I’m Susan Hutchens, a dedicated Mental Health Counselor with over 14 years of experience in addiction medicine and trauma-informed care. Currently, I am a Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling candidate at Alliant International University, where I continue to deepen my understanding of resilience, recovery, and human connection.

 

Throughout my career, I’ve worked with individuals navigating trauma, substance use disorders, and profound life transitions—helping them rediscover purpose and create new meaning from pain. My therapeutic approach is rooted in compassion, cultural humility, and evidence-based practice, guided by the belief that healing is both a science and a human art.

 

As the founder of Genetic Reunification, I help individuals process the life-altering impact of unexpected DNA discoveries. The model integrates narrative and identity restoration within the somatic framework of trauma healing, using a person-centered approach to address the psychological aftermath of genetic revelations. This work locates trauma not only in memory but in the body’s lived experience of disconnection from safety, belonging, and a coherent sense of self. Genetic Reunification expands this lens by examining how identity disruption following DNA revelations can leave individuals suspended between hyperarousal and numbness—transforming confusion into understanding, and isolation into connection.

 

I am also an award-winning author, receiving Honorable Mention from Bellevue University for my paper on Developmental Trauma Disorder, which was later published on the University’s behalf. My ongoing mission is to transform pain into purpose—building bridges between the past and present, science and soul, and most importantly, within self.