Dr. Susanne Maria Jensen

Dr. Sue was a kind and compassionate woman with a generous heart, and she will be deeply missed and forever cherished. She was born in Homburg, Germany, on September 27, 1932, the second daughter of Dr. Karl Dienhart and his wife Maria Dienhart.  Sue grew up in Germany, educated at the University of Saarland (Saarbrucken), receiving both her B.A. and M.A. Sue received her Ph. D at the University of Bonn in Clinical Psychology and two minors in Philosophy and Psychopathology.

While in Bonn, she won a Fulbright Scholarship, which led to an internship at the Nebraska State Hospital in Norfolk in 1959.  While there, she met and married Dr. Richard Leland Jensen.

While in Nebraska, she received a second scholarship in Clinical Psychology to intern at Southeast Louisiana Hospital in Mandeville, which brought her to the deep South.  Following the completion of her internship, Sue remained in Mandeville as a staff psychologist, while also serving in the Department of Psychiatry at Tulane Medical School.

This was the beginning of her journey to become a Southerner and a proud American citizen in 1971.

In 1963, with the support of a state hospital grant and permission from the University of Bonn to complete requirements for her Ph. D, she travelled to Germany to receive minors in Psychotherapy and Psychopathology.  She was very grateful to the late Dr. Edwin Timmons for his support. Sue conducted research regarding Group

Psychotherapy and wrote her dissertation following the stringent requirements of the university which led to its eventual publication.

In 1967, she joined the staff at LSU Mental Health Services, going on to become Clinical Director from 1975-1989 and served as a professor of psychology classes.  Her work also included the training and supervision of Graduate students. While there, Sue introduced group therapy as a treatment modality.  Group psychotherapy and the psychology of women were the two most important areas of clinical work during her career.  While at LSU, she co-founded “The Phone,” which became the Crisis Intervention Center.

In 1990, she left LSU and began full-time private practice.  Her experiences in private practice led to further personal development.  She was deeply shaped by the people with whom she studied and worked.

Her work as a clinical psychologist was rewarding for many years, and led to travels across the world, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Egypt, China, Germany, Morocco, Russia, and the former Yugoslavia. In 1999, after serving as the keynote speaker of the World Council of Psychotherapy in Vienna, she began the North American chapter, serving as Chairwoman.  In 2003, she was named Woman of the Year by the American Group Psychotherapy Association along with the creation of a scholarship for foreign born women in her name.  She also received the 2016 Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Louisiana Psychological Association.  She continued to serve her patients in private practice until 2023,

when, with gratitude and sadness, she closed her private practice due to health reasons.

As a reflection on her life, Dr. Sue wanted to be remembered as a European by birth; a Southerner by choice; and a Citizen of the World by compassion.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Richard L. Jensen; her parents, Dr. Karl and Maria Dienhart; her sister Gertrude D. Kronz and brother-in-law, Herman Kronz.

She is survived by her sons Markus Jensen, Christof Jensen (wife Lori), her grandchildren, Gabriella and Trevor Jensen, her sister Gabrielle D. Schneider, nephew Dr. Andreas Kronz, nieces Dr. Dorothee (Kronz) Matzig, Ulrike (Kronz) Kerssebaum, Julia Schneider, and Pam Schulz, many extended family members in Germany and the United States, and her companion of 20 years Dr. Richard Gaynor.

She was grateful for the longtime and cherished friendship of Patricia Martina.

The family would like to thank all of the caregivers who have provided much appreciated support during the past 3 years.

Visitation will be held from 4:00-8:00 pm on Thursday, September 3rd, at Rabenhorst Funeral Home at 825 Government St. On Friday, September 4th, the eulogy for Dr. Sue will be at 9:45 am, and funeral service at 10:00 am, at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church at 2250 Main St., with burial to follow at Green Oaks Cemetery at 12:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Baton Rouge in her memory.