From Healing My Own Wounds to Guiding Women Home to Their Bodies

I’m the Founder of The Golden Mandala Somatic Coach Academy©, a Trauma-informed Somatic Coach, Trainer and Educator, Senior Yoga and Somatics Trainer, and Embodied Business Mandala™ Mentor and Coach.

I work with bio-psycho-social plus spiritual, and a needs-led integrative approach drawing on close to three decades of studying various psychological, therapeutic, and body-focused modalities.

My approach to working with clients and how I deliver training courses is further influenced by over 25 years of working with trauma and its impact with individuals, families and communities, in Social Care, in the community and in my own business.

I love supporting other female practitioners and I’ve been training, mentoring, coaching and supervising front line workers and business owners for the last 20 years.

I feel very passionate about sharing this knowledge and wisdom because I know how much of a difference it can make to our life, confidence and the quality of our teaching. I’ve been working with trauma and women for many years in various settings, including 16 years front-line in Social Care where I worked with trauma, crisis intervention, mental health, addiction, DV, and child protection issues in various settings in London and Kent, and where I later trained and supervised front-line workers to engage and support vulnerable individuals and families.

I’ve set up and facilitated weekly women-only support group at our crisis centre for 6 years, and worked with women in 1-2-1 and in daily group sessions. I held monthly Women Moon Lodges, many workshops and Day Retreats at my yoga studio and other local venues. I worked with many women 1-2-1 in my Embodied Wisdom and Wellness Coaching Programmes. I also worked with women in the community – with various charities like Oasis, Soroptimist International, Kent Carers, etc.

I’ve been on my own journey of healing for the pasty 30 years, practicing yoga and mindfulness, and teaching mindfulness yoga, mindfulness and somatics for over 14 years.

Over last two and a half decades I trained in various modalities including Mindfulness yoga and meditation, Mindfulness and Yoga for Pain, Slow Embodied yoga, Yin/Insight yoga, Psychology and Person-Centred Counselling, Master NLP and NLP for Health and Wellbeing, Life and Wellness Coaching, breathwork, Energy Healing and Reiki Master, Somatics and Embodiment, Bodywork and Thai Yoga Massage therapy.

I trained as an Embodiment/Somatic Coach, BSE – Become Safely Embodied Practitioner, and Focusing (Embodied Listening) Practitioner (Focusing Practitioner Training with Fiona Parr), and Somatic Movement Movingness teacher. I also completed many mental health and trauma-informed trainings including Transcending Sexual Trauma through Yoga.

I’m training to become a certified and ICF and CPD accredited Somatic and Narcissistic Abuse Trauma-informed Coach, and certified in Trauma-informed Positive Psychology Coaching Method.

I bring all of that experience into my work with all my students and clients (mostly women), creating an integrative approach – a unique mix of bio-psycho-social & spiritual approach that is client-led, compassionate and trauma-informed.

I am registered as Fellow Member with ACCPH (Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists), and registered as Senior Yoga Teacher, Trainer and Mentor with Yoga Alliance Professionals UK, with 14 years of teaching experience, and a Founder of Golden Mandala Somatic Coach Academy©. 

I have been mentoring and coaching front line workers, volunteers, yoga teachers/therapists and wellness professionals for over 20 years and offer 1-2-1 and group Yoga Business Mentoring and Coaching programmes.

Grief Coach Certification

Somatic and Narcissistic Trauma-informed Coach - ICF & CPD Certified (in-training)

Trauma-informed Positive Psychology Coaching Method with The Post Traumatic Growth Academy

Polyvagal Theory – Dr Stephen Porges, Embodied Philosophy

Neuroaffective Touch: A somatic toolkit for Healing Emotional & Relational Trauma – Aline LaPierre, Embodied Philosophy

Focusing Skills Certificate – 5 Levels – Fiona Parr (2018-2019)

Focusing Practitioner Professional Training – in-training with Fiona Parr, British Focusing Association (started 2019)

Becoming Safely Embodied Certified Practitioner (BSE + PCCP) – Working with trauma – Deirdre Fay

Transcending Sexual Trauma through Yoga – Zabie Yamasaki

Polyvagal Theory in Yoga

Somatic Approaches to Healing Trauma – Somatopia, Albert Wong

Foundations of Embodiment (FEC) – Embodiment Unlimited, Mark Walsh (2020)

Embodiement Coach (CEC) – Embodiement Unlimited (2021)

