Our story

The Sharon Faye Foundation was inspired by the life of Sharon Faye. Sharon’s unrelenting interest in humanity’s plight came from her own struggle to survive in an extremely harsh environment. As a child, Sharon was abandoned, abused, beaten and deemed retarded. As a teenager, she dropped out of school and lived on the streets.

Enduring years of struggle in the search for a better way of living, Sharon learned to move towards the pain rather than away from it. Determined to get an education, she put herself through university with four young children on welfare. This difficult journey led her to a successful private practice in Corporate Psychology, and pioneering a way of engaging emotions for radical healing – Emotional Strength. How she pulled herself out of the quagmire to pursue a different path is a testament to the Emotional Strength she has worked so hard to build. Building Emotional Strength saved Sharon’s life. Helping others to do the same has become her life mission.

‘Emotional Strength is the ability to respond in an open and vulnerable way in the face of intense emotional experience’. Nearly two decades of practical application in private practice has demonstrated that building Emotional Strength is life changing in all areas of business and in life. Grateful for the difference that Sharon’s work has made in their businesses and their lives, a number of Sharon’s clients asked how they could help in getting more people exposed to her work. The Foundation was born from their contributions.

The next chapter of Sharon’s vision is through the Foundation.
The Sharon Faye Foundation is committed to Emotion research in six areas within our community.

IDENTITY

FAMILY

EDUCATION

BUSINESS

LAW

POLITICS

For the Foundation, these six systems provide the infrastructure of our community and are regarded as pivotal to the health and well-being of humanity.

Purpose and strategic intent

Purpose

The Sharon Faye Foundation’s purpose is to conduct research into Emotion and demonstrate how Emotional Strength is essential to improve the health of our people, the education of our children, the quality of our leaders, the effectiveness of our law and the value of our economy. This purpose will drive the Foundation’s research and publishing activity in six key areas: identity, family, education, business, law and politics.

Strategic Intent

The Sharon Faye Foundation’s strategic intent is to:

Introduce the concept of Emotional Strength to the world
Educate various sectors about how Emotional Strength can be used to evolve humanity’s perception of negative emotion
Attract a team of skilled and competent researchers to test the validity of Emotional Strength
Raise the profile of the Sharon Faye Foundation and its humanitarian intent
Publish the findings of research on Emotional Strength in the six key areas of our society (identity, family, education, business, law, politics)
Demonstrate how Emotional Strength develops healthy culture
Publish quality research to demonstrate that developing Emotional Strength can heal the deepest wounds of humanity
Researchers to develop a map of the process of Building Emotional Strength
Demonstrate how Emotional Strength is essential to improve the health of our people, the education of our children, the quality of our leaders, the effectiveness of our law and the value of our economy.

Vision, Mission & Values

Vision

Healthy Emotion ~ Healthy World

Mission

Test the hypothesis that Emotional Strength is essential to improve the health of our people, the education of our children, the quality of our leaders, the effectiveness of our law and the value of our economy.

Values

Brave
Integrity
Growth
Care
Vitality

Sharon’s Influences

My four children, who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself.
The first psychologist Jenny, who told me I was highly intelligent.
My mentor Dr Peter Sevastos, who inspired the philosopher in me.
My precious friend Roy Aveling, who is there with me when everyone is gone.
My third grandchild Deikan, who taught me that I am lovable.
My clients, who inspire me.
Dr Sue Cruthers, who taught me persistence on a whole new level.
My staff, who are teaching me about a new experience of team.

Our Team

The team brings a diversity of expertise and experience to the Sharon Faye Foundation. All members of the team share Sharon’s passion for building Emotional Strength and its capacity to change lives for the better. Each member of the team has been personally and professionally touched by Sharon’s work.

Sharon Faye – Corporate Psychologist
Founder

BA (Psych); BPsych; MPsych (Org); DipClinHyp; EMBA (UWA); MFRT; MIACN

Sharon is the Managing Director of Clear Perceptions and is a practicing Corporate Psychologist with a wealth of organisational and clinical experience. Sharon developed the original concept of building Emotional Strength in business. Sharon’s vision for Clear Perceptions is Healthy Business ~ Healthy World. As an organisational psychologist in private practice, Sharon has been building Emotional Strength in business, with owners, partners and executives for 20 years. Her work is based on her belief that whatever the leaders are experiencing in their business is a direct reflection of their internal world. The first step to developing healthy workplaces is for executives to become aware of their internal world and the unconscious drivers that influence their leadership style, decision making, communication, and workplace performance. Facing yourself and all your defence mechanisms, such as the many layers of denial, is a deeply challenging process. Leaders emerge from this process.

