Who Is Sue?

A gifted, highly sensitive geek

Who is sue?

Let’s hit the ground running, shall we?

I’m a gifted, super highly sensitive, self-dx autistic/ADHD-brained 40-something, living in Cambridge, UK, with a child, a penchant for pancakes, and a garden.

I’ve trained my brain in physics (Cambridge University, no less), Buddhist approaches to psychology and meditation, environmental sciences (Dr Sue, thank you), education (PGCE – high school maths teaching), fundraising (why not?), and a whole heap of peopley things (details below).

I speak native English, acquired Dutch, very rusty French, and play piano and clarinet.

What I Do

I get you. Quickly and deeply, probably better than anyone you’ve ever met before. Yes, this can be scary – but done with a lot of love and care.

“Sue has a very special skill. She can see through the fog that life creates around our emotions, untangle the mess of feelings and pinpoint the root cause of a whole host of problems: be it tension; stress; or just a feeling that something was missing from your soul. Sometimes these are things you already know but aren’t allowing yourself to acknowledge; other times these findings are a true revelation. Sue always expresses her findings in a calm, clear and easy to understand way and then offers suggestions for how to proceed. To top it all, she can do this via a video call from 200 miles away! And yes, she’s also a really lovely person too.” – D, physicist

“I super appreciate your ability to uncover, synthesize & articulate ‘stuff’ with serious yet playful language. And that we can engage in deep & meaningful exchanges :-)” – S, researcher

“Sue is smart, you know kind of this very clear, down to earth, British-thing true to your self, scientist smart. But on the other hand, her sensitivity, her gift, her talent is mind blowing and undeniable. She just gets me, she understands what mountains and forests mean to me, she intuitively instructs me how to use my elements to help me to be there for my doula clients, she “sees, feels” my burdens and give suggestions how to resolve them. It is like she non-violently tunes into me, and helps me to get better, to resolve my emotional issues that weight me down. I sense that the reason is that with doing that she is helping to create the best version of me-doula, so she extends her help to other women through me.” – N, doula (birth attendant)

“You’re amazing ❤️ And having that aura where people will just be honest with you is very powerful.” – V, artist

How I do it

The short version: we have conversations.

The long version: it’s a kinda magic.

Part innate talent, part nerding the heck out on everything, part acquired and honed skills.

Evidence-based, human-centred, and a whole lotta love.

SHOW ME WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS!

Certificates

Modalities

Areas of Study

Courses undertaken

Beyond IFS Consultation Group, Bob Falconer, 2025
ACC Coaching & Counselling, 2016-2017
Spiritual Worker Two Year Training, and other courses, Mary Shutan, 2016-2021
The Work That Reconnects, 2007
Viniyoga Level 1, 2000

Other Qualifications

professional status

TL:DR; Gifted autodidact meets the counselling and therapy world, carves her own path, and retrospectively fills gaps in CV to align with professional bodies.

I’m often asked if I’m licensed, which is very much an American thing, so let’s file that under not relevant here (I don’t work 1:1 with clients in the USA or Canada). I’m in the UK where counselling and various therapies are overseen by professional bodies, registration is recommended but not required, and counsellor and therapist are not protected terms.

Am I registered? Also, no. Living abroad for eight years (the Netherlands, thanks for asking) is a great way to interrupt your formal career progression. So after a fair hiatus (a hiattical?) since I started studies at the Iron Mill College, Exeter, I’m now continuing my pursuit of formal qualifications with a different institute near Cambridge.

Professional body memberships: I’m a student member of NCPS – The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society and COSRT – the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists. I follow their codes of ethics, including confidentiality requirements.

CPD: Continuing Professional Development is as natural to gifted folk as breathing. We’re a bunch of study bunnies. So I’m always studying /something/. Right now, that’s a Diploma in Pluralistic Psychotherapy on the formal side, and in my informal studies you’ll find a regular high dose of books, conversations with gifted peers, and other media.

My 2025 Readings…

Ethics: My personal ethics are founded on (un)common sense and more-or-less British values, broadened and deepened through over two decades of Buddhist study, reflection, and practice. As for professional ethics, since 2013 I’ve had the BACP Code of Ethics on my radar, and more recently signed up to abide by those of NCPS and COSRT.

Supervision: I work regularly with a supervisor to review and improve my practice.

Insurance: I have Professional Liability Insurance with Oxygen by Marsh Commercial. I don’t accept health insurance.

WORK WITH SUE

I geek out on...

Giftedness (obvs)
Neurodivergence
Attachment theory
Child development
Multiple intelligences (Howard Gardner)
the Highly Sensitive Person (Dr Elaine Aron)
Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (cPTSD)
Autism and ADHD – especially female late-diagnosis

Somatically-held trauma (feelings stuck in the body)
Internal Family Systems
Shamanic practice
Inner Child work
Spiritual experiences
Meditation
Buddhist teachings and practices

and a few other things I’d probably mention but this list is already rather long and continually growing.

I dive into things experientially. I take the theories and models, gather data from my own experience, and test TF out of the theories and models – and sometimes come up with my own. I take on board other people’s descriptions of their lived experience, and use that to improve both my understanding and practice.

In short, I nerd. And test.

WORK WITH SUE

Get to know me

Read all about it

I write about giftedness and related issues, how to heal and handle your gifted self. You can read these articles for free here on my site.

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Listen In

I love speaking and good conversations. Listen in to these podcasts and you’ll get a good sense of who I am and what you’re letting yourself in for.

Want me to speak for your event or podcast? Contact me!