The people behind the science

She is a registered Occupational Therapist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and practiced for 15 years with children with learning problems before taking the concept to adult learning and development. Annemarie is the author of the book “Sensory Intelligence: Why It Matters More Than IQ and EQ”, published by Metz Press, in 2007. She holds a PhD in Health Sciences (Occupational Therapy), obtained through the University of Cape Town in 2012.  Annemarie has been published widely across newspaper and magazine print media, has been a guest on various radio programmes and featured on South African television.

Annemarie is truly passionate about people and believes in keeping things simple, being solution focused and practical.

Sensory Intelligence® Consulting won the BPeSA “Best Non-Technical Innovation – External Award” in 2010 for their Senses on Call™ e-assessment tool. BPeSA is a Contact Centre industry organisation. Annemarie won the SACBW Business Woman of the Year Award in the professional category for Cape Town, 2008/9.

She lives in Cape Town, South Africa, is married to Eugene (a George Clooney lookalike) and they have two sons, Lukas and Henrick.

Sensory snacks: 
Eating crunchy/salty foods, regular stretch breaks, deep breathing (especially when angry and frustrated)

Sensory diets:
Reading, bookclub, cooking (always with a glass of good wine), running (trail running in particular), the odd retail therapy also helps

Sensory ergonomics: 
Disabling all sound alerts/notifications on cell phone and laptop to reduce distractions, regularly declutters and always organising workspace

Habits and quirks: 
“I have a shoe fetish and collect interesting earrings. I also buy earrings to celebrate big events and then continue to associate the earrings with the event. I am a recycle queen and recycle absolutely anything and everything possible.”

Marieta has a special interest in combining neurology, sensory regulation and human behaviour in the modern world, thereby facilitating self-awareness and improved quality of life for clients. Due to the increase of stressors in people’s everyday lives, she enjoys guiding people towards better understanding of their own Sensory Matrix™ scores and as a result, improving their coping skills for work, relationships, wellbeing and “ordinary life”.

She managed a clinical practice successfully for 20 years, dealing with a variety of clients. By applying tools, strategies and principles, together they have achieved their individualised goals and as a result, improved their lives in a sustainable manner.

She lives in George, South Africa, with her husband Barry and enjoys the outdoors.

Sensory snacks:
Drinking water from a spout bottle, eating salty/spicy snacks, get up – get out – move, deep breathing

Sensory diets:
Going for walks (not too far…), camping (out-of-season/secluded spots), spending silent time by the ocean while listening to the waves crashing on the rocks, creating photo books

Sensory ergonomics:
Mostly monotone home decor, wearing sunglasses outdoors, need silence to focus, comfy clothes on difficult days, shopping during off-peak hours, desk against back wall with door in my visual field – no surprises!

Habits and quirks:
“I rinse plates and cutlery before putting it in the dishwasher… to be washed. If there’s a very big, heavy light fitting or chandelier hanging above a couch, I’ll choose a different seat.”

She joined Sensory Intelligence® in July 2021 and began the transition to working from home.

Quite a change for a married, full-time working mum with two children and two fur children – Lemon and Ella, both very needy and loving rescue dogs.

3 months later she was loving the autonomy over her life and is very excited to be learning about Sensory Intelligence® and all that the field encompasses.

The impact it has in so many spheres of daily life, family, work, wellness and mental health is amazing.

Sensory snacks:
Salty popcorn, fresh fruit smoothies and getting up from the PC to play with her dogs. 

Sensory diets:
Reading non-fiction novels, walking along the beach, exploring new places with her family and playing board games or cards with friends whilst enjoying home-cooked meals

Sensory ergonomics:
Enjoys visually interesting items (textures & bright colours), needs some noise/sounds in order to concentrate, prefers fresh air by means of an open door/window, struggles with mess and disorganised spaces

Habits and quirks:
“I love to watch old movies: they are the classics. I have a few hundred DVDs in my collection – even with the advent of Netflix, I won’t get rid of them.
I enjoy gardening if I have a plant or veggie to add to the garden…you can truly see the fruits of your labour after a few hours outside in the sunshine.
I must make the bed as soon as I get up!”