Courageous Connection™ is built on the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), developed by psychologist Dr. Steven C. Hayes.
I first discovered ACT during my coaching certification program, and it immediately resonated with me. Its focus on awareness, acceptance, and values-based action aligned perfectly with the work I was already doing, helping people notice their thoughts, reconnect to what matters, and take small, meaningful steps forward.
Over time, I began weaving these tools into my own process, creating a framework that blends evidence-based awareness with the heart and intuition of real human connection.
A Research-Supported Framework for Self-Trust, Emotional Resilience, and Sustainable Change
The Courageous Connection™ Approach
We begin by exploring the experiences that brought you here. What happened? What emotions surfaced? Where did your values feel challenged?
Together, we’ll uncover the patterns you developed to manage pain: patterns that once protected you, but may now keep you from moving forward. As you begin to recognize these unconscious loops, you strengthen your ability to respond rather than react.
This becomes the foundation for lasting emotional awareness and resilience.
Pattern Recognition & Emotional Awareness
Step 1: Connect Within.
Resistance isn’t the enemy, it’s information. Instead of getting caught in “why me” or “I can’t,” we’ll explore what your resistance has been trying to protect.
Through gentle curiosity and reframing, you’ll start to see that the old stories aren’t always the whole truth. These insights reveal what I call your hidden hooks: the unseen drivers that keep you looping through the same situations.
ACT research shows that curiosity and self-compassion create more lasting change than shame. This step helps you put that truth into practice.
Honest Reflection & Perspective Shifts
Step 2: Release Resistance.
Harsh self-criticism drains your energy and keeps you frozen in old patterns. Here, we practice turning down that inner critic so you can hear your own truth.
Using proven self-compassion techniques, you’ll learn to soften judgment, reclaim your energy, and strengthen your boundaries. This isn’t about ignoring mistakes, it’s about shifting into reflection without punishment.
The result is motivation and resilience that actually last.
Rewiring the Inner Dialogue
Step 3: Self-Compassion & Care.
Insight only matters when it changes how you move through the world.
In this final step, awareness turns into action. You’ll learn to take the next honest step toward what you truly want rather than what fear, regret, or expectation tells you to want.
Whether it’s setting boundaries, making career decisions, or creating space for growth, you’ll leave with tools to recognize when you’re caught in old loops and how to shift back into your empowered self.
This is where clarity becomes courage, and courage becomes action.
Authentic Action & Empowered Living
Step 4: Courage in Alignment.
K.
"As a survivor of trauma, I don’t open up easily, but with Susie I finally have a place where I can breathe. I still slip back into old negative patterns, but in our sessions I learned awareness tools that actually work for me - how to stay present and not talk down to myself.
Susie helped me find simple phrases that remind me, “I won.” She doesn’t rush the process. She listens. Some questions are hard to answer, but she gives me time and lets things unfold at my pace."
If you’re done with quick fixes and ready to understand what’s really keeping you from feeling free, let’s talk.
We’ll work together to create change that lasts. Change that comes from understanding yourself, not fighting yourself.