Frequently Asked Questions

What do you do?

I am a multi-disciplinarian. I am trained/qualified and experienced in Business, Arts, Movement (including yoga), Psychology/Counselling/Facilitation and meditation/yoga. Today I predominantly work in private practice for my company ‘Your Alchemists‘, as an integrative therapist/coach/workshop leader and educator. As Irena Grgona, I work as a psychologist/personal therapist/counsellor. I create educational content for Your Alchemists who also create retreats and might invite other practitioners to join me. I am also an ex dancer and actress.

• I have worked with all sorts of clients/patients: 1) neurotypical or neurodivergent, with or without Learning Disabilities (LD), 2)with all sorts of ailments (ranging from anxiety and depression to more acute presentations/conditions like schizophrenia and personality disorders,  Post traumatic Stress Disorders and many more),   to 3) C-Suite executive clients, and 4)in all sorts of settings ranging from psychiatric wards, inpatients and outpatients, from the English National Health Service (NHS) to corporate organisations, charities and retreats, and 5) in various languages and 6) in different countries!
• I speak at events, conferences and seminars, as well as at companies’ away days for example.
• I can work with company leaders to deliver tailor made presentations in collaboration with them based on particular themes. Themes have ranged from ‘acceptance’, ’emotions’, ‘resilience and thriving’, ‘connection to self’. I have also taught meditation, yoga and public speaking.

What do you offer?

• I offer individual and group personal therapy, coaching, facilitation and group/workshop facilitation. I am also an author, course/programme writer and educator. Additionally I consult for various clients and lead or present at various events.
• I can reply to short email enquiries of up to ten lines. Please do not enter confidential information. Keep your enquiry general.

What I do not offer

• I do not offer advice or assistance in sorting the clients’ problems. Rather I help you find the answers within yourself.
• Personal therapy is not friendship either and we abide by strict codes of conduct and ethics. There are clear boundaries and the focus is on you and your needs.
• I can not reply back and forth to long queries. Everything is on my website, including, I hope on these FAQ. If you feel you have many more questions, I offer a free 15min consultation (connect HERE). If you believe you need more time, perhaps you’d like to consider booking a session with me with no obligation to book another.
• I unfortunately can not assist clients in crisis or with active suicidal ideation, with a plan or who might have tried to end their life in  the last year. Having worked with such clients, it is my professional belief that you might benefit from team support including your GP and a wider circle of professional support in your local authority.
• Equally I can not assist clients with active substance misuse who are not in treatment/or in a programme for example and who continue to misuse whilst in personal therapy with me. Again having worked extensively in addiction and having myself been in a 12 steps programme, it is my professional belief that you might require a tailor-made and holistic approach with multiple practitioners on your team. I’d be happy however to provide an assessment and sign-post you.

IF You might be unhappy but not yet identify why?

OR you may simply suspect that there’s more to life than you’re currently experiencing and you’d like a safe space to share, be listened to and explore some difficulties you might have.

OR You sense that you’re suffering from psychological ailments, or maybe you’re weighed down by a diagnosis such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders? You might have experienced abuse – domestic and/or in the workplace – relationship issues such as co-dependency, work-related or life stress OR addictions such as love/sex and food, yet the help you’ve received has fallen short.

OR You have untapped talents & gifts but somehow have not known how to tap into your full potential or move forward in your personal mind-set, career and/or in relationships.

OR You’ve experienced an assortment of the above.

You can read more about my own journey in ‘About Me’ and in my Blog. In sum, what I believe sets me apart are:

• First, I am a highly trained and experienced multi-displinarian professional in the fields of psychology/counselling and body-mind connection, Business studies and Languages, Arts/Acting and Movement. I hold 5 university degrees, a coaching certification, acting certificates and yoga certificate and speak 7 langagues fluently.
• I have spent 17 years in academia and I am a highly trained, academically, practically/clinically and professionally, practitioner with advanced skills at the highest levels. I studied all the above disciplines extensively since the age of 10 (dance) and started my first university degree at 17 years old, not just in Europe but all over the world at the highest level and in multiple languages.
• I am a neurodiversity specialist: I am trained to assess and diagnose Autism and ADHD and to support clients with adapted personal therapy and coaching.
• I am an addiction and trauma specialist.
• I have studied and worked with the BEST teachers (Dr Margaret Paul, William ‘Bill’ Esper, Tom Radcliffe, Dr Rob Agnew, Dr Liz Kock, Dr Jo Stubley) in the BEST and world famous hospitals and clinics (The Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, Central London NHS Trust, North East London Foundation NHS Trust) and ashrams/monasteries (Rishikesh, India for ex).
•  I come from and understand adversity (including poverty, xenophobia, war and other traumas) and so I understand suffering first-hand, how hard it is to break patterns and limiting beliefs, and how to transcend these, as I have transcended it.
• I have walked the path (and through ‘the shadow of the valley of death’) and returned to reach a state of joy and wellbeing and can assist you on your path. I have gone on the ‘journey of the self’ through the self and back to the self’ and so I understand experientially and not only in books what is required.
• I have had twelve years of personal therapy on and off as well as three years of weekly mandatory personal therapy as part of my Doctorate which is the subject of my Doctoral Thesis.
• Last but not least, I love what I do and my clients have testified that I can help them over and over in multiple settings. I have worked for free and as a highly paid therapist/coach over many years so that I can qualify as a Doctor. Although my fees reflect my training, journey and experience, I still help some people who can not afford private therapy on a highly discounted rate.

