I help to make a change in one’s life

“I work mostly with Polish people, but some of my clients are from other countries, such as Hungary, Bulgaria and Thailand. Some of them are British. I work with Polish-English or international couples who often struggle with culture and language differences”, says the life-coach and the psychologist Anna Białous-Griffiths in an interview with Brin Best.

When did you first come to live in the UK and what brought you here?

“The first time I came to England was in 2006, just after graduating in psychology from the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. I began working as a waitress in a London hotel. The reason I came to England was to learn English, gain international experience and also to save some money so that I could continue my education and pay for additional training. I was always interested in living abroad, to discover a new culture. After six months I decided to go back to Poland to undertake a four-year training course in counselling and psychotherapy.

The second time I came to the UK was in 2011. This time the reason was very personal. I met my English husband whilst he was visiting Warsaw, when I lived there. After two years of having a long distance relationship we decided that I would to move to the UK. It was not an easy decision because I was already working as a psychologist, trainer and academic teacher, which I loved. As an expert, I was often invited to give psychological opinions on TV, radio and in the press. I invested lots of time and energy to build my career in Poland. Anyway, I took a risk and moved to UK and I’ve never regretted it. I still work as psychologist, coach and trainer in the UK and I have a happy family here.”

How easy did you find it to settle into life here? Did you find you were accepted by British people?

“I’d been learning English at school for many years. However, when I first moved to the UK I found I wasn’t able to understand the English accent. I found this very frustrating and I lost my confidence speaking to people. This became very stressful as I could not explain my opinions, and it caused some misunderstandings and communication problems. At that time I didn’t feel accepted.

Now my situation is completely different. My husband is English, and I have English friends and family. I feel integrated and accepted. My English is much better; I still speak with an accent and sometimes make mistakes, but now I don’t worry about it – I feel confident.”

Could you provide some information on the nationalities and backgrounds of the people you work with?

“I work mostly with Polish people, but some of my clients are from other countries, such as Hungary, Bulgaria and Thailand. Some of them are British. I work with Polish-English or international couples who often struggle with culture and language differences.”

Describe a typical day in your working life

“I take my daughter to school. I live in a little English village, so I drive to my office in town where I meet clients, or I stay at home and prepare scenarios for training, answer emails, or work on writing my book or other articles. In the afternoon I pick up my daughter from school, spend the afternoon and evening with her and my husband, and when she’s in bed usually I work again. A few times a month I also organize and deliver training and workshops for companies and individuals in different towns and cities in the UK. When I work at home, I try to find the time to run, walk or do my exercises which help me to cope with stress and keep my energy levels high, which I need to for my work and family.”

How do you think the therapies/techniques you use help your clients?

“The therapy helps my clients to understand their feelings and emotional needs, in order to make a change in their life to feel happy and satisfied with themselves, and to build happy relationships. Coaching helps them to find the motivation to set and achieve their goals in both their personal and professional life.”

You are also involved in training others. Have you always been interested in helping other people develop? How does your training work?

“Psychology has been my passion for 20 years. I organised my first training session in 2002. My mission has always been to help people to learn how to care about themselves and not to do harm to others.

During a training session people learn new skills which help them to build good relationships with other people, develop their confidence and motivation, and grow their emotional intelligence, enabling them to achieve success in their career and personal life.”

In what way(s) do you think you have made a positive contribution to the UK?

“I think I help Polish people to integrate better within English society, to adapt to the different culture here, and also to break some stereotypes to avoid unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings.”

What are your plans for the future?

“I plan to continue working as a psychologist, coach and trainer. I’m currently writing a book, and recently I’ve been working on online training which can help people around the world cope better with their emotions.”

FIND OUT MORE

Anna’s website: www.annabg.com.

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This interview was carried out as part of the ‘Poles in the UK’ project, and is linked to the book Poles in the UK: A Story of Friendship and Cooperation (by Brin Best & Maria Helena Żukowska, 2016).

For more details, and to download 
a free eBook PDF version of the book, visit: www.polesintheuk.net.