My name is Danuta Zoledziewska. My journey to personal growth began when I was struggling at work. I decided to follow a coaching programme and discovered what a powerful and transformational experience it could be.
My coach suggested I might like to follow the same training as she had. She was right! I’m motivated by a genuine desire to help others, and now, here at Clarity Lab, I can guide you on your path to clarity and growth.
My story
From a small town in Poland to Amsterdam
I was born in a provincial town in Poland. At the age of 21, I moved to the Netherlands to ‘build a better future for myself’. I was young and looking for adventure, and I felt a strong pull from the Netherlands. The freedom offered by this country was legendary among my friends in Poland, and I greatly value that freedom to this day.
That’s what I would tell anyone interested in my story, anyhow. It actually took a long time before I had the courage to say that moving to another country was in fact an attempt to solve problems in my family. In truth, I had left everyone and everything behind in Poland because I didn’t yet have the capacity to tackle my inner conflicts in a more balanced, less extreme way.
My journey
People and their stories
A variety of jobs and courses culminated in my becoming a film archivist. It’s an occupation in which I encounter the histories of other people on a daily basis. I have very few childhood photographs of my own, and just a handful of memories of that time. As I watch film footage of ordinary people in happy everyday situations, I often wonder what happened when the camera was switched off. What were those families really like? What are their histories?
I have always found it interesting to watch people, to listen to them. But there was something going on besides pure interest: focusing on other people meant I could avoid focusing on myself.
The past is always present
Once I was in the Netherlands, it quickly became clear to me that moving to another country wasn’t going to solve my problem. My past kept on catching up with me, and this manifested itself as depression, burnout and loneliness.
Behind the masks of confidence and jokes was a woman who was having difficulty connecting with people. I often felt uneasy and/or exhausted. I was sensing that I was not myself, but at the same time I didn’t really know what ‘myself’ was. I was also still struggling with being Polish in the Netherlands. ‘Where do I belong?’ I wondered. ‘Where am I welcome?’ ‘Am I the equal of other people?’
Lifelong learning
My process of personal development has been an adventurous journey of discovery. Through pain, shame and fear as well as curiosity and calm I have learned to look at myself and to pay attention to myself. I repeatedly dived into my past in search of answers. I learned that I’m not yet ‘done’– and never will be. I learned it’s not possible to resolve everything, and that acceptance is also a form of resolution.
Working with people
In my own experiences as a therapy and coaching client I noticed a growing fascination for the process itself and the methods being used. I took to reading books on psychology and following courses. I owe it to my coach that I mustered the courage to look beyond my boundaries and discovered I really wanted to help people be themselves. With this goal in mind, at the age of 40 I embarked on a three-year Professional Communications study programme at Phoenix Opleidingen.
My practice
Right from the start of the three-year course, I knew I wanted to set up my own practice. During my studies I discovered that my determination and drives are partly connected with my childlessness – I may have no children but I do have a need to pass on what I have learned. So that’s what I do. I get great pleasure from coaching and counselling people, and I am so pleased to have created a space where people can become more fully themselves.
Are you curious about what that space could mean for you?
I am curious about you.