Sharon is also the Chair and founding Director of the Sharon Faye Foundation. The Foundation’s purpose is to conduct research into Emotional Strength and demonstrate how Emotional Strength is essential to improve the education of our children, the health of our people, the quality of our leaders, the effectiveness of our law and the value of our economy. This purpose will drive the Foundation’s research and publishing activity in five key areas: health, education, business, law and the political system.

Sharon’s dedication to improving the experience of being human originates from her own experience of recovering from severe childhood abuse. Sharon developed Emotional Strength within herself and has dedicated her life to building Emotional Strength in others. Emotional Strength is the ability to respond in an open and vulnerable way in the face of intense emotional experience.

Sharon was awarded a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology in 1994, a Bachelor of Psychology from Edith Cowan University in 1995 and a Master of Psychology (Org) with Distinction from Curtin University in 1998. Her research focused on testing the structure of affective well-being. Sharon went into private practice in 2000. In 2008 Sharon presented the concept of Emotional Strength at the International Congress of Psychology in Berlin. Sharon completed an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from the University of Western Australia in 2011 and her research focused on building a sustainable business model in the private sector. Sharon is also a practicing neuropsychotherapist.

Sharon lives in beautiful Perth Western Australia, raised four children and has seven grandchildren; she runs marathons and loves good coffee.

Dr Joel Hooper
Non-Executive Director

BSc (Hons), PhD (University of London)

Dr Joel Hooper spent the early part of his career as a researcher in genetics and cell biology, working at the world-class research centres, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine & Dentistry and at the Chester Beatty Laboratories of the Institute of Cancer Research, University of London. The work focused on topics ranging from the molecular genetics of cardiovascular disease through to understanding how important proteins work during lymphocyte development, yielding publications in renowned medical journals such as The Lancet, EMBO Journal and Immunology.

In order to pursue broader interests, Joel then worked as a consultant to Sharon Faye at Clear Perceptions on a range of topics including defining with Sharon the new concept of Emotional Strength. Joel then worked for over eight years at IQVIA, a Fortune 500 company specialized in human data science in the healthcare and life sciences industries, with four years as a management consultant and four years in management roles in Business Operations. Over that time, Joel has led merger and acquisition integration programs and led the company’s operational Artificial Intelligence and Robotics efforts.

Joel was one of the founding directors of the Sharon Faye Foundation since its inception in 2015.

Joel was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Pathology and Pharmacology from the University of Western Australia in 2001, a PhD in Biology from the University of London in 2006, and in 2020 completed The Regenerative Practitioner development program with the Regenesis Institute for Regenerative Practice.

Joel has one (wonderful) daughter and is an avid student of modern art, design and literature, an amateur artist, writer, coffee lover and tennis enthusiast. He shares his time between London and Heidelberg, Germany.

Linda Spurr
Non-Executive Director & Company Secretary

FCPA, GAICD, B.Bus (Acc)

Since graduating from university with a business degree and going on to complete her qualification as a Certified Practising Accountant, Linda Spurr has always had a passion to help organisations and their people be the best that they can be. Over the years Linda’s contributions and achievements have been recognised by various industry awards including Telstra Business Women, NAB Women’s Agenda Leadership and CPA Australia.

When the opportunity arose to join the Sharon Faye Foundation, Linda was immediately interested. She is the first to admit that her ‘logical, organised and traditional’ thinking has been challenged, but she believes in Emotional Strength and the benefits it can bring to individuals, organisations and communities and she is embracing her own learning journey. The values of the Sharon Faye Foundation, of Respect, Compassion, Gratitude, Grace and Innovative Intelligence also resonated with Linda and drew her to the Foundation.

