{"id":6400,"date":"2025-11-07T15:15:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T14:15:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/?p=6400"},"modified":"2025-11-07T15:15:48","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T14:15:48","slug":"when-empathybecomes-profession-and-vocation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/when-empathybecomes-profession-and-vocation\/","title":{"rendered":"When Empathy
Becomes Profession and Vocation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Izabela Snopkowska not only supports others, but also sets\u00a0directions for development in the field of\u00a0mental health. A psychologist, educator and psychotherapist, owner\u00a0of\u00a0PsychoEduTerapia, winner\u00a0of\u00a0Charismatic Woman <\/em>and\u00a0nominee for Leader by Vocation<\/em> in the category of Leader in promotion of\u00a0psychomotor health<\/em>, talks of her\u00a0work, therapeutic books, plans\u00a0for\u00a0the future\u00a0and challenges faced by modern\u00a0society.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a\u00a0true leader, you\u2019re in constant growth. Let\u2019s remind that you graduated in pedagogy with therapy and social rehabilitation, cosmetology, postgraduate studies in occupational health and safety, evidence law and a\u00a0course in suicide prevention. I\u00a0know that you\u2019ve recently obtained further diplomas \u2013 what fields this time?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019I\u2019ve just completed neuropsychology and psychotraumatology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What new skills have you acquired through these studies?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I learned how to work with post-stroke people. I\u2019m able to conduct neurorehabilitation by stimulating centres functioning less effectively as a result of damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Izabela Snopkowska during a therapy session<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What if these centres are no longer capable of working with the brain?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In such cases, I focus on activating other brain areas, so that they can take over the functions of those that ceased to work. Each case is different, so the choice of methods must be individual. I often combine neurorehabilitation with educational therapy \u2013 by introduction of exercises supporting brain function and improving memory. In my work, I use a variety of tools, such as biofeedback, computers and psychoeducational games. When it comes to psychotraumatology, I\u2019ve gained the competence to work with people who\u2019ve been through traumatic experiences, such as war veterans. I\u2019m now visited by people traumatised by psychological and physical violence, experiencing mobbing at work, as well as victims of traffic accidents. They often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sometimes patients return with secondary trauma, where one has already been worked through, but another appears. Patients may be genetically predisposed to experience secondary trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you undergone any therapy?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I have, mainly because of my profession. One of the requirements to become a psychotherapist is to experience it first-hand. Specialists working with traumatised and mentally disordered patients must have their own psychologist \u2013 a supervisor. I meet my supervisor once or twice a week, depending on my needs. We discuss the difficulties I face, both professional and personal. It\u2019s a form of catharsis that helps me maintain balance and effectively help others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Your professional experience is extremely rich and diverse: you\u2019ve worked as a\u00a0rehabilitation specialist in a\u00a0men\u2019s prison, as a\u00a0teacher and therapist in a\u00a0primary school in Krak\u00f3w, as a\u00a0coordinator and board member of socialisation and therapeutic centres (CPOW \u2018Parkowa\u2019 and the Ma\u0142a Przysta\u0144 Foundation in Krak\u00f3w), and headed SIEMACHA Spot in Wroc\u0142aw. What have you been currently doing?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been developing my own business. A year ago, I founded PsychoEduTerapia, a company based in Nysa, my hometown. I\u2019m planning a series of workshops, namely \u2018Mama to te\u017c cz\u0142owiek\u2019 – a form of coaching for women who have experienced violence and single mothers. With children in mind, I want to launch social skills training and create a support group for Adult Children of Alcoholics. My business is mobile, but I also work on a permanent basis with FOCUS – a Non-Public Psychological and Pedagogical Counselling Centre in Gliwice and Katowice, where I provide early childhood development support. In addition, as part of a project funded by the Katowice Social Welfare Centre, I provide consulting and therapy available to every child in Katowice.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

During your free time, you devote yourself to writing books\u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Actually, it\u2019s already a\u00a0closed chapter \u2013 I\u00a0have four titles ready for publication. The first is a\u00a0series of therapeutic fairy tales for children aged 3 to 6, the second is for children aged 6 to 9. These stories teach the youngest that we live in a\u00a0world where it\u2019s worth accepting difference and neurodiversity \u2013 children with autism, ADHD or other developmental challenges. The third book is aimed at both young people and adults. It addresses the most difficult problems faced by teenagers: self-harm, hate, toxic relationships, mental disorders, addictions and difficulties with social adaptation. The fourth book is a\u00a0psychological novel \u2013 but we\u2019ll talk about it another time. All the books are therapeutic and preventive in nature. They contain stories we may all be familiar with. They show our real struggles and how common mental health problems are. I\u2019m going to publish them within the next 2\u20133 months.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you think mutual bullying is currently a\u00a0serious social problem?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Definitely yes. It\u2019s a huge challenge. People are less and less likely to engage in dialogue \u2013 instead of talking, they isolate themselves. This is most prevalent among children aged 10 to 16. Unfortunately, girls are leading the way \u2013 they tend to be more aggressive and ruthless than boys. The reasons are mainly hormonal changes, difficult home situations and a lack of acceptance from peers. These tensions accumulate, and children need to vent their negative emotions anywhere, most often at school, among their peers or at home. More and more children are suffering from various phobias. It\u2019s estimated that as many as 20-30% of young people in Poland are home-schooled through online teaching because of being afraid to go to school \u2013 they\u2019re afraid of being ridiculed.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Are you planning to conduct preventive classes in schools or work individually with victims of bullying?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, both. For now, I\u2019m at the beginning of developing my own business. I\u2019m supported by my partner, who\u2019s taken over the managerial and administrative issues. There are only 24 hours in a day, and I work almost 20 \u2013 but balance is a must. We keep postponing our wedding, but finally planning it for next year \u2013 in the Mirror Hall at the Castle in Pszczyna. The party will be held at Ba\u017cantarnia. Right now, we\u2019re focusing on the company development and move to our new home near Pszczyna \u2013 we currently live between Czarnk\u00f3w and Chorz\u00f3w. My partner is a filmmaker and often travels to film sets. Our schedule is very tight, we\u2019re constantly on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your future plans?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m considering further studies \u2013 in psychology and clinical speech therapy. One is in Krak\u00f3w, the other in Warsaw. It all depends on the possibilities of individual study.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Izabella Snopkowska with Grzegorz Rosengarten and their son Alex<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What are you most proud of?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My children and my partner. Alu\u015b is 2, Maja is 13, and Ola is already an adult. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Izabela Snopkowska not only supports others, but also sets\u00a0directions for development in the field of\u00a0mental health. A psychologist, educator and psychotherapist, owner\u00a0of\u00a0PsychoEduTerapia, winner\u00a0of\u00a0Charismatic Woman and\u00a0nominee for Leader by Vocation in the category of Leader in promotion of\u00a0psychomotor health, talks of her\u00a0work, therapeutic books, plans\u00a0for\u00a0the future\u00a0and challenges faced by modern\u00a0society. As a\u00a0true leader, you\u2019re in constant […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6401,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1115],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6400"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6407,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6400\/revisions\/6407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}