About Your Alchemists

Warm welcome. I founded Your Alchemists in the midst of great personal and professional change. In my mid forties I sold my belongings, gave up my apartment, moved to student halls of residence and undertook my Doctorate. It is never too late to learn, to change!

Today, having come back from this journey, and faced many challenges, like so many of us, and having achieved many of my goals including completing my Doctorate in August 2023 (currently going through my doctoral thesis amendments). I now transmit the jewels of my learning. It is my conclusion that it is possible to transcend what at times can feel like insurmountable challenges to reach a state of wellbeing - if we choose and commit to.

I do not claim that what I have learnt and practiced for myself, and observed in my clinical work with clients can be applicable to everyone and that transformation is possible for all. Every human being is highly complex and their own enigma. You hold the key and have ultimate power. However I hope that you might benefit from my journey's (personal and professional, as a clinician, yoga & meditation instructor and ex dancer/actress) learnings, discoveries and the evidence-based modalities that I have trained in and practiced.

I experienced childhood adversity. Through education, the right knowledge, education, academic qualifications, my own personal weekly therapy, a somatic practice and on-going clinical supervision, I was able to find the journey back to me. Everything I have investigated scientifically, written about and transmit, is rooted in professional and personal experience. I am a life-long learner. It would be my privilege to support you in turn on your journey.

It is my view that most psychotherapeutic and somatic evidence-based modalities that I have studied and used are adequate and often necessary but might not, on their own, be sufficient. That is why today I describe myself as an eclectic multi-theoretician integrative practitioner. This means that each modality has a place at a time in a client’s journey in collaboration with them. I also believe that, you, the client, hold the key to your own health, that we each have within us access to a part of us, call it consciousness/awareness/core self or actualising tendency, that you can tap to for your recovery. However there are often barriers due to adversity, trauma, attachment or simply as a result of life. I see my role as helping you access your resources and accompany you whilst you identify those barriers, thoughts and feelings, in a safe and honest space. Finally, I have myself had over 1000 hours of personal therapy over the last twelve years, so I understand first-hand what it might be like to start this process. My doctoral thesis also is about Counselling psychologists’ experiences of mandatory personal therapy during doctoral training.

Depuis que j’ai commencé à travailler avec Irena j’ai change les mauvaises habitudes que j’avais depuis des années alors que je pensais qu’elles faisaient parties de moi. Irena m’a libéré de certaines chaines que je pensais impossible à enlever et cela à décuplé la volonté que j’avais d’évoluer. Irena est le tuteur qui m’aide à grandir et à devenir moi même.(Since I started working with Irena I changed many life-long habits, I thought were part of my character, but Irena helped me see no longer served me. She helped me free myself from chains I thought I would never break, and helped me evolve. Irena is the teacher who helps me grow and be who I am meant to be).

E.M.R, Artistic Director, Paris, France (in French)

I loved working with Irena. She created a safe space for me and I felt seen, heard and validated. Irena is very compassionate, loving, intelligent and spiritual and I felt totally comfortable and supported by her which is exactly what I needed. She is very in touch with her intuition and was able to guide me in the inner bonding process so I was able to get in touch with my deep inner truth. Irena is a beautiful person and I highly recommend working with her.

L.T, Business Development Representative, Australia

Irena is the BEST facilitator for me to do Inner Bonding work. There is something so sacred to me about you and the work you are doing with me and the way that you do it. I have known and worked with many professional counselors and coaches and inspirational speakers, authors and teachers either in person or through their books, talks, Podcasts (I'm a self-help enthusiast!) and you are sincerely one of the most brilliant, beautiful women I have ever come across. You have the most exquisite beautiful blend of kind, compassionate heart and high intelligence and spiritual wisdom.

R.V, Author, Colorado, USA

My academic qualifications include two undergraduate university degrees, a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology, a Master in Psychology, a Master in Counselling Psychology as part of my Doctoral training from British universities and an impending Doctorate in Counselling Psychology (scheduled to qualify in 2024).

Other certifications include international yoga and meditation certifications, acting certifications, a certification in InnerBonding completing training with Dr Margaret Paul and a coaching course certification.

Professional memberships include, memberships of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the British Association of Counselling and psychotherapy (BACP). I continue my own weekly therapy and I am supervised weekly.

I work both clinically in the English National Health Service (NHS) and consult in non-clinical settings (corporate organisations) with a variety of private clients (from C-Suite Executives and CEOs in global corporate organisations.

Having grown up in a multi-cultural and multi-faith environment and having travelled extensively, I speak and write various languages fluently. I also bring an appreciation of different cultural sensibilities and personal life experience of mental health challenges and recovery.

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