For Susanne Haase, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in anxiety and OCD, helping people navigate intense, intrusive thoughts is familiar territory. But over time, she noticed something powerful beneath the surface of nearly every therapy session:
“Sooner or later, my clients reveal issues or concerns with their personal relationships.”
The realization hit her with clarity. No matter how effective the treatment for anxiety or compulsive behavior, her clients’ well-being remained deeply shaped by how they were connecting — or struggling to connect — with the people they loved.
That insight set her on a new journey — one that led to PAIRS.
🛠️ Relationship Skills with Personal and Professional Power
Susanne didn’t come to PAIRS just to expand her clinical toolkit. She came because she also saw room to grow in her own relationships.
“As the quality of our lives is largely shaped by our relationships — with parents, partners, co-workers, children, friends — I felt an increasing need to learn more about how I can support my clients in their relationships. My own personal relationships could also benefit.”
Among the many tools PAIRS offers, two stood out to her as game-changers:
Emotional Allergies and Love Knots — practical, insightful frameworks for understanding why we sometimes react more intensely than a moment seems to warrant, and how deeper unmet needs can drive emotional tension or misunderstanding.
“These tools helped me identify ineffective behavior patterns and taught me how to advocate for, and validate, my own and others’ needs,” she explained.
💬 No Breakthrough Yet — But She Knows It’s Coming
While Susanne hasn’t yet had a dramatic “aha” moment with a client using PAIRS, she’s confident that moment is on the horizon.
“Not just yet… but I’m sure I will.”
That quiet confidence speaks volumes — a reminder that transformation isn’t always loud. Sometimes it begins with listening differently, responding more thoughtfully, or making space for honesty.
🌱 Learning, Growth, and Living Her Values
Susanne’s passion for learning radiates from everything she does. She calls empathy, understanding, connection, loyalty, and authenticity her core values — all of which, she says, “are embodied in the work of PAIRS.”
What shaped her most?
Not a credential. Not a title.
But her relationship with her daughter.
“This continues to shape me as I learn how to be a parent to an adult child. It’s not only the source of my greatest love and connection, but also my greatest growth opportunity.”
Her story is a beautiful reflection of something PAIRS often teaches: our most meaningful relationships are where we learn the most about who we are — and who we can become.
🎨 Joy, Passion, and Play
When she’s not guiding others through emotional storms, Susanne is likely doing something joyful.
Pickleball. Ballet. Painting. Literary fiction. Deep conversations with friends. Piano. Walks by the ocean.
“I love being outdoors, in nature, and am lucky to live near a beautiful beach. I love the ocean. I have many, many interests.”
It’s the kind of rich inner life that nourishes a great therapist — and an even greater human being.
💡 Words to Live By
Susanne is someone who clearly draws inspiration from many sources. She keeps a few meaningful quotes close to heart:
- “What you seek is also seeking you.” – Rumi
- “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” – Viktor Frankl
- “The more you do, the more you can do.” – Lucille Ball
- And the classic: “This too shall pass.”
But when asked to share just one message for the next generation?
“Listen, and seek to understand, not respond.”
🎯 Final Words
Asked if she had anything else to say, Susanne responded with the kind of humility and openness that makes her a remarkable guide in the lives of others:
“Learning never ends, and in everything, in every experience, there is a lesson.”
That’s the heart of PAIRS — and the heart of a lifelong learner like Susanne Haase.
🧠 Learn more about Susanne’s work at www.mindatpeace-mwc.com, or reach out to her at susanne@mindatpeace-mwc.com. You can explore the PAIRS Yodi app and relationship skills at www.MyPAIRSCoach.com.
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