Linda is an experienced board director and an accomplished senior executive in the private and public sectors. She dedicates considerable time to Not for Profit organisations and causes that she believes in. She has more than 25 years’ experience in senior and executive management roles, with a strong emphasis on business improvement, stakeholder engagement, governance, risk and regulatory compliance.

In her more recent executive and consulting roles she has worked in aviation, tertiary education and government. Linda currently serves on several boards including NORTEC, Safeskies Australia, Australian Aviation Hall of Fame and the RMIT University Aviation Industry Advisory Committee. She is former Deputy Chair of Aviation Aerospace Australia.

Linda is a Fellow Certified Practising Accountant, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds qualifications in training, accounting, business management, quality auditing and financial markets.

Linda is looking forward to applying her skills and expertise to support the work of the Sharon Faye Foundation.

Daphne Simoens
Research Associate & Psychologist

BPsych, MAppPsych (Org), MAPS, MAPPi

Daphne is a practising Registered Psychologist and holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Master of Applied Psychology (Organisational) from Murdoch University. She is also a member of the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc. Daphne has worked in corporate, government, tertiary education, and private practice.

From a very young age, Daphne had her moments of quiet introspection. From these moments grew a strong interest in studying the universal principles that underlie human behaviour, cognition, and feeling. Understanding the complexity of human beings would become her life-long journey of learning. At times, she has felt challenged by this, but her desire to learn has unlocked many doors.

In 2010, Daphne was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence for being in the top 2% of those enrolled in a Bachelor degree at Murdoch University across the three campuses. Due to this achievement, Daphne was offered a research placement at the Department for Child Protection and Family Support where she spent five years adding value by conducting job analysis research, changing culture, and improving recruitment processes.

While completing her postgraduate degree, Daphne also taught research methods and statistics at Murdoch University. There, she saw the diverse and varied projects that researchers engaged in and saw her window to contribute to the world.

In 2012, Daphne’s passion for improving the lives of others led her to volunteer for the United Nations Young Professionals Network in Western Australia, by heading the organisational development portfolio. In 2014, she travelled to Nepal to work with orphaned children: teaching English, sanitary and health education, providing care, and conducting creative programs. She also spent time trekking in the beautiful mountains.

After working for a large private company and doing VLOOKUPs in Excel, Daphne grew a desire to be a part of something with a bigger purpose, and she reached out to Sharon. When Daphne started the conversation with Sharon, she discovered that they had two similar passions: organisational psychology and research. When Sharon spoke with Daphne about Clear Perceptions and the Sharon Faye Foundation’s research, Daphne immediately saw the unique opportunity to fulfill these two passions and contribute to a bigger purpose.

Daphne lives in Perth and loves to read, run, box, and travel. She also loves to spend time with her niece. Daphne is inspired daily by different world views and acquiring new knowledge.

Tristan Stein
Writer & Researcher

BA, LLB, MA

As a writer for the Sharon Faye Foundation, Tristan gets to combine what she loves doing most: learning about people and putting their stories into words. Tristan’s interest in other people’s stories is what drew her into a career in the media. A former journalist, she has worked in Australia and the United Kingdom for newspaper publications including The Daily Telegraph and The West Australian, as well as in television news and as editor of West Australian lifestyle magazine, Scoop.

After having her first child, Tristan’s interest moved to finding out more about her own family and its origins. Following a stint at the Perth International Writers’ Festival, she plucked up the courage to start writing fiction herself. Having worked in print journalism, she thought it might be a natural transition. It wasn’t. Writing a novel was more challenging than she ever imagined. It was also deeply rewarding.

Tristan holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Creative Writing from Murdoch University, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Australia. Her interest in storytelling extends to myth: her Masters thesis included a consideration of fairytale motifs in contemporary Australian fiction.

A keen ocean swimmer, Tristan lives with her husband and three children by the beach in Perth. Tristan is committed to building Emotional Strength and the Foundation’s goal of making a difference in people’s lives. She is in awe of the courage many people exhibit in their everyday lives.

