ABOUT ME
I offer a compassionate, whole-person approach to healing, drawing on my background in brain science, research, yoga therapy, somatic trauma therapy and education. I am passionate about helping individuals reconnect with their bodies, calm their minds, cultivate emotional resilience and live well.
My approach promotes embodiment and self-awareness, as a foundation for a felt-sense of safety within the body. I aspire to bring warmth, authenticity, and kindness to all my services.
As well as practicing yoga for over 20 years, I love reading, walking in nature, and spending time with my family and furry friends. I was born in Ireland (“Suivness” is the phonetic form of the Irish word “suaímhneas” meaning serenity). I moved to this beautiful land 8 years ago and feel privileged to live so close to the ocean and to wake to clear blue skies most days.
WHY TRUST ME?
I have a PhD in Cognitive Science, which combines neuroscience and psychology, and specialised training in mental health, trauma, counselling and somatic therapy. I am also a certified Yoga Therapist accredited by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT), the gold standard for Yoga Therapy. I provide holistic, evidence-based therapeutic support to help individuals not just survive, but thrive.
I am an award-winning teacher and researcher with a strong passion for the power of knowledge. I believe that understanding the science behind our emotions, behaviors, and physiology is essential for personal development. To support this, my services incorporate accessible, bite-sized psycho-education. My approach is scientifically grounded, thoughtful, and person-centered, ensuring it is both safe and effective
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
— Carl Jung
MY STORY
Discovering Yoga
Back in 2001, as I was finishing off my Masters degree, I was stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted. A friend recommended yoga, so mat in hand I rambled into my first class… By the end, lying in Savasana (the final resting pose), something profound happened. My mind quietened, my body let go, and I felt completely different: blissful, contented and rested. It was my first real experience of how much the body can change the way we feel, and it has drawn me back to my mat, and to body-based approaches, ever since.
Researching the Mind
I went on to complete a PhD in Cognitive Science, exploring self-regulation, self-efficacy, motivation and metacognition: how we manage our thoughts and emotions, and how much our belief in ourselves matters. My research became highly referenced and is still used internationally today. I later studied stress and emotion directly, using EEG, neurofeedback and sensor-based technology to measure stress and emotional arousal in the brain and body.
Bringing It Together
Today, these two threads – the science of the mind and the lived experience of the body – come together in my work as an integrative therapist. I draw on somatic therapy, mindfulness, cognitive strategies and yoga therapy, guided by research and the deep connection between mind and body. In my own life, and in my work with clients, I’ve found that lasting change usually needs both: understanding what is happening, and feeling safe enough in the body to respond differently.
Many people come to me not knowing exactly what they need, and that’s okay. I support people living with stress, anxiety, overwhelm or burnout to understand their patterns and triggers, and to change not just how they think, but how they feel and respond day to day.
Above all, I want you to feel safe, understood and accepted. My work is warm, gentle, collaborative and carefully paced, guided by trauma-informed principles and shaped around you. I offer sessions in Joondalup and online.