work, Catholic University / M.A., American University / B.S., University of Colorado

LICENSURE in Clinical Social Work: LCSW (Virginia), LICSW (Washington, DC), LCSW-C (Maryland)

More About Me

Like many of the individuals I work with, my own life has included shifts, questions, and moments of rethinking things. I’ve done my own personal work in therapy and coaching, and continue with that journey. I’ve sat with uncertainty and navigated transitions I didn’t choose. All of that has shaped how I show up for my clients — with genuine respect for the courage it takes to slow down, look inward, and grow.

It’s a big part of why this work continues to feel meaningful to me every day.

My company’s name, Clear Skye Counseling, was inspired by the beauty and spaciousness of the Isle of Skye in Scotland — a place that embodies exactly what I hope therapy with me can offer you: clarity, inspiration, and seeing a longer view.

Residential buildings on a city street with a sidewalk in Alexandria VA, small front yards, and trees.

LOCATION— We meet at my office in historic Old Town, Alexandria VA, or ONLINE (for clients in VA, DC & MD).

A cozy living room therapist office with a blue armchair with a rust-colored pillow, a small side table with decorative items, a patterned rug, a beige desk chair, a lamp, and a wall clock.
Living room with a dark gray sofa, a blue armchair, and a colorful patterned rug. There are two lamps, a side table with glasses, and a window with natural light.