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
My qualifications include:
- PhD in Cognitive Science
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Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education
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Qualified Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 200) (RYT500) (YACEP) and Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT)
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Embodied Processing (Somatic Trauma Therapy) (Level 1 and 2)
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Applied Neuroscience and Brain Health Certificate
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Diploma in Counselling (current)
“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 found myself stressed, overwhelmed and exhausted. A friend recommended that I try yoga. I was prepared to try anything so mat in hand I rambled into my first class…
I remember feeling so self-conscious – much more aware of what everyone else was doing than focusing on myself. I didn’t know then that yoga has nothing to do with how it looks from the outside! But when we got to Savasana (final resting pose in yoga), something magical happened. My mind quietened and a sense of relief and peace, that I had never felt before, flowed through my body. I was there but not there: blissful, contented and rested. It is this feeling that has taken me onto my mat for over 20 years now and time and time again. I am in awe at the power of this ancient practice.
Researching the Mind
From 2002-2007, I completed a PhD in Cognitive Science. My research focused on predicting success for undergraduates starting a university course. Through this I explored the concepts of self-regulation, self-efficacy, motivation and meta-cognition. I used machine learning (artificial intelligence) to search for patterns of successful versus unsuccessful learners within a large dataset of demographic, behavioural, psychological and physiological factors.
The outcome of my PhD was a highly-referenced model that could predict with 80% accuracy how an adult learner was likely to perform after only two weeks on a university course. Of most significance was one’s own belief in their ability to succeed. In the years that followed, my research team advanced this model significantly, and it is currently being used in a large-scale longitudinal international study on learner performance.
Over the years, I have become deeply interested in the study of emotional and mental well-being and, in particular, the role stress and anxiety play in our lives. This led me to numerous experiments using EEG and neurofeedback to monitor the brain in real-time, and to sensor-based technology to monitor physiological indicators of stress and emotional arousal such as heart rate variability and galvanic skin response (sweat).
My ongoing focus is to continue integrating my knowledge and expertise as a cognitive scientist, researcher, educator, and mind-body teacher/therapist. Stay tuned for exciting courses and programs in the pipeline!