Embodied Yoga Principles – Mark Walsh (in-training)

Movingness Teacher (Somatic Movement) with Peter Appel

60 Hrs Foundation Course – BWY, Tara Fraser (2008)

228 Hrs Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation Teacher – Mindfulness Yoga Education (2010)

80 Hrs Yin / Insight Yoga – Insight Institute, Sarah Powers (2015)

Yoga and Mindfulness for the Treatment of Pain – The Minded Institute (2013)

Yoga Therapy for Anxiety – The Minded Institute (2021)

Yoga Therapy for Fatigue and Burnout – Fiona Agombar

Awaken your heart, creativity and wisdom – Tara Brach

Mindfulness and Compassion – Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield

Reiki Master + 2 years with School of Energy Healing, London (2004)

Introduction to Existential Counselling (1995)

Certificate in Person-Centred Counselling and Groupwork – City University, London (1996)

Gestalt Groupwork, Gestalt Institute + various other groupwork trainings – The Gestalt Centre, London (2005)

Counselling and psychological approaches – Open University

NLP Practitioner and NLP Master Practitioner – International Teaching Seminars (2002, 2003)

NLP for Health and Wellbeing – ITS (2003)

NLP Coaching + Systems Thinking Diploma – ITS (2002)

Life Coaching, Life Purpose Coaching and Wellness Coaching courses + Group Life Coaching Certifications (various)

Mental Health First Aid (2014) + various other mental health trainings including working with anxiety, depression, crisis intervention, suicide, self-harm, hidden harm and burnout (various over 16 years of working in Social Care)

Working with Personality Disorder – Advanced Skills (2015 + various)

Understanding Family Dynamics + Working with Complex needs families (various)

MI Motivational Interviewing (various)

Diploma in Health and Social Care – Working with Adults (2009)

FDAP/Adfam Drug & Alcohol Family Worker Professional Certificate (2013) + Member of Federation of Drug & Alcohol Professionals (FDAP)

Train the trainer + Effective Supervision for Supervisors (2014)

Risk Assessment and Management, The DICES (2015 + various)

Child Protection & Safeguarding; CAF Trainings, Child Abuse and Neglect (various)

Data Protection and Human Rights (various)

Equality & Diversity (various)

Carers and Families Trainings (various)

Working with Domestic Violence (various)

First Aid – (most recent in 2019), CPR (various)

I hold current Enhanced DBS Certificate

and many more attended over last 25 years…

In my private practice I work one-to-one with clients in an integrative and needs-led way. This allows us to focus on their needs and their goals, and make little accumulative changes that are right just for them.

This means a deep transformation on an identity and wellbeing levels – more inner connection and self-acceptance, deeper sense of self-trust, self-compassions and empowerment, followed with daily nourishing practices and aligned action.

In practical terms it means sleeping better, eating the right diet just for them, having less aches and pains in their body and lots more ease flow and joy, leaving behind overwhelm, confusion and burnout.

For some of my clients that meant changing their jobs, for others more connection in their relationships. And for all it meant less stress, more joy and better quality of life. It’s such a privilege to witness those changes taking place in somebody’s life when they connect with their embodied wisdom and take steps to create the life they want.

Alongside of working full time in Social Care I also run for over 6 years a yoga studio in the centre of our town Ramsgate, Kent. And after 6 years I decided that it was a time for a change. I realised I needed to work with more freedom and flexibility. I also realised that my teaching was taking me more into therapeutic aspect of yoga with focus on embodiment and somatic and functional movement.

It’s important to me to create a thriving community and supportive space that is not confined by a physical reality of a building. Social isolation, depression and ill health are so prevalent in our community and so many of us struggle with them daily. We can all contribute to creating a safe and healing spaces for us all – wherever we are.

I believe self-kindness and compassion are vital keys to a deep sense of well-being and both can be cultivated through our daily yoga, mindfulness and embodiment practices, as well as through our relationships and contributions we make to our communities.

It was because of those practices and practicing self-kindness that allowed me to make healthy changes in my life and follow my dreams.

During the last two and a half decades I trained in various modalities including Mindfulness yoga and meditation, Mindfulness and Yoga for Pain, Slow Embodied yoga, Yin/Insight yoga, Psychology and Counselling, Master NLP and NLP for Health and Wellbeing, Life and Wellness Coaching, breathwork, Energy Healing and Reiki Master, Somatics, embodiment practices, bodywork and Thai Yoga Massage. My latest shift in teaching was towards greater sense of ease and integration with Embodiment practices and Somatic Movement.

