SUSAN GILLIS CHAPMAN is a Buddhist teacher, retired couples and family therapist, and former faculty-member for Karuna Training. After the publication of her first book,The Five Keys to Mindful Communication, in 2012, Susan began teaching extensively in Europe and North America.

Her Buddhist training began fifty years ago when she became a student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1974, After his passing, she studied with Thrangu Rinpoche, who directed her to complete the Kagyu three-year retreat at Gampo Abbey. He later appointed her to be Drupon, or retreat master, for another six years. In her years at the Abbey, she began a mentoring relationship with Pema Chodron that continues to this day. In 2012 she was appointed as an Acharya to the Shambhala Community by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. She retired in 2020 when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Susan's new book, Which Way is Up? uses stories from her cancer journey as examples of how to bring loving kindness to the fears that arise in a life-crisis. As the book launches in the summer of 2024, Susan is rebuilding her health and teaching part-time. Mostly, she's enjoying life with her husband, Jerry, in Burnaby, British Columbia and their cat, Ziji. Susan's close family includes three sisters, her adult son, Sheehan, and two stepdaughters, Sarah and Autumn.