LGBT therapists in Fayetteville, AR

Hi. I'm Susan (Simmons) Martinelli and, simply stated, "I love people"...every individual one. I have over 30 years' experience in the mental health field with people who may also suffer with substance use and addiction or vice versa. The two often go hand-in-hand and it can be a devastating and life-changing moment to realize you possibly have either a mental illness and/ or a substance/ alcohol use problem. I simply want to help you find your healthy path...whatever that is for you. I look forward to learning about you as a person and what we can accomplish together.

My goal is to meet you where you are in life and help you make the transformation you want. I truly believe everyone has the strength to make the changes they want in their life.

You might be feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or trying to manage the effects of past trauma while also navigating relationships or family challenges. It can feel exhausting trying to handle everything on your own.

I work with individuals, couples, and families dealing with anxiety, trauma, and relationship stress, helping you feel more supported, understood, and able to move forward with confidence.

I believe we’re all doing the best we can, and that belief guides my work as a therapist. I care deeply about people and feel honored to be someone you can bring the hard things to. I’m down-to-earth, professional, and shaped by a diverse background that led me to counseling as my life’s work.

I specialize in mood disorders, anxiety, and chronic pain — and I bring the same compassionate curiosity to every client I work with. I understand that reaching out for help can feel scary. Many of my clients come in worried they won't be believed, or anxious about how they'll be perceived. I want you to know that you are safe here — your experience is valid, and you will never be judged. Outside of the clinic, you'll find me knitting or tending to my freshwater aquariums, which keeps me grounded and reminds me to appreciate the slow, steady work of growth.

When life gives you lemons...

My education gave me the tools to be a skilled clinician. But it was my own trauma that gave me the insight and depth I bring to this work. I know what it feels like to live in a body that doesn’t feel safe—to question everything, including yourself. I spent over a decade learning how to heal, reclaim my voice, and become the kind of guide I once needed.

In the midst of that long journey, I had a quiet moment of clarity: what I was going through wasn’t just about survival—it was about becoming someone who could walk with others through the dark. That experience grounds my work in both knowledge and deep compassion.

Learning to love the desert

I’ve come to believe that being lost isn’t a problem—it’s part of the path. Like La Loba, the mythical bone-gatherer who wanders the desert collecting what’s been buried and brings it back to life, I help others gather what they’ve lost along the way. That process is sacred, slow, and often surprising—but it’s how we come home to ourselves.

There are parts of you that haven’t died; they’ve just been waiting. And sometimes, when it all falls apart, that’s when the wild, wise parts of you rise again.

Do you feel lost and broken? Does life seem hopeless right now? It’s not. Your trauma and pain can actually be an essential part of transforming your life. There is no substitute for painful life experience in moving you toward learning to experience life in the moment, with a greater sense of purpose and contentment.