My own personal experience of adversity provided the catalyst for my own therapeutic journey in 2012.

• I have trialled what I have trained in on myself, to countless clients across many continents and continue to innovate and evolve.
• I am comfortable working with a diverse range of international clients, with an equal split of male/female/non-binary/trans, in different languages and from different cultures using primarily English, French, Serbian and Croatian.
• I offer first and foremost non-judgmental presence. I practice with empathy, compassion, humility and a fair amount of skill, ensuring that any space is safe. I equally am here to gently highlight and at time confront you with ‘blind spots’ so you can break any maladaptive patterns.
• My work is about connecting (with ourselves and others), breaking down blocks/defenses that seek to prevent us from being who we’re meant to be, recovering our vitality vibrancy and wider sense of wellbeing to live a rich and fulfilling life.

Curriculum Vitae At A Glance

• I finished my Doctorate in Counselling Psychology in August 2023 from the University of Roehampton (currently putting through amendments to my Doctoral thesis following my viva).
• I hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology and a Master of Science (MSc) in Psychology from the University of Derby.
• I hold a BA (Hons) in Business and German. I worked at the highest echelons of the Department of Health/Parliament between 1998 and 2001, and in the City Financial district in London, UK, between 2008 and 2018.
• I hold a French Licence LEA (Langues Etrangeres Appliquees).
• I hold a coaching certification from Performance Consulting.
• I hold an acting certification from the Actors Temple and a summer intensive with Bill Esper in NYC. I produced and acted in my own plays on the London Stage.
• I hold an International Yoga Alliance and Indian Government Yoga accreditation.
• I trained as a dancer since the age of 10 to 18 and toured semi-professionally with ‘Les Ateliers de la Danse’ in France.
• I’ve gained over a thousand hours of clinical time as a facilitator, counsellor and trainee counselling psychologist over the last 12 years.
• I have gained extensive scientific research experience of what I’m teaching and practicing in a variety of diverse environments.
• I’m under continuous development and in supervision whilst I practice PLUS I am fully insured.
• Three of my online programmes were scientifically tested as part of my MSc in Psychology and are also rooted in evidence-based research.
• I continually re-evaluate my findings based on my interactions with clients, my own supervision and self-reflective work.
• I understand the mind-body connection, not only from the evidence-based research supporting it but from personal experience.

There is no simple and straightforward answer to this question as it depends on each individual and what their immediate objectives might be. This can also change during our work.

Moreover, change does not happen overnight. According to eminent Professor Petruska Clarkson, there really are only two types of change:

1. Evolution, whereby you modify certain maladaptive patterns or aspects of your thinking/behaviour but your personality remains constant. Think of redecorating your apartment or house. You might change windows, remove old and add new furniture, paint walls etc. but your house structure remains unchanged, OR
2. Revolution/transformation, whereby you come to the conclusion that some of your behaviours, thought patterns etc. have rigidified over time due to your conditioning/trauma and other reasons and you wish to go deeper to truly transform.  This might be based on the concept of inner parts (wounded ego selves) keeping you defended. Think of breaking walls and adding extensions, digging in the garden to add another room etc., removing weeds etc.
3. The journey is yours and we discuss your goals collaboratively. It all depends on the client’s goals and wishes from their personal therapy or coaching journey.

There are times in life when we might need support, being listened to in a safe space and/or practical help with day to day difficulties or relational challenges. Maybe you might like to think of therapy as a place to learn about you and evolve.

You might need sign-posting elsewhere perhaps. If that’s your situation, then I offer ‘walk-in/single session‘ slots.

