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 and group therapy over the last fifteen years from both UK and US psychotherapists and psychologists. I have, as Dante Alighieri wrote, traversed my inner hell and faced my shadow over many years. As such I have an intimate experience that is not only theoretical, and first-hand appreciation of what it might be like to go through the therapeutic process of change and transformation. I understand suffering. My doctoral thesis is about Counselling psychologists’ experiences of mandatory personal therapy during during their doctoral training. My personal therapy, counselling psychology philosophy and research is relational and humanistic and situates itself at the outer-most edge of traditional psychology where it meets existential philosophy, spirituality, Arts, poetry and anthropology. My style is warm but direct offering you presence and authenticity rooted in two decades of experience to support you on your journey.

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 2025).

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 am supervised weekly by a Counselling Psychologist and UKCP registered Psychotherapist.

I work a mixture of private practice work, occasional locum work both in the English National Health Service (NHS) and consult privately internationally 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 bring an appreciation of different cultural sensibilities and personal life experience of mental health challenges and recovery.

 

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