Susan Branco Alvarado, LPC, PLLC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She has worked as a therapist in community mental health settings, prenatal health care clinics, and high schools. In the past seven years Susan has dedicated her postgraduate research and training to the field of adoption and attachment theory, incorporating both her knowledge of clinical mental health services and her experiences as an adopted person herself from Colombia, SA. She worked as a therapist for a post adoption counseling center and currently maintains her own practice serving individuals, children, adults, and families in Northern Virginia. She co-leads children and teen adopted persons groups and camps for the Barker Foundation, a local adoption agency that also provides post adoption services. In 2005 and 2006 Susan participated in Barker's Annual Colombia Homeland Tour, serving as the adopted teen's clinical counselor. She acted as a consultant to the Homeland Tour in 2007 and 2008. 

Susan provides workshops related to adoption and attachment to adoption agencies, adoptive parents, and other mental health professionals. In 2009 she and fellow colleague, Marianne Heilferty, LCSW, presented a series of workshops on utilizing attachment theory within clinical and educational settings for the Alexandria VA Department of Human Services. She co-presented at the Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS) annual 2007 conference and participated in the Adoptee Institute for JCICS' 2009 conference. Susan is featured in We Can Do Better, an educational DVD supplement to Adopted:The Movie from Point Made films. She was asked to share both her personal and professional experiences as a trans racial adoptee and adoption therapist.

Susan also serves as a Consultant to Virginia Tech's Department of Human Development, assisting in research within the Marriage and Family Therapy program where she is completing her Post Master's Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Outside of her practice Susan enjoys spending time with her family, in particular, her two children.

Education

Post Master's Certificate, Marriage and Family Therapy, Virginia Tech, anticipated graduation date Summer 2010

Post Master's Certificate, Clinical Community Counseling, John's Hopkins University, December 2001

M.A., Education and Human Development, Rehabilitation Counseling, The George Washington University, September 1997

B.A., Human Services, The George Washington University, May 1995

Affiliations

American Counseling Association, Professional Member

* ACA's Code of Ethics mandates that all clinician's maintaining a website must list their state licensure board's website to protect consumer rights: www.dhp.virginia.gov/counseling