How I work

Psychology | Mindfulness | Zen

Susann Herrmann
Clinical & Occup. Psychologist, MA
London | Isle of Wight, UK

The spirit of the work

At the heart of this work is a simple invitation:

Learning to meet life more awake, honest, and engaged.

This is not about fixing you or helping you become a better version of yourself.

Instead, it is about supporting you to meet your life more directly and honestly.

Much of the time, we move through life on autopilot — responding automatically to pressures, expectations, and familiar habits of thinking.

When we begin to slow down and pay attention, something begins to shift. Our experience becomes clearer, and instead of reacting automatically, there is a little more space — from which a different way of responding can emerge.

This does not require special beliefs or complicated methods. It begins simply by noticing what is actually here.

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The foundations of my approach

The way I work draws on three complementary strands: psychology, secular mindfulness, and the wisdom of Zen.

Each offers a different perspective on human experience. Together they support a grounded and practical way of understanding ourselves and meeting life more directly.

Psychology offers a grounded framework for understanding how thoughts, emotions, habits, and life circumstances interact. It provides context, safety, and care when things feel difficult or unclear.
The focus throughout is simple, down-to-earth, and experiential — supporting you to meet yourself and your circumstances with greater clarity, steadiness, and ease in everyday life.
Mindfulness is the simple practice of paying attention to what is happening — your thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and reactions — with openness and curiosity, without needing to change anything straight away.
Practised in a grounded, secular way, it can help you:
- recognise stress and overwhelm as they arise
- become more aware of reactive patterns and what drives them
- respond with greater calm and clarity in difficult moments
- feel more grounded and steady in everyday life
This supports you in navigating work, relationships, and daily demands with greater clarity and resilience.
Mindfulness is not about forcing calm or avoiding discomfort.
It is about relating to your experience in a more balanced and spacious way, so you can meet life with greater presence and ease.
Zen influences my work at a deeper and more foundational level.
At its heart, Zen points to a simple and direct way of meeting life as it is.
In essence, it invites:
- simplicity
- honesty about your experience
- being present with what is here
- meeting life directly, rather than turning away
- including uncertainty, discomfort, and not-knowing as part of being human
Zen invites a simple and wholehearted way of living — less about striving or idealising life, and more about opening to what is already here.
In our work together, Zen is not offered as a belief system or doctrine. Instead, it supports you in showing up more fully, more kindly, and more courageously to your own life.

How these strands come together

In practice, these perspectives naturally support one another.

Psychology offers context, safety, and a clear framework for working with emotional challenges.

Mindfulness strengthens the capacity to notice what is happening in the present moment with greater steadiness and clarity.

Zen invites a simpler, more direct relationship with life — one that eases the pressure to constantly manage, improve, or fix yourself.

Together, they offer a practical and compassionate way of being more alive to life — more present, less driven by habit, and more connected to what matters to you.

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When this approach may not be the best fit

This way of working is not necessarily right for everyone.

It may be less suitable if you are primarily looking for quick solutions or techniques without reflection.
It may also feel frustrating if you prefer a purely symptom-focused approach, without taking time to explore your experience more deeply.

This work tends to resonate most with people who are open to slowing down, paying attention, and exploring their lives honestly and thoughtfully — willing to explore life as it is, and at their own pace.

You do not need any prior experience with mindfulness or contemplative practice — only a willingness to begin where you are.