My story - Healing Beyond Medicine: How Burn-out Led Me to a New Way of Serving Others
Himalayan Foothills 2010
I grew up between two very different worlds - Poland and the Netherlands. One steeped in the restrictions of communism, the other open-minded and free. As an only child with a deep curiosity about life, I quickly developed a desire for freedom - freedom to explore ideas, to read as much as I wanted, and to discover the world beyond my surroundings.
At the age of five, frustrated that no one had time to read to me, I taught myself to read. Books became my gateway to understanding people, places, and possibilities. Around the same time, I became fascinated by a stack of postcards my mother kept from friends who had traveled abroad. Those glimpses into distant lives ignited a longing in me - not just to see the world, but to understand the human experience.
That same curiosity led me in later life to travel to remote villages in India, Nepal, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Australia. And importantly, to study medicine in the Netherlands. I was drawn to the mystery of what makes us human: our bodies, our minds, our behavior, and our potential.
Himalayan Foothills 2010
A Drive to Help Humanity Thrive
Even as a child, I felt called to contribute to the evolution of humankind. I believed then - as I still do now - that we can only reach our full potential if we are healthy in every sense of the word. I imagined a world where health was a given, people could live deep meaningful lives and our societies would thrive.
But medical school surprised me. The focus was overwhelmingly on disease, not health. Human beings were studied in parts - organs, systems - while the mind and spirit were largely left out of the picture. I felt something vital was missing: a holistic approach to health and healing.
So I went searching for it.
Ethiopia, Tigray region 2011
Seeking a Broader View of Health
My medical training took me to rural South Africa, the Australian outback with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was in Scotland that I made a significant professional shift- from clinical medicine to public health. Finally, I thought, here was an approach that aligned with my values: prevent illness, promote well-being, and create environments where people could live healthier lives.
For over 20 years, I worked in public health across the UK and internationally, including at the World Health Organization, based in Denmark. I was surrounded by dedicated professionals doing deeply meaningful work. And yet - despite all our efforts - rates of obesity, stress, and mental health issues continued to rise. And not to forget the unequal distribution of health in the world. I began to question whether we were truly addressing the root causes of poor health.
It became clear: information alone wasn’t enough. Knowledge wasn’t translating into change. Our systems weren’t evolving fast enough. And as Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem with the same level of consciousness that created it.” We needed a new operating system - a shift in consciousness. Beyond knowledge we needed deep wisdom.
Royal Flying Doctors Service - Broken Hill, Australia 2001
Burn-out and the Call to Go Inward
While advocating for global health transformation, I didn’t realize that I was approaching my own breaking point. A move to a new country, starting a family, coping with loss, and managing a demanding international career - all without tending to my own needs - led me straight into burn-out.
Looking back, that moment was both a professional and deeply personal turning point. I didn’t realise that I, myself, still had a way to go, to update my own operating system. I needed to come home to my own body, mind, and energy. I needed to slow down, listen inwardly, and heal - not just physically, but at a deeper spiritual level. I needed to evolve my own consciousness.
WHO Geneva Switzerland 2010
And that’s when Sophrology found me.
Discovering a New Way of Being
Sophrology - a method that blends breath, movement, visualization, and meditation - offered something I had never experienced in medicine or public health: a direct, embodied path to reconnecting with myself. It helped me restore my energetic balance, regulate my nervous system, and begin living with more joy, presence, and purpose.
So I trained as a Sophrologist.
It resonated with everything I had been seeking since childhood: a way to help people awaken their full potential - not through willpower or intellectual effort alone, but by working with the body, emotions, mind, and spirit in harmony.
Along the way, I discovered that supporting others in their transformation starts with doing the inner work yourself. I learned to trust my intuition, to listen to my inner voice, and to honour joy as much as purpose. I stopped striving and started flowing. And I began building a life that felt more aligned - with who I am and what I came here to do.
Denmark 2025
A Journey of Healing and Becoming
Now, as I walk through midlife, I remain curious. Curious about how we evolve. How we stay well. How we create lives filled with vitality, connection, and joy. I continue to explore energy-based practices, grow professionally, and share what I learn along the way.
My mission is to guide others - especially women navigating life transitions - to reconnect with themselves, regulate their energy, and live with renewed clarity and purpose.
If this speaks to you, I invite you to join me on this journey. At SophroDenmark, you’ll find a space to explore who you truly are, and tools to help you live from that place - authentically, joyfully, and fully.
With love and light,
AnnA