At Mother’s group, I was sitting in the toilet stall when I heard one friend say to another “Suzanne will do that for me, she’s my little bitch.”
I felt my chest go tight and the tears begin to well.
I had gone out of my way to pick up this friend and drive her to this meeting, as I had driven her to the supermarket the day before, and to an appointment the day before that.
What started off as a friendly trip to the shops once per week, had quickly escalated to me at her beck and call every other day.
I’ve never identified with the term people pleaser, I thought I was simply a ‘really good friend. ’ Yet, in that moment it hit me, good friends don’t treat each other like that.
If you’ve tried setting boundaries in the past and “failed”
I want you to know that you’re not alone.
Hey, I’m Suzanne Culberg
... a compassionate Boundary Coach who helps you navigate your journey to self-care and fulfillment
I’m here to help you break the cycle of putting yourself last and instead build the confidence to set and maintain healthy boundaries.
I believe that M stands for Mother, not Maid or Martyr and have spent the last 7 years going from a doormat people pleaser to being boundaried AF!
I’m on a mission to not only help women set boundaries for themselves but also to make boundaries normal. We should be saying ‘No’ more often.
Fun fact, during my time at Medical School I was known for performing painless pap smears, so I am really good at making people feel better in uncomfortable situations, like coaching – where you spill your life story to a stranger on the internet!
I live in Sydney, Australia with my husband Jeremy and my two young children who keep me both busy and entertained.
When I’m not coaching, podcasting or writing my popular newsletter, I can be found reading or enjoying Diamond Dotz. I’m also a big fan of Yoga.
certificates & Qualifications
Certified Practitioner of Neuro Linguistic programming (NLP)
Real talk: NLP cops a lot of bad rap. Mostly because dude bros use it for bad. Have you ever opened your wallet, grabbed out your credit card while your brain is screaming “NOOOOOOOOO” that my friends is NLP used for bad.
The type of NLP I practice is NLP used for good! Let me describe it with a story. Imagine your computer is going very slowly, it's sluggish, takes ages for the windows to load, and is forever freezing and needing to be restarted. What do you do? You install new hardware to get that computer functioning at full speed once again! THIS is NLP used for good. You tell me what goals you’re working towards and we install new hardware that you WANT installed.
I am a certified practitioner of NLP through the Australian Board of Neuro-linguistic programming which means I completed 130 hours of certification training and sat an examination of my coaching skills.
Certificates III and IV in Fitness
I left Medical School to become a Personal Trainer (you want to know more about this story, read my book).
I studied a Certificate III and IV in Fitness through Salamanca Training which is registered within the Australian Qualification Framework.
Although I no longer work directly in the Fitness industry, I still list this qualification as the many skills I learned in my fitness study and career have been transferable to my coaching work.
Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours)
I studied at the University of Tasmania. Originally I was planning to be a medical doctor, which is a double degree, Bachelor of Medical Science AND a Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). I didn’t finish my MBBS, I left in my 5th year. However I do have a Bachelor of Medical Science with Honours.
For my Honours thesis I researched medication compliance in patients aged over 65 post hospital discharge. Aside from giving me my first gray hair, that project made me a savvy researcher and amazing communicator, which are skills I utilise in my coaching career.
Certified Sacred Depths Practitioner
The Sacred Depths Transformational Practitioner Certification is a 10-month advanced & fully comprehensive training for seasoned coaches who are looking to deepen master-level transformational skills.
This certification focuses on helping clients achieve their goals, navigate fears, overcome resistance, and re-wire negative thought patterns.
Certified Sacred Depth Coaches are listed on the Applied Depth Institute website which you can check here.
Book a Say No Session
Obviously we’re not going to fully address a lifetime of self-doubt in a single session, but hot damn we're going to have a go!
Sign up for my emails
For weekly(ish) inspiration and encouragement to be unapologetically you, join my free email newsletter.
Selected Media Features
Setting Boundaries to Heal People-Pleasing with Suzanne Culberg
Moms Without Capes®
with Onnie Michalsky, MA, LCPC
The Power of Saying "Nope" with Mindset Coach Suzanne Culberg
Magnetic Pod
with Olivia de Sousa
Saying "Yes" to Others and "No" to Self: Overcoming Being a People Pleaser
The Overcomer's Podcast
with Travis & Cyndy Barnes
