Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska SFHEA, EMCC
PhD in Psychoanalysis and Ethics in Film, Award-Winning Filmmaker, Academic, and Certified Life Coach3
About Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska SFHEA, EMCC
Her podcast appearances explore the less-spoken truths behind personal growth: why so many high achievers burn out or self-sabotage, how unprocessed trauma can linger beneath polished ambition, and why creativity—not just therapy—can be a powerful tool for navigating life’s contradictions. She also brings a rare voice to conversations around media ethics, storytelling and the responsibilities we carry when we tell other people’s stories.
What sets Agnieszka apart from typical life coaches is the depth and integrity of her approach. Her practice is grounded in academic rigour and lived experience—not just weekend certifications. With a PhD in psychoanalysis, a career directing emotionally charged documentaries, and years spent mentoring creatives and researchers through complex transitions, she offers more than just mindset hacks. She challenges the shallow optimism often found in coaching spaces, calling instead for a more intellectually honest and emotionally nuanced path forward—one that makes room for discomfort, depth and growth on your own terms.
Agnieszka’s background includes BBC training, award-winning films like Married to the Eiffel Tower, and leadership roles across universities in Europe and Africa. But it’s her ability to move between roles—filmmaker, professor, coach, critic—that makes her such a compelling voice for audiences who crave conversations with real texture and truth.
As a podcast guest, Agnieszka brings sharp insight, deep curiosity, and a refusal to reduce complex human stories to tidy soundbites—offering listeners a rare combination of intellect, warmth, and perspective that stays with you long after the episode ends.
Latest episodes
Episode 342 - What Success Doesn’t Heal with Dr. Agnieszka Piotrowska
The Jōrni Podcast
Beyond Achievement and Algorithms: Finding Authenticity in a Digital Age
Empower Global "Be an Encourager podcast"
Mental Health, Motivation, and Meaning in the PhD Journey – With Dr. Agnieszka Piotrowska
Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD
Key topics
Beyond the Abundance Myth: The Problem with Selling Mindset Through Fear
Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska can speak to a growing discomfort with the “manifestation mindset” trend-where abundance is marketed through scarcity tactics, and success is promised with little more than a vision board and a smile. Agnieszka brings a rare mix of academic rigour and spiritual curiosity to this space. As a certified life coach with a PhD in psychoanalysis, she offers a more grounded approach-one that values intuition _and_ intellect, and refuses to pretend that mindset alone can dismantle systemic inequalities. Her critique is not cynical; it’s deeply hopeful, proposing a version of growth that’s rooted in truth rather than performance.
Why PhD Students Are Dropping Out-and What No One’s Talking About
Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska can discuss the quiet crisis happening in higher education, where as many as 75% of PhD students never finish their degrees-despite being some of the most motivated individuals in the system. Drawing on her experience supervising PhDs across the UK, Poland, and Africa, Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska offers a behind-the-scenes view of what really pushes students to the brink. She explores the emotional weight of academic isolation, the hidden traumas that resurface during research, and why mindset work is often dismissed in institutions that pride themselves on intellect. Her work with international students through The Scholars’ Mentor shows how a well-timed intervention-grounded in both scholarship and compassion-can change the trajectory of a researcher’s entire life.
The Algorithm Knows You’re Anxious: AI, Selfhood, and Surveillance
Dr. Agnieszka Piotrowska explores how AI is shaping not just behaviour, but identity-especially for those living with anxiety, trauma, or emotional overwhelm. With a background in psychoanalysis, ethics, and documentary storytelling, she unpacks how algorithmic systems don’t just track our choices, but influence our sense of self. In a world where machine learning mimics our thoughts and vulnerabilities, Agnieszka asks: how do we retain agency, privacy, and authenticity?
View all topics →
Latest episodes
Episode 342 - What Success Doesn’t Heal with Dr. Agnieszka Piotrowska
The Jōrni Podcast
Beyond Achievement and Algorithms: Finding Authenticity in a Digital Age
Empower Global "Be an Encourager podcast"
Mental Health, Motivation, and Meaning in the PhD Journey – With Dr. Agnieszka Piotrowska
Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD
Key topics
Beyond the Abundance Myth: The Problem with Selling Mindset Through Fear
Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska can speak to a growing discomfort with the “manifestation mindset” trend-where abundance is marketed through scarcity tactics, and success is promised with little more than a vision board and a smile. Agnieszka brings a rare mix of academic rigour and spiritual curiosity to this space. As a certified life coach with a PhD in psychoanalysis, she offers a more grounded approach-one that values intuition _and_ intellect, and refuses to pretend that mindset alone can dismantle systemic inequalities. Her critique is not cynical; it’s deeply hopeful, proposing a version of growth that’s rooted in truth rather than performance.
Why PhD Students Are Dropping Out-and What No One’s Talking About
Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska can discuss the quiet crisis happening in higher education, where as many as 75% of PhD students never finish their degrees-despite being some of the most motivated individuals in the system. Drawing on her experience supervising PhDs across the UK, Poland, and Africa, Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska offers a behind-the-scenes view of what really pushes students to the brink. She explores the emotional weight of academic isolation, the hidden traumas that resurface during research, and why mindset work is often dismissed in institutions that pride themselves on intellect. Her work with international students through The Scholars’ Mentor shows how a well-timed intervention-grounded in both scholarship and compassion-can change the trajectory of a researcher’s entire life.
The Algorithm Knows You’re Anxious: AI, Selfhood, and Surveillance
Dr. Agnieszka Piotrowska explores how AI is shaping not just behaviour, but identity-especially for those living with anxiety, trauma, or emotional overwhelm. With a background in psychoanalysis, ethics, and documentary storytelling, she unpacks how algorithmic systems don’t just track our choices, but influence our sense of self. In a world where machine learning mimics our thoughts and vulnerabilities, Agnieszka asks: how do we retain agency, privacy, and authenticity?
View all topics →