Neuroscience-based therapy · Online · Madrid time
You already understand your patterns.
Now change them.
Clinical, skills-based work for high-functioning adults and leaders. We break down what actually happens in your life, build the skills you need, and leave you with a plan you can use without weekly therapy.
Personal reply within 24 hours · 60 or 90 min · English, Polish, Spanish
Who this is for
Capable, self-aware, and still stuck in the same loop.
You've read the books and maybe done years of talk therapy. Insight isn't the problem. Under pressure, your nervous system still runs the show.
You stay on high alert long after the day is over, and sleep doesn't fully reset you.
Decisions get harder exactly when the pressure rises.
Difficult conversations get delayed, softened or avoided.
You carry too much yourself instead of building systems around you.
You understand where it comes from, yet the pattern keeps repeating.
Specific problem. Specific patterns. Specific skills. Specific change.
The method
Therapy as skill-building, grounded in clinical neuroscience.
We don't talk about your problems in abstract psychological language. We take what actually happens and break it down, step by step.
What you feel
The emotional brain reacts before you're aware of it, shaping your sense of safety or threat.
How your body responds
Your nervous system shifts state, and that changes what feels possible in the moment.
What you think
The conscious mind builds a story to explain those signals, and the story often becomes the problem.
What you do next
Behaviour follows, and its consequences feed the loop again. This is where we intervene.
Directing your thoughts · Regulating emotional states · Choosing effective actions · Skills that compound over time
What changes
What clients report after working together
Reduced hypervigilance and better sleep
Faster, clearer decision-making
Self-trust grounded in regulation
Emotional stability that holds outside the session
Less reliance on ongoing therapy
How we work together
No weekly sessions. Real change happens between them.
1 — Request a session
Share your availability and time zone. You get a personal reply within 24 hours.
2 — Map your pattern
You tell your story. We identify your natural strengths, your blind spots and the neuroscience behind them.
3 — Get your written plan
A summary of your strengths, blind spots and a personalised action plan built around your real schedule.
4 — Practise, then return
Apply it in real life. Most clients return after two to four weeks; the pace is entirely yours.
Before your first session
No essay needed, and no need to explain every painful memory. Just think about the key facts:
Who raised you?
Which relationships have shaped your life?
How would you describe your relationships today?
How do you usually look after yourself?
Which areas of life feel difficult right now?
Which recurring patterns would you like to change?
During the session
Many people become emotional in their first session. That's completely normal. You'll learn how to stay with yourself while your nervous system is activated, and for many clients this is the first time they feel supported without disconnecting from themselves.
Your follow-up email gathers the key insights, the neuroscience behind them, your action plan and the points to remember. Many clients return to it in difficult moments.
“My goal isn't to keep you in therapy. It's to help you create lasting change you can sustain on your own.”
Sessions & fees
Choose your starting point
One-on-One Session
Most booked
For adults who want to understand and change a specific pattern: stress, anxiety, relationships, trauma responses.
60 minutes — €200 / £150
90 minutes — €280 / £200
Strengths and blind-spot mapping
The neuroscience behind your pattern, explained clearly
Written summary and personalised action plan
Online via Google Meet
Leadership Diagnostic Consultation
For founders & leaders
For founders and leaders facing a recurring decision, team dynamic or pressure pattern they want to understand at the root.
60 minutes — £250
90 minutes — £400
Problem → facts → diagnostic → solution
Separate facts from assumptions and reactions
Practical steps you can apply immediately
Email with insights and protocols after the session
Online via Zoom
Client feedback
Real feedback. Real change.
“Life changing! Without a doubt the best decision I have ever made. Magda's approach, techniques and understanding have helped me immeasurably.”
— Damien
“I cannot recommend Magdalena Stanek enough. Was very anxious about starting the therapy process, but felt comfortable in a safe space straight away. And throughout sessions was assured and guided well. Seems like an overstatement, but the whole journey has changed my life, for the better.”
— Andrea
“Over the span of a year, Magda helped me address my problems with self confidence and spiralling thoughts in a direct way. Magda identified the insufficiencies in my thought patterns and my biases, and guided me through addressing them… She gave me the tools to respect myself, understand my needs on a much deeper level, and introduced me to ways how I can keep improving myself as I go on the journey of life.”
