An Interview with Mia Sarosi
In this edition of Journeys in Coaching, we spotlight Mia Sarosi, an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, psychotherapeutic counsellor, and transformative coach. Her career has spanned across private practice, charitable organisations, and NHS settings, giving her a unique perspective on the diverse needs of individuals. Mia’s journey from a successful career as a studio ceramic artist to becoming a therapeutic coach is a powerful story of resilience, transformation, and a deep commitment to helping others. She believes that everyone has an innate ability to heal, and her role is to facilitate that journey.
The Shift from Ceramic Art to Coaching
Mia’s career as an award-winning ceramic artist was thriving until an autoimmune condition forced her to reconsider her future. The condition affected her whole body, making it impossible to continue her pottery business. Faced with this challenge, Mia closed her studio and shifted her focus to rediscovering her passion for therapy and counselling.
“After a few months of dealing with my health, I started volunteering at Oxfam and Oxfordshire Mind,” Mia shares. “It was during this time that I felt the pull back into therapy. I reconnected with my training as a counsellor and came across the IFS model, which truly resonated with me.”
Her journey into coaching was solidified when she joined Animas to train as a coach, attracted by the values and ethos of the organisation. Through Animas, Mia was able to integrate her counselling experience with coaching to create a holistic approach to supporting her clients.
Discovering Internal Family Systems (IFS)
As a therapeutic coach, Mia works extensively with the IFS model. She explains, “IFS is a model of therapy or coaching that works with the ‘system inside’—the idea that our mind is made up of different parts, much like an internal family. These parts can be in conflict or harmony, just like members of a family would be.”
Mia explains that IFS allows clients to better understand their internal dynamics, enabling them to experience more balance and compassion. “How we are inside tends to reflect how we react externally,” Mia notes, highlighting how inner harmony directly impacts the outer world. Through this process, clients build self-awareness and are able to develop more compassionate and harmonious relationships, both with themselves and others.
The IFS model encourages individuals to acknowledge and work with various aspects of their internal system. “It’s about bringing these parts into balance, creating space for a calm, connected, and authentic self,” Mia explains, emphasising the transformational power of IFS in her work with clients.
Blending IFS and Coaching for Holistic Growth
Mia’s approach uniquely combines IFS with coaching to offer her clients a more holistic experience. “People have intentions for their lives—they want to move forward, but often parts of them are in conflict or hold burdens that are constraints on the system,” Mia shares.
By working with the IFS model, Mia helps clients explore and understand these internal conflicts, while coaching provides practical steps to align their intentions with their actions. “IFS naturally has a coaching aspect,” Mia explains. “We ask, ‘What parts are saying no to the intention?’ and become curious about them.”
This integrative approach allows clients to create a sense of balance and clarity, both internally and externally. “As clients become more aware of their internal parts and the dynamics between them, they start to resolve conflicts and access more resources within themselves,” Mia adds. The blend of IFS and coaching not only addresses deeper emotional barriers but also empowers clients to take concrete action in their lives, leading to personal and professional growth.
The Role of Animas in Mia’s Journey
Mia attributes much of her coaching success to her training at Animas, highlighting how the program provided her with both practical skills and a supportive, collaborative community. “Animas opened up a lot of opportunities for me,” Mia explains. “It wasn’t just about learning coaching techniques—it connected me with a network of like-minded individuals who are now my collaborators and friends.”
Mia also emphasises how Animas’s approach to learning goes beyond just the course content. “One of the things that really stands out is how Animas promotes continuous learning. I’ve just completed the deep dive into neurodiversity coaching, which was fantastic. Even after the course, you’re still part of a learning community, and there’s always more to explore.”
In addition to the practical skills, Animas also equipped Mia with a strong understanding of the distinction between coaching and therapy, allowing her to blend these approaches effectively. “It helped me understand how to use my therapeutic background in a coaching context. I had a foundation in psychodynamic and person-centred therapy, and subsequently IFS but Animas facilitated my own learning on how to integrate that knowledge and experience with coaching, making my approach more versatile and holistic.”
Looking to the Future
Mia has exciting plans for the future, from group coaching to writing a graphic novel. “I’m really passionate about bringing creativity into my coaching practice, and I’m also exploring the transpersonal and spiritual aspects of coaching. There’s so much to learn and integrate.”
For anyone interested in IFS or therapeutic coaching, Mia invites you to reach out through her website, thetherapeuticcoach.co.uk, where she offers IFS Therapy and Therapeutic Coaching.
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