Susanna Gilbertson, MSW, PCC

When I was in middle school, our school had a program called Peer Helpers. Our classmates voted for the two people who they felt the most comfortable talking to and/or asking for help when they had a problem or felt stuck. Being chosen as one of the students to join the group was the beginning of a journey for me. I received training on nonjudgmental listening skills and conflict mediation. I have always felt drawn to listen, to witness, and to support. Since my middle school training, I’ve been on a lifelong journey to deepen those skills because I believe it is a gift and an honor to work with clients seeking change. (That journey included earning my MSW - Masters of Social Work.)

I am a graduate of St. Joe’s Coaching Leader Program, and an International Coaching Federation certified coach. I am also a Grief to Gratitude certified coach. I bring my 20 years of experience as a social worker to my coaching practice. My social work practice included work in the intimate partner violence field, crisis intervention, school social work, and youth work.

I was a Founding Partner of The Blue Door Group, a consulting group based in Philadelphia. As part of The Blue Door Group, I provided training and coaching on facilitation skills and trauma-informed practices. I also assisted teams and organizations to design, develop and implement new projects, to solve problems, and to create a vision to carry them into the future.

As a grief coach, I specialize in providing grief support and coaching for mothers grieving the deaths of their mothers. I also provide grief support to any griever who has experienced any kind of loss - whether through death, the ending of relationship, or other forms of loss. I believe grief is a natural, normal, and necessary response to loss, and am honored to walk with grievers on their journey.

I also coach friends, family, and managers who want to support someone close to them who is grieving.

As a leadership coach, I coach mission-driven clients seeking change to enhance their leadership skills, manage complex dynamics at work, and improve their work-life balance. I also support clients who want to make a career or life transition. I have coached clients working in a wide variety of settings and roles including in: the nonprofit sector, higher education, healthcare, government, professional services firms, consulting, computer software, technology, and accounting.

As a consultant, I help leaders design and facilitate more effective meetings. As a facilitator, I teach organizations about conflict, leadership styles, trauma-informed practices, secondary trauma and self-care, and facilitation skills. I have designed a train-the-trainer for a violence-prevention program, facilitated trauma-informed de-escalation training for a bike share program, and designed and helped to implement an internal mentoring program for middle managers at a large nonprofit.

In addition to my coaching and consulting practice, I teach social work at Rutgers University and Civic Engagement and Participatory Methods at Drexel University.