Team Members

Susanne Engels

Susanne grew up in Vermont and graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in special education. As a part of her special education training, Susanne completed a year long internship working at the May Institute in Chatham Mass, a residential school for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She then moved to Maine to create and staff a self-contained program serving students determined to be eligible for special education based on learning disabilities and emotional disturbance. Students in Susanne’s program experienced ongoing stress and trauma. The difficult and engaging work motivated Susanne to move back to Vermont to earn her master’s degree in clinical psychology at Saint Michael’s College, where she specialized in childhood trauma and school psychology. Following graduation, she became licensed as a Psychologist – Master through the Board of Psychological examiners and as a School Psychologist through the Vermont Agency of Education. 

While maintaining a small private practice in Clinical Psychology, Susanne worked for Rutland City Schools as a School Psychologist for 18 years and then, after attaining an additional degree in Educational Leadership from Castleton University in 2010, she became certified as a Director of Special Education and as a Principal. She continued her work at Rutland City Public Schools as a Clinical Director and Principal for the next 13 years. 

Susanne retired from full-time employment for the Rutland City Public School district during June of 2023. She continues to provide clinical evaluations, consultation, training, and clinical supervision for local, state, and federal programs serving Vermont communities. Susanne has done longstanding volunteer board service on the Rutland Regional Medical Centers Patient and Family Advisory Council and at the Wonderfeet Kids Museum.