Meet Dr. Perpetua “Dr. P” Neo, a globally sought-after psychologist for high performers — including C-suites, emerging leaders, military professionals, and even Olympians. Her work revolves around one mission: helping people command their mental energy so they can achieve peak performance, productivity, and profitability in a rapidly changing world shaped by disruption, AI, and longer lifespans.
Her journey, marked by academic brilliance, deep humanity, and personal transformation, continues to inspire thousands across six continents. Humans of Fuzia is honoured to feature her as part of our She For She initiative, celebrating women who empower themselves — and others — by embracing their unique strengths.
Q: Dr. P, tell us about your background. What shaped you into who you are today?
A: My clients call me Dr. P. I help high performers command their mental energy so they can get more done with less — something vital today, with AI and the reality of living to 100.
I’ve always been drawn to solving problems. Even before I studied psychology, people were already coming to me for coaching, and I realized I had a natural ability to see solutions, simplify complexity, and remove the noise.
I studied Psychology and Sociology in Singapore, then went to Cambridge for Criminology, and later became one of the first international students in the Doctorate of Clinical Psychology program at UCL. Over the years, I’ve combined clinical psychology with neuroscience and strategic wisdom traditions. I’m still studying constantly — learning is part of who I am.
Q: You mentioned a deeply personal experience that shaped your work. Could you share more?
A: Yes. In my twenties, I was in a relationship with a psychopath and narcissist. Before that, I thought it would “never happen to me.” But relationships like these are engineered to break down your boundaries and self-worth slowly.
This experience taught me the importance of boundaries, respecting myself, and healing intergenerational trauma.
It also shocked me to discover that dark personality types often target high-achieving, intelligent women — because we over-give, over-perform, and empathize with others more than ourselves.
Today, I help women — including senior leaders, high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals — exit these relationships discreetly and permanently. I want to break the shame around this topic and help people reclaim their power.
Q: What are the key pillars of your coaching programs?
A: I work across three “Operating Systems” — because, like our devices, humans also run on systems.
- Inner OS
Your brain and headspace. This includes emotional health, mental clarity, and eliminating invisible energy leaks. - Career OS
Most people are promoted for technical skills, not leadership skills. I help leaders architect sustainable, legacy-building careers. - Organizational OS
For companies who want high performance without burnout. You don’t need to be your “best self” every day — no one can. But we can design systems that support consistency, resilience, and efficiency.
My work is industry-agnostic and country-agnostic. Skills are transferable. High performers are high performers anywhere.
Q: You have clients across the world. How global is your work?
A: I’m based between Singapore and London, but I work across six continents.
Human challenges are universal, but diversity makes the work richer. Leaders learn from different cultures, and I learn from them too.
Q: As part of our SheForShe edition, what are your views on women empowerment?
A: One of the biggest challenges women face is that we’ve been trained to become surrogate men.
I’m not a bra-burning feminist, but I believe this:
Women are wired differently — biologically, hormonally, cognitively.
Our strengths lie in:
• compassion
• complexity integration
• intentional multitasking
• leadership through warmth and intuition
When women try to lead like men, they burn out. But when they honour their natural wiring, they go much further — and their organisations prosper too.
Q: A message you want to share with women entrepreneurs?
A: Your strength lies in your softness — and softness is not weakness.
When you play to your biological and cognitive strengths, you thrive.
And when you thrive, everyone around you thrives too.
Q: What are your thoughts on AI — and how do you use it in your work?
A: I love AI. It can crunch enormous amounts of data, work 24/7, and eliminate mundane tasks.
Yes, AI makes mistakes — but humans do too.
However, we must use it thoughtfully.
AI should be a co-pilot, not a replacement for human depth.
I see three things becoming more important:
- Human skills — emotional intelligence, leadership warmth, true self-awareness
- Intentionality — not rushing just because AI makes things faster
- Relationship preservation — AI is already reshaping how young people connect, even romantically, which can be concerning
If trained well, AI helps us advance civilization. But we must ensure it doesn’t erode our human relationships or create more messes than it solves.
“Women go further when they honour their biological and cognitive strengths.
Your softness is power. Use it.” — Dr. Perpetua Neo
