Suzanna Donato, Ph.D. Psychology in Charleston, SC

Dr. Suzanna Donato is a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxiety, trauma, and sleep concerns in adults. She provides evidence-based psychotherapy that is personalized to each patient's needs, values, and goals. Dr. Donato takes a collaborative, patient-centered approach to psychotherapy. She works with patients to understand the thoughts, behaviors, and patterns that contribute to their concerns using a cognitive-behavioral framework. While she draws on established psychological treatments, she recognizes that effective care is not one-size-fits-all and adapts treatment based on each patient's goals, values, progress, and individual circumstances. She aims to help patients develop greater flexibility in how they respond to difficult thoughts and emotions, build effective coping strategies, and make meaningful changes in their lives. Throughout treatment, patients remain active partners in identifying goals and determining the direction of their care. Dr. Donato earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). During her graduate training, she provided psychotherapy to adults with depression, anxiety, and trauma-related concerns and gained specialized experience in behavioral medicine, sleep, and substance use treatment. She completed her psychology internship at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA before completing her postdoctoral fellowship at MUSC. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Donato conducts research focused on improving treatments for alcohol use disorder and understanding factors that affect treatment outcome. Her clinical and research work inform one another, with the goal of integrating current scientific evidence with individualized treatment approaches to provide high-quality patient care.