About Susanna
One grey, cold winter morning in January 2016, I got to work and started the early morning GP session. By 9am, I found myself in a snotty, sobbing heap, in the corner of my consultation room, lights all turned off, trying to make myself invisible, when my colleague found me.
I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and it was nearly six months before I could work again.
Despite always having a particular interest in mental health and the overlap with physical symptoms, nothing in my training prepared me for what I experienced while I was unwell.
To try to understand what was happening to me, I enrolled in a Masters of Psychological Trauma.
This was like putting on a pair of glasses and being able to see clearly for the first time: suddenly, I could see the links between psychological trauma and medical symptoms; I could see the impact of stress on communication and behaviour as well as how it manifests in the body, both in patients and healthcare professional colleagues around me.
As I delved further into this topic, I found a wealth of research and evidence for lifestyle medicine and functional medicine approaches successfully treating these conditions.
I was hooked and made it my mission to combine my clinical, academic and personal experience to work towards creating a trauma-informed word.
I founded Trauma-Sense in 2022 as the vehicle to bring that mission into a reality.
Today, through Trauma-Sense, I share my knowledge and understanding as widely as I can: helping patients to heal in my private clinic; training coaches and other healthcare professionals to bring a trauma-informed approach to their clients; consulting with a diverse range of organisations to show the impact trauma may be having on their people and their workplace and educating and empowering audiences with inspiring and practical keynote speeches.
My Credentials
Qualifications
MBBS University College London (medical degree) 1999
MRCGP (qualified as GP) 2005
PC certificate in Health & Social Care Leadership 2015
MSc Psychological Trauma (Distinction) 2020
AFMCP (Applied Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice) 2021
Certified Women’s Coach (in training) with One Of Many 2024
Teaching
RCGP Inspire Awards Winner of ‘Outstanding Teaching in General Practice -’Best GP Teacher of the Year’ 2019
Undergraduate Clinical Facilitator Brighton & Sussex Medical School 2016-2022
Postgraduate Clinical Facilitator Brighton & Sussex Medical School 2018-2024
Lecturer in General Practice University New South Wales, Sydney 2008-2010
Experience
Lead Programme Designer and Clinical Lead of ConnectionWorks, an NHS funded 12-month holistic programme for people
with Complex PTSD 2021-2023
Health & Wellbeing Support Group at Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2020-2022
Founding Member of First You, promoting mental wellbeing within healthcare professionals 2020
Founding Trustee for Louise Tebboth Foundation funding projects to support the mental wellbeing of doctors and providing support to bereaved families of doctors who have died by suicide 2016-2017
Clinical Executive for Strategy & Delivery 2014-2015
Clinical Lead Urgent Care Services for Coastal West Sussex CCG 2011-2013
Set up Youth Mental Health Clinic, Miranda, Sutherland Shire Sydney Australia 2009
Member of Mental Health Steering committee Sutherland Shire, Sydney Australia
2007-2009
GP with Freelance, Care Home, Forensic Psychiatry and A&E experience 2005 - 2024
Volunteer Organiser of ‘Stop The Hiding’ festival highlighting domestic violence and abuse 2002
The fun (and really interesting) bits
I’m an avid Samba Reggae Drummer and recently played in a carnival in Salvador, Brazil.
I’m very happy on stage and behind it. When I didn't have my head in medical textbooks at university I was putting on plays and was once a producer for The Merchant of Venice at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London.
It might all have been very different…in 2007 I got a place to do a Masters in Glassblowing at the Sydney College of Art in 2007 but found out I was pregnant and so couldn’t accept…maybe one day!
Get in touch
If you’d like to chat with Susanna about how she and Trauma-Sense can help you to heal, develop your professional skills, build a trauma-informed workplace or inspire your audience book your free no-obligation next steps call:
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