In March 2023, we were happy to welcome Irena into our team of colleagues, sharing offices in Sonnenstraße. Like Richard, she works independently of the other therapists, coaches and cousellors (with separate liability) and has her own separate business within the rooms we all share.

Irena has postgraduate qualifications in psychology and is recognised in the United Kingdom as a psychotherapist. For legal purposes here in Germany, she is currently qualified as a „Beraterin“ / counsellor, which means she is able to offer advice and support in navigating emotional and life challenges, but she is unable to make formal diagnoses or offer medical or psychotherapeutic support. I am particularly excited to share practice rooms with Irena because of her commitment to helping her clients with Internal Family Systems (IFS).

I am originally from Scotland (Dundee), and have both Scottish and Polish roots.  Following a 12 year career in industry, I began my therapy career in earnest in 2008, after recognising that I have always been a psychologist at heart.  My core postgraduate therapy training in the United Kingdom was in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is a very practical approach focused on the here-and-now. 

With time and further study I have come to adopt a way of working that more fully explores the role of relationships, past and present, inside and out, and I integrate work from a range of approaches (including psychodynamic, relational and systemic as well as CBT), in response to the needs of the people I work with. I am also trained to Level 2 in Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS), with both individuals and with couples and this is currently my preferred way of working.

Although I view my work as being with people rather than ‘diagnoses’, I have worked extensively with clients whose difficulties might be described in terms of anxiety, depression, anger and trauma, as well as appearance-related distress and adapting to long-term health conditions, facing life challenges and changes, and more recently, relationship issues and couples work.  I am a mother, a wife, a runner, a committed lifelong learner, and I love spending time outdoors.  I am also navigating the midlife adventure of menopause and all that this entails. 

I look forward to meeting you.