My Path
Susann Herrmann
Clinical & Occup. Psychologist, MA
London | Isle of Wight, UK
The Question That Stayed With Me
I remember as a little child, I was with my mother washing dishes and suddenly asked - 'Mum, what is life?'. She couldn't give me an answer that satisfied me, and this question has burned inside me ever since.
This tiny seed of driving curiosity - contemplating life and the nature of being human - was planted as a child, along with a deep longing for living a life that truly matters, that is also meaningful and fulfilling. However, as many of us know, there is no clear path for fulfilling our innermost hunger or yearnings.
Realising There Had to Be More to Life
Aged 15, with no real sense of what to do, I left school for a three-year banker training programme and worked in that industry for a further 10 years.
It became clear that striving for more and more money and status didn't make me happy, and this was definitely not the way I wanted to live. Instead, it became a starting point for a deep contemplation of who I am, and of finding new ways of taking part in the world.
Guides Along the Way
Throughout my life, I have met many different people whose interest and care for me has been vitally important, and I am profoundly grateful to each of them.
Sometimes what seemed like a very small input helped me to clarify my perspective and gave me the push and confidence to try something new. Teachers of all kinds, mentors, and of course life itself have helped me to grasp hold of and direct the churning energy within.
Turning Towards a Different Path
At this point, I felt that the appropriate next step for me was to study psychology at university, but in order to meet the entry requirements, I first had to get my A-levels.
Attending evening school for three and a half years, from 6pm - 10pm Monday to Friday, whilst working full-time as a banker, was challenging. However, I learned that when intention is saturated with wholehearted inspiration, aspiration and commitment, things are possible beyond what our minds can imagine.
I got my A-levels, and after six years at the Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany, was awarded an MA in Clinical and Occupational Psychology.
Discovering Meditation and Zen
At that time, in the early 90s, I also started my meditation and Zen practice and fell in love with it right away!
It has not only enabled me to navigate through the many ups and downs in my life in a much healthier way, but also to get to the heart of the matter - of living a life that truly matters. My many trainings with Jon Kabat-Zinn and his team in secular mindfulness and my long-lasting Zen connection continue to fill me with reverence and wonder.
A Shared Journey
By then I had met my soulmate Albert and subsequently we faced life together.
We moved to London, founded London Meditation, and the next years were such a big adventure as our professional offerings were growing and developing, and the feeling of 'the world coming to us' was so beautifully alive.
However, after many years of being in so much demand, this started to feel like a burden. We took the decision to fundamentally change our lives and moved first part-time and then full-time to the Isle of Wight (UK), with great plans and many ideas.
When Life Changed Everything
Tragically, Albert passed away unexpectedly before these could become a reality, and after 23 years together, this changed everything.
I have had to find a way to keep going forward for myself, but I have not had to do it on my own. The Online Sitting Meditation Group was already established, and I truly don't know where I would be today, without their support. Words can hardly express the spirit and humanity shared in our practice meetings. It is so wonderful to be there together!
What Life Has Taught Me
From all these experiences, it is clear to me that we form connections through how we live, how we see ourselves and each other, how we meet each other, how we treat each other.
All of us exist in a constantly evolving relationship with everyone and everything; all of it intertwined. Life is a mystery that can't be approached intellectually, it has to be lived. And it is only through this living that we feel, we experience, and we learn about ourselves.
The Question That Guides Me Today
Being now in my late 50s I approach life differently, and ask myself deeply 'What kind of world do I want to live in? And how can I contribute in the best way?'.
I can appreciate that it is up to each one of us to create this world with our own selves as a contribution - our individual cultivation of awareness and an ethical attitude has a positive ripple effect on everyone we encounter.
How I Support People Today
As a clinical and occupational psychologist, I work with a coaching approach and framework, rooted in the teachings of secular mindfulness and Zen Buddhism.
It is an honour for me to guide people and to work with the uniqueness of the individual in private sessions and group settings, providing practical and accessible support in understanding and embodying how to respond appropriately to oneself, to others and to whatever faces us.
An Invitation to Explore Together
I would like to invite you to connect with me, so that together we can explore and expand the perspectives you may have of yourself and the wider world; to help you engage and take part in life in entirely new ways.
If you are interested in reducing conflict within and around you and feeding your emotional, relational and spiritual life, I would love to work with you.
If you are curious how this work might relate to your own life, you are welcome to reach out.