I continue my training and recently trained with Embodiment Unlimited and attended FEC Foundations of Embodiment and Embodiement Coaching Certification, Embodied Yoga Principles and facilitated Embodiment Circles Online on Trauma: Connections and Boundaries. My learning and teaching seems to have a natural flow and forward movement and I teach practices that I found deeply nourishing myself.

I also trained with Deirdre Fay in her course Becoming Safely Embodied Professional Consultation and Certification Programme, which allowed me to take my understanding and skills further.

I believe in social justice and worked in the Social Care field for over 16 years, with individuals and families struggling with trauma, addiction, mental health and child protection issues. In February 2016 I took a step towards living my life in line with my passion – I left my social care job and committed fully to teaching yoga, mindfulness and wellness. 

This was a huge step for me and a big difference to how I practice and how I show up in my work and in my life. It’s opened many unexpected and fascinating opportunities to me – one of them is teaching Mindfulness and Resilience to young Apprentices around UK and working with young people with Porchlight charity. 

I also realised I wanted to bring together my experience of working with trauma and mental health in Social Care and integrate it initially with teaching yoga and mentoring yoga teachers, and more recently with Somatic Teaching and Coaching for women. I noticed that there is a need for more practitio ers to learn trauma informed/aware skills in order to bring them into their work. Our current world situation asks more of us as teachers and requires us to step up as Embodied Leaders. This is why I created our professional training certifications.

I am active within my community – I volunteered as Communications Officer for Soroptimist International Thanet group – our local women’s group that promotes human rights of women and girls. We contributed to local projects such as POW! (Power of Women), and work closely with charities like Oasis Women’s Refuge and Shelter. Our group became Chartered in 2019 as the youngest club in the world.

I arrived in London from Poland at the age of 18, straight from completing my College, about 32 years ago. As you might guess those first few years in London were very challenging. You can imagine – 18 year old introverted anxious girl, on her own, without any adult supervision or support… well, let’s say these were my wild days. I made quite a few mad decisions that seemed perfectly good at the time. This time of my life had a great impact on the direction of my life – especially working with trauma and mental health.

My love for yoga and mindfulness began shortly after my arrival in London and since my first class I have felt an intense urge to learn more. Over the years I practiced with many teachers and various styles: Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga – Mysore style, Viniyoga, Mindfulness.

In my early 20s I started working with drug users in substance misuse field and my journey led me to work with chaotic drug users at a unique crisis detox service – City Roads Crisis Intervention Centre in London. It was a deep soul-searching time for me. Seeing first-hand what chaotic lifestyle and drug use can do to individuals and families is very humbling. It also taught me about how we create our own reality on a daily basis and how our early attachment impacts our choices and decisions. Our thoughts, feelings and actions create the life we live but sometimes we don’t feel like we have any control.

I learned that anyone can create positive results in her/his life ONLY if they commit to it, learn how to practice self-kindness, and have the right support.

During my 16 years of working in Social Care including City Roads Crisis Intervention Centre I attended many trainings as part of my work.

I also trained outside of my work with The School of Energy Healing and completed my Diploma as Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga Teacher. I taught my first yoga classes there and I brought my new knowledge into groups and workshops I facilitated daily for our clients. I also worked closely with Buddhist community and run weekly Loving-Kindness for Self Meditation sessions. It was fascinating to see how positively our clients were responding to these teachings. 

I’ve been learning all my life. I ‘officially’ started on my journey of self discovery in 1996 when I attended City University to study Existential Counselling Skills, followed by Person-Centred Individual and Group Counselling One year Certificate.

Since then I studied many therapeutic approaches and Psychology, Mental Health and Mental Health First Aid, Trauma Sensitive and Trauma-Informed Yoga and Care, Somatic Self-compassion, Movingness and Somatic Movement, Health and Social Care, Addictions, Family Dynamics, MI - Motivational Interviewing, NLP, Life Coaching, Wellness and Resilience Coaching, Reiki and Energy Healing. I have always been fascinated with psychology and how our minds affect our behaviours and our sense of well-being.

My search for for inner peace and connection led me to learning about and practicing daily Focusing (Embodied Listening) and training as Focusing Practitioner – a way to listen deeply with kindness to your inner wisdom, your body wisdom. This is the practice and understanding that deeply changed my relationship with myself, somthing I teach in all my training.