Maybe you are neurodivergent and need personal therapy/coaching to help you make sense of your diagnosis and get day to day help?

However you might be ready to change at a more fundamental and deeper level. If that is you then long term open-ended therapy might be better suited.

If you believe you might want more sessions to explore particular issues, we would have a pre-session and work collaboratively to establish number of sessions, 4, 6 12 to 18 weekly sessions might be sufficient.

At other times, clients might find out that what actually brought them to therapy was the top of the iceberg and they require more ongoing weekly support on a more long term basis. This will be discussed in the first 2 to 3 consultation sessions.

I do offer single ad-hoc sessions if you aren’t sure if personal therapy is for you or if you might need sign-posting to other services or professionals.

I have experienced over 15 types of therapies/psychotherapies personally and in my training. I   researched personal therapy as part of my Doctoral training and realised first hand with research evidence the power of weekly commitment from both client and therapist. If you can afford it and are ready to invest, I believe this to be very transformative and life-changing.

The key pre-requisite for us working together is a heartfelt willingness, openness and readiness for learning whilst taking full responsibility for yourself, for the ways you might be thinking or behaving, which might be contributing to your difficulties. This is a 50/50 relationship.

My style is one combining compassion, empathy, listening and understanding whilst not colluding with the parts of you keeping you stuck. Working with me means you are ready to be gently challenged.

I’d openly encourage you to listen to yourself to find out if my offerings resonate with you personally, since the facilitator/therapist-client relationship is central in clients achieving their goals.

If you’re not sure and would like a free 15min consultation chat, connect with me HERE.

Therapeutic coaching/personal therapy/facilitation

• Person-centred counselling inspired by Carl Rogers
• Elements of psychodynamic personal therapy, especially object relations and part work
•  Elements of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
• Inner Bonding® as created by Dr Paul and Dr Chopich.
• Various forms of inner connection, including meditation and yoga: I’ve trained in retreats in both the UK and South East Asia.  I’m a life-long student who devised & assembled a course based on my own personal learnings which I explored in my Master in Psychology.

Life/Skills/Career-Coaching

• Life/Career & Business coaching (accredited levels 1 and 2 in performance consulting)
• Online or in-person workshops and training: all of the above. In addition: drama, movement, mime, using acting and improvisation for public speaking confidence.

About Spirituality

Spirituality is wrongly equated to religiosity, which it simply isn’t. A scientific definition by Dhar et al. (2011)  is “a state of being where an individual is able to deal with day-to-day life in a manner which leads to the realization of one’s full potential; meaning and purpose of life; and happiness from within”.

Scientists Worthington and Aten (2009) defined it further as feeling an affinity with:

1. Religion (a particular religion and community)
2. Humanistic (feeling of commitment to humanity)
3. Nature (feelings of awe and connection to the beauty of nature),
4. Cosmos (connectedness with creation). So if you feel a connection with these, you can call yourself spiritual.

I am based in West Yorkshire, UK, and France.

I currently work predominantly on Zoom. I do however offer clients to either meet me in West Yorkshire or France for week end retreats. Check out my RETREATS page.

I also travel when invited by international clients, whether they are private individuals wishing to hire me to accompany them near home, present at work, whether I work with executives in large corporate organisations or smaller gatherings.

1)If you wish to work with me as a personal therapist & counsellor or coach, I recommend an initial chat of fifteen minutes or you can send a brief email setting out your problem and objectives.

The next sessions will depend on the type of therapy contract you are looking for: short-term therapy (6 to 12/18 sessions) or open ended therapy. The first (and maybe second) session might be an initial chat during which you share more about what brings you to therapy and what you might like help with. If you would like to meet again, the second and third sessions might be what we call ‘assessments and goals for therapy’.This is established co-working with you.

If during the first session, you are not sure you would like to continue, then this first session can be a one-off (‘walk-in consultation) where I can sign-post you / or refer you.

2)If you wish to work with me as a life or career coach, I recommend one or two sessions as above to learn more from you, what you are hoping to get and we work out a plan of what might be best for your support, OR you can look at my coaching programme HERE.

To book a session with me, email me HERE. I aim to reply within 48 hours. I will send you terms & conditions, which you will need to sign and return along with the payment for your first session.

As my clients are from all over the world, I require payment in advance in order for the booking to be secured. I can not hold slots as I am a ‘one woman company’ and my availability is limited.

Payments are made by Revolut. Cancelling terms are 5 working days. I require 48 hours for postponment of slots. There are no refunds within those times because it can be difficult for me to replace your slot.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Keep your email brief (maximum 10 lines) and do not share personal information.