— Michal
“Magdalena is a profoundly knowledgeable counsellor who has provided me with actionable techniques for managing my mental health independently, and in the long term… I found Magdalena to be a great listener and a profoundly supportive practitioner.”
— Jasmine
“Magda helped me immensely in understanding the variety of patterns I developed over the years to cope and survive life… What was especially important to me was her ability to understand my international background… Magda was also my lifeline when I was completing my final qualifications and working in an extremely toxic work environment. With her support I managed to leave that place and build upon my experience and expertise in finding a much better and safe place to live and work in.”
— Tanja
Clinical evidence
Documented long-term nervous system change
Patterns observed across long-term clients with complex trauma and chronic nervous system dysregulation. Many worked together for 6–24 months, with sessions becoming less frequent as capacity grew. Individual experiences differ; the structural patterns are consistent.
Before: Years of therapy with insight but limited real-life change.
After: Clear nervous system shifts, practical tools, and lasting changes that reduced the need for ongoing sessions.
Before: High-functioning, anxious, and stuck in survival patterns.
After: Reduced baseline arousal, improved executive functioning, and measurable behavioural follow-through.
Before: Overthinking, second-guessing, and difficulty deciding without external reassurance.
After: Clearer thinking, faster decision-making, and confidence acting without mental spirals.
Before: A persistent belief that something was fundamentally wrong or broken.
After: Understanding emotional patterns as biological responses, removing shame and self-blame.
Before: Chronic stress, emotional fatigue, and always feeling “on edge.”
After: Sustained calm, improved energy, and a nervous system no longer running in emergency mode.
Before: Difficulty setting boundaries, managing stress at work, and feeling safe in relationships.
After: Stronger boundaries and the capacity to stay regulated in demanding environments.
About
Magdalena Stanek, MA, DipHE
Trauma-informed therapist working at the intersection of nervous system regulation, affective and cognitive neuroscience, and embodied perception.
I trained in organisations supporting domestic violence, sexual abuse, addiction and crisis-level presentations. In those settings, work is documented, risk is real and progress must be observable, not theoretical.
That standard shaped my private practice: disciplined nervous system work for adults who want clarity, agency and internal stability.
2018–2019 — Clinical placements in Southampton, UK: Change Grow Live (addiction) and Yellow Door (domestic and sexual abuse)
2019 — Diploma in Person-Centred Counselling, completed with distinction
2019–2022 — Counsellor at Yellow Door, Southampton
2022–now — Private practice for high-functioning adults with complex trauma
Also: MA in English Philology, University of Warsaw, with pedagogical training as an English teacher · DipHE in Person-Centred Counselling, Middlesex University · Clinical psychotherapy training · Hospital and mental health service experience.
Poland by birth · UK & Spain by choice · EN · PL · ES
Questions
Before you book
Is this therapy or coaching?
It's therapy approached as skill-building. We work on how you direct your thoughts, regulate emotional states and choose effective actions, grounded in clinical neuroscience and clinical practice since 2018.
Why don't you offer weekly sessions?
Real change happens between sessions. You leave each session with a written plan, practise it in your life, and book the next one when you're ready for the next step.
How does booking work?
Send a request with your availability and time zone. Magdalena replies personally within 24 hours with available times. Once a date is agreed, you receive a video call invitation (Google Meet for One-on-One, Zoom for leadership consultations) and an invoice.
How and when do I pay?
By bank transfer, within 24 hours of receiving the invoice. If payment isn't received, one reminder is sent before the time slot is released.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Cancellations, no-shows, refunds and rescheduling are not offered. Exceptions may be considered for established, returning or legacy clients, with at least 48 working hours' notice (for a Monday session, by 6 p.m. on Friday).
Is it confidential?
Yes. Everything discussed in sessions is confidential and held within a recognised professional ethical framework, such as the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.
Which languages and time zones?
Sessions are available in English, Polish and Spanish (intermediate). Magdalena works on Madrid time (CET/CEST) and accommodates other time zones.
Is this right for a crisis?
No. This practice is not an emergency service. If you are in immediate danger or crisis, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line in your country.
Request a session
Ready to work on your pattern?
No automated calendar. Your request goes straight to Magdalena, who replies personally.
Personal reply within 24 hours
Video call invitation and invoice once the date is agreed
Written summary and action plan after the session
Contact: stanekmagda20@gmail.com
This practice does not provide emergency or crisis support. If you are at risk, contact your local emergency services or a crisis helpline in your country.