About Suzanne

Psychoanalyst (C.G. Jung) | Coach | Sandplay therapist | myth-and storyteller

Education

BSc Behavioural Neuroscience at Sussex University (UK), MA Media at Sydney University (AU), Jungian psychoanalysis at Jung Academy Amsterdam, Jungian Training at NAAP (IAAP), Sandplay (ISST).

Philosophy

Central to my view of why we pursue therapy is an inherent longing to return to soul. Although we might start with a desire and need to free ourselves from restricting patterns, inherent to soul is a deeper belonging, both within ourselves and within the larger ecology of life.

Personal Background

Since my youth I have been interested in how things are related, and what story is being told. I made my own little studies by observing the natural world, reading and following a gut instinct. That instinct first told me the world is alive and connected in a way I could feel, but not yet explain. I followed a deep passion for the Earth and studied Behavioural Neuroscience with a focus on ethology. I pursued an MA in communications to nurture my love for writing and spent a few miserable years in corporate life. In my late twenties, a depression returned me back to my roots. I reconnected to my passion for the Earth and poured both studies into wildlife documentary filmmaking with the intention to connect people into appreciation for and awe of the beauty of Earth.

Psyche and Soma

Pregnancy and motherhood opened me up into unknown spaces, both light and dark. While searching for a reflection to explain and contain my experiences, I found Jungian psychology and a Sufi lineage, all within one month. Aided by bodywork, this period reinvigorated my passion for the world of story that had seeded itself in childhood. I immersed into the feminine psyche and learned the oral art of storytelling.

Interests & Research: the Anima Mundi

Today, this interdisciplinary braiding of Jungian psychology, Sufi mysticism and the natural sciences express themselves in my research and work through a therapeutic approach that honours both spirit (psyche) and matter (body) as one.

My passion is in the embodied research of the Anima Mundi. This is Latin for the Soul of the World. While the naming comes from Plato, the concept has roots in indigenous and mystical tradition, including hermeneutic alchemy. Since childhood it has guided me to explore the depths of relationship and relating itself. I wrote my thesis on this subject addressing its importance, presence and absence within Jungian psychological theory and practice. If you want to know more, you can find a small part of the thesis in this article.

Collaborations

I collaborate in workshops with the Mothership in Hamburg where we explore the collective psyche via art & storytelling in live workshops as well as online.

I am working with a traditional shaman/healer from the (Scandinavian) Sami tradition to learn about their way of ‘holding the story’.