She was a “go to” person for any of her friends who were experiencing trauma or facing major challenges – having lost her father at age 6 and other losses of those close to her, some naturally and some violently, she became a support for other young people. Having lived through grief and trauma, she empathised deeply with others.

Sue started performing in kindy – an angel in the end of year play. Even before then, she was hooked on the idea of connecting with people through performance. Her father had a prominent career which required quite a bit of entertaining at home of VIPs, and Sue couldn’t stop herself from singing or dancing if the music was playing. She was once known to have a room full of people in hysterics when she parroted a joke she’d once heard her uncle tell – and where she didn’t have the slightest idea of its double-meaning! Suffice to say, her parents were not exactly impressed with her on that occasion.

Being involved in the teaching/learning process throughout her life, it made sense to study teaching and education at university. And as her passion was performing arts, her university major was in “Expressive Arts” as it was known then, encompassing music, movement, voice, drama, visual arts, and media.

Her professional life saw Sue embark on classroom teaching initially, where she worked in mainstream as well as special education. Extra-curricular work involved coaching gymnastics.

Personal and professional circumstances led to Sue gaining employment in the Australian Commonwealth Public Service where she worked as a corporate trainer. Her background in special education meant her skills were utilised in supporting special placement officers, as well as training those with visual or other impairments. She developed and delivered courses in writing, applying for work, team building and leading, performance appraisal and counselling, and numerous IT courses to support end-users with the introduction of software.

An accident that left her with an injury to her ankle that doctors advised would probably never completely heal put Sue out of performing for several months. In spite of constant pain, she followed all the conventional medical advice regarding physiotherapy and a home exercise and strengthening programme to give her the best chance of resuming dance. While she improved, she never got rid of the pain.

A friend she trusted insisted that if anything could help, it would be traditional Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki. Ever the sceptic, but desperate to heal, Sue attended her three-day Reiki 1 seminar.

Even before the end of the seminar, the pain she’d been experiencing ever since her accident disappeared. That motivated her to follow the advice of her teacher, to diligently self-treat with Reiki on a daily basis.

To her surprise, old injuries (including a 9 year-old torn sub-scapularis), healed over several months. The scar tissue from her cancer surgery disappeared, and the hayfever, sinus problems, eczema, asthma, and IBS all subsided over time and now remain at bay. Her remarkable healing led her to take additional training to become a professional practitioner, as she wanted to help others with Reiki. Sue’s run a professional Reiki treatment practice since 1998.

She left the Public Service to devote herself full-time to performing arts teaching and her Reiki Practice.

Upon being invited by the director of the Usui Reiki Network to become a teacher of Reiki, Sue completed five years in a traditional apprenticeship and has been teaching Reiki for more than a decade.

In addition, Sue became a professional speaker, celebrant, worked in professional theatre on the logistics side, continued teaching performing arts, wrote a book, plays, several courses, and resumed performing herself! Her entire focus for everything she does is on supporting people who want to thrive and grow.

The programmes Sue has personally developed grew out of her own experiences (the tough lessons and the lighter ones – from both her professional and personal lives), and her background in education and development.