Jodie Wakefield
Executive Assistant

BA (Design)

Following her childhood dream of becoming an artist, Jodie’s formal studies and career began in the world of design. In her early twenties, chasing a hoped-for artistic breakthrough, Jodie left her Perth home and family for London. All was going well in her design career until a client asked that their entire kitchen be designed around a blue vase. Jodie realised that living with integrity and a passion for her work were of great value to her and, having no affinity for the vase but believing that her client deserved someone who did, she embraced change, packed up her technical pencils and turned her mind to becoming an Executive Assistant.

She was pleased to discover that some of her design training was transferable, particularly the design theory Form Follows Function. This is a theory Jodie actively practices in her life, approaching every day with an open mind, always on the lookout for an opportunity to discover something new and taking delight as solutions and unexpected lessons evolve. This attitude and a juxtaposing love of procedure, research and project management saw her flourish as a versatile administrator.

A dislike of dark, cold, wet days instigated her return to sunny Perth, and she was joined by her very British future husband. True to the Form Follows Function theory and always observant of change and effect, Jodie is interested in how we can improve our health and experience of life through the way we move, what we eat, our thoughts and how we engage with others and our environment. Working with the Sharon Faye Foundation unites Jodie’s professional ambitions and personal interests and she is thrilled to contribute to the Foundation’s success and learn much personally in the process.

Jodie enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, walking her dog and generally being outdoors – usually discussing health, environment and sustainability issues over a decaf nut-milk latte at the local farmers market.

Dr Susan Cruthers
Patron

MBBS

My interest in Emotional Strength came from the experience of seeing the difference it made to a friend’s life over a short time. I’ve seen people go through years of therapy, but I’d never seen anything like that. I couldn’t believe it, so I asked her what was going on and if I could be involved. I’ve had an involvement and interest in mental health as a counsellor and client, but I’d never seen anything that hit the mark like Emotional Strength.

My interest in being involved in the SFF comes in part from personal experience with mental illness and in the mental health system, which, while well-meaning, was not able to offer me what I needed. The more I got into the system, the more I felt it was at odds with what I needed. Sharon Faye used her influence and Emotional Strength to show me there was a better way. With Emotional Strength I was able to get out of the mental health system. While well-meaning, the mental health system didn’t have the tools to meet my needs. Emotional Strength was the tool that I needed.

It’s hard to say how Emotional Strength has changed my life because I can’t imagine having the life I had before. Was I really that person? It crept up on me. I became a different person; a person that I quite liked and a person with possibilities. It has been very empowering; bringing out the ‘me’ that I always knew was there. I’ve lost the bits that weren’t really me, the artificial safeguards. I’ve regained something rather than finding something new; I’m the same person, but I’m the person I always wanted to be.

Emotional Strength has been life-changing for me and I can see how it could be life-changing for others. When I’m around mental health patients, I’d love them to have access to my experience. I wanted to be part of the Foundation to help enable Emotional Strength to become available, not just to a limited number of people, but to everyone. It is incredibly exciting and exhilarating being a part of the Foundation. I would have loved being able to share Emotional Strength with people I have met in the mental health system and with others who were experiencing anorexia. To start, I had no idea what being patron would entail. As I see the Foundation growing, I’m getting an idea of how I can be a part of it. I feel the time is here where the Foundation is starting to find its feet and becoming a part of the community. It is a great space to be in, both in terms of its physical and philosophical space. I worked in hospitals for thirty years rather than going out on my own because I loved working in a team and connecting with others. The Foundation offers the same sense of team. It has a healing environment.

My hope for the Foundation is that Emotional Strength can become available to the world, and that it becomes more a part of the cultural mainstream. The highlight for me so far was the publication of the Emotional Strength paper. This was a moment of acceptance and validity when the work and the Foundation became ‘real’.

Our Brand

Rationale

Harley Spick, Art Director, Milkable Brand Agency

The concept came from my own personal experience, where I found in that 1 hour meeting, Sharon was able to connect with me at a very deep emotional level. Sharon was able to identify what was holding me back, and through a deep feeling of love, I felt an overwhelming release of inner tension, and by doing so gained an experience of emotional strength.

The design concept uses the heart to symbolise love and the journey of life from birth and its pure state, through to the point where an individual learns how to deal with their inner self, and engage in life from a position of emotional strength to realise their full potential.

We have used the colour of purple in the brand, which is a colour that represents wisdom, peace and independence.

About Us