Dr. Sue der Kinderen
Sue der Kinderen is an organizational health psychologist, coach, and thought leader with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of work, health, and human potential. She supports individuals and organizations in navigating the psychological realities of working life—stress, change, meaning, and growth—with a science-based but deeply human approach.
Sue holds a PhD in Organizational Psychology from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where her research focused on eudaimonic well-being behaviors at work: how people thrive by contributing, growing and building positive relationships.
The Journey Behind Ncourage
Originally trained as a counselling psychologist, Sue brings a strong foundation in human development, life stages, and adjustment processes. Her early work in South Africa included clinical internships and a master’s thesis on resilience during job loss, which developed her understanding of how people make meaning through change and adversity. These insights were later deepened by extensive training in coaching psychology, positive psychology, and stress recovery methods. Over the past two decades, Sue has worked across sectors—from government and education to multinationals and NGOs—in roles ranging from HR advisor to senior consultant at Shared Ambition (part of Colbe), a Dutch network for workplace mental health. She has coached hundreds of professionals and consulted on well-being challenges and interventions for organizations including Deloitte, Shell, Heineken, TU Delft, Accenture, and the Princess Máxima Center. This unique blend of clinical depth, coaching practice, and organizational insight informs Ncourage—Sue’s own well-being platform. Ncourage was born through collaboration with Gwen Burbidge, a senior HR leader who shares the belief that wellbeing is not just about managing symptoms but about fostering a life that feels worthwhile, especially at work.
Sue is known for her warm, honest, and clear approach—offering space for reflection while encouraging and inspiring real change. With a deep commitment to lifelong learning, she blends psychological science, storytelling, and strategic thinking to help people and organizations do better—and feel better—at work.
In her own words
Three experiences have shaped me profoundly. First, realizing only during middle childhood that the children I had played with on the farm couldn’t attend the same school or visit the same beaches, because of apartheid, awakened me to the power of context, privilege, and the limits of one’s own perspective. Second, growing up bilingual—between a Dutch-Afrikaans father and English-Scottish mother—and later immigrating to the Netherlands in my mid-20’s, gave me firsthand experience of being an outsider and adjusting to unexpected transitions. Third, raising two children alongside a partner with a demanding career has taught me resilience, reliance, and the value of community. My Christian faith has been a steady source of service, reflection, and accountability.
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