Dr. Susan Giurleo, psychologist and career development coach, seated beside a bright window

Meet Dr. Susan Giurleo

Psychologist and career development coach helping exhausted women reclaim healthier, more sustainable ways to work and live.

Professional woman reflecting at her desk on creating a healthier, more sustainable way to work

A different way to live and work

For 30 years, I’ve helped women navigate burnout, toxic workplaces, anxiety, and life transitions—with practical guidance grounded in psychology, compassion, and real-world experience.

It’s not about completely eliminating stress.

It’s about helping you feel more grounded, empowered, and connected to work that actually fits who you are. Even when the structures and systems around you don’t always have your back.

Misaligned work is a clinical crisis, and building powerful, joyful work is a path to relief.

Helping you reclaim choice

I believe that making choices from a place of personal power is the key to living a centered life.

My work shows you that the structures you live within—at home, at work and in the community—are just that: structures, but not absolutes.

You have choices.

Not every choice will lead to the outcome you want, but understanding that you have choices is often the first step toward feeling more in control of your life.

Practical support rooted in clinical psychology

I’m a psychologist with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where my research focused on women’s career development in nontraditional fields.

For 30 years, I’ve worked with people that, at first glance, would appear to have nothing in common—young people in the justice system, veterans, neurodivergent individuals, and those navigating trauma, burnout, and the pressures of modern life.

On the surface, these groups are widely different. But underneath, we all want the same things: to be seen, understood, loved, and valued.

We are all people who have the capacity to create, discover, and thrive—and who have been told, in one way or another, that we can’t.

The women I work with experience this every day, and maybe you can relate. You’ve been carrying too much, for too long, and are ready for things to feel lighter—without the pressure to constantly do more.

My goal:
wider impact

While one-to-one clinical work is powerful, it’s also, by definition, limited. One person at a time, one hour at a time, and the need is far larger than that model can reach.

That’s what brought me here: the desire to take decades of clinical insight and put it in the hands of more people.

Through courses, workshops, writing, and video conversations, I can support many of you in ways my one-to-one work could not. Together, we’ll explore the family, workplace, and community structures that shape how we live, work, and see ourselves.

(These structures tell us who to be, what to do, and how to show up.)

This is how we end up overwhelmed, burned out, anxious, depressed and hopeless. It’s not a personal failing, it’s the pressure of the systems around us.

Dr. Susan Giurleo, psychologist and career development coach, standing beside a sunlit staircase

Credentials & press

Education

Ph.D., Counseling Psychology — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
M.Ed., Counseling — Boston University
B.A., Psychology & English — Connecticut College

Selected Speaking & Teaching

SXSW, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), APA, NASW and many public/private school systems, mental health organizations

Quoted In

The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Parents Magazine

Outside of work

I’m a proud Bostonian (Go Red Sox!), living in the diverse community of East Boston. I’m an empty nester and a mother to a Gen Z son, which means I get a front-row seat to how different the world looks for the next generation. I’m also a doting cat mom, and you’ll often see my cat Micha make cameo appearances wherever I go.

A few of my favorites

Being by the ocean
Cooking & baking
Walking
Traveling
Spending days in art museums or libraries

Near and dear to my heart
I volunteer for Lasagna Love and financially support the WishProject, CARE, the ACLU, and the Greater Boston Food Bank.

I believe in the rights of all people—to safety, dignity, and freedom. I am pro-democracy and anti-fascism. I will only work with individuals and organizations that share this stance.

If that clarity is what you’re looking for, you’re in the right place.

Woman writing in a journal while reflecting on personal growth, choice, and change

We all have the capacity to change, choose, and evolve

You don’t have to figure it out or keep pushing through on your own. Let’s talk about what a healthier, more sustainable path could look like for you.

get in touch