Joanna Skorupa is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. She impressed us with her no BS mindset and deep passion for coaching.

She made us all wonder… What happens when a world ranked ballroom dancer, a scientist, and a spiritual seeker all exist in the same person? The answer is clear: You get a coach who doesn’t just guide transformation… she’s lived it, again and again. From growing up in communist Poland to ranking #4 in the world as a Latin ballroom dancer, and then pivoting her entire life’s work during the global pandemic, her journey is anything but ordinary.

She was driven by the emotional upheaval she witnessed during the pandemic and chose to leave behind the spotlight to step into a deeper calling: supporting others through trauma, growth, and awakening. With a powerful blend of science, somatics, psychology, and spiritual wisdom, she now helps her clients reclaim their wholeness and create “heaven on earth” through grounded, integrative coaching.

She shares in this interview the pivotal moments that shaped her mission, the innovative tools she uses, and how her path from performance to purpose is empowering others to live life fully awake… mind, body, and soul. Here is what she said…

Meet Life Coach Joanna Skorupa:

Name: Joanna Skorupa, MA

Pillar: The Spirit, The Mind, The Body, The Heart

Who is this coach for: Anyone who want to embody their truth, heal from past trauma, and create their most beautiful life.

How they can help: By using various tools and techniques like NLP, Mental and Emotional Release® Therapy (Mental and Emotional Release® is a trademark of Matt James, MA, PhD, licensed exclusively to Empowerment, Inc.), Hypnosis, sound healing, breathwork, Reiki, and dancing, just no name a few.

First of all, how are you and your family doing after these Pandemic times?

Right now, we’re doing well, thank you for asking.

I think it’s important to share that I’m a mother of two boys, Alex and Max, who are now 10 and 13.

My husband and I live in the greater Houston area in Texas, and we’ve built our life here since immigrating to the United States.

Our extended family still lives in Poland, which meant that during the pandemic, we couldn’t visit them for quite a long time.

That distance, along with the uncertainty of the quarantine, brought a lot of stress and anxiety, especially for the kids.

It was hard for them not to be able to see or play with their friends.

Reconnecting with their social world was a big part of their healing.

For my husband, one of the biggest challenges was continuing to support his employees and keep his business running.

Thankfully, because he was working in cooperation with Johnson & Johnson on medical equipment, his company was classified as essential, so we were fortunate not to be impacted financially the way many other families were.

How did the coronavirus pandemic affect your clients? Did it affect you at all?

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I was working as a dance coach.

Unfortunately, like many others in the performing arts and wellness industries, I experienced a sudden and significant shift.

Most of my clients understandably paused their lessons, understandably so, as everyone was focused on their health and safety.

Human connection became limited, and even though I tried to stay in touch, many people naturally stepped away from activities that weren’t considered essential at the time.

Dance and entertainment took a back seat, and for nearly two years, many of my clients withdrew from lessons entirely.

What are the biggest lessons that you learned in this pandemic?

During the pandemic, I came to a powerful realization… how essential it is for all of us, myself included, to understand the basics of self regulation and the core principles of psychology.

I witnessed how deeply our ability to manage our emotions, relate to ourselves, and connect with others influences our well being, especially during times of crisis.

This experience awakened a deep calling in me to study psychology and become formally educated in this field, so I can better support others in navigating their inner world and relationships with more awareness and resilience.

The Origin:

Tell us about you, your career, how you started with your coaching career?

Interestingly, it was the experience of living through the pandemic that led me to shift my career toward coaching and mental health.

During the pandemic, I began pursuing additional certifications in coaching, and eventually made the decision to go back to school.

I’m now earning my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

This path feels like a natural evolution for me.

Before the pandemic (and the reason I originally moved to the United States) I was a professional Latin ballroom dancer.

I competed internationally and was proud to represent the U.S., achieving a world #4 ranking in 2008.

For many years, I worked as a dance teacher.

But when the pandemic hit and we were living in California, dance studios shut down for over a year.

Like many of my colleagues, I lost my source of income and had to reevaluate my direction.

That time showed me how deeply people were struggling, not just financially, but emotionally.

The amount of stress, fear, and conflict I witnessed made it clear how essential mental health support is.

I saw how closely teaching and coaching are connected, and I felt called to grow beyond movement and into deeper emotional support.

That’s what inspired me to pursue psychology and counseling, to help people heal and thrive on every level.

What was your biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in your life that made you who you are today?

Throughout my life, I’ve had many powerful experiences that have shaped my growth and deepened my understanding of the world, human nature, and the nature of reality.

I was born in Poland during a time when it was still under the influence of the Soviet Union.

Growing up, I witnessed firsthand what it meant to live without freedom… freedom of speech, access to resources, or opportunities for growth.

The scarcity and limitations of that time left a lasting impression on me.

Later, I lived through Poland’s transformation from a communist state to a member of the European Union.

That transition opened my eyes to what was possible and sparked my desire for personal growth, travel, and learning from Western cultures, especially when it came to cultivating well being.

Another pivotal chapter of my life was my career in ballroom dance.

It wasn’t just a passion, it became a path of resilience.

I had to find ways to support myself financially to afford lessons with top European coaches.

I also had to work through deep fears around performance, self worth, and competition.

But with relentless dedication, I rose to become the third ranked dancer in my country by 2000.

That achievement became a passport to new opportunities, including a working visa in the United States, where I began teaching dance in a prestigious studio in Los Angeles.

The third major turning point in my journey came with the pandemic.

It was during this time that I truly realized how essential mental health is.

The disruption forced me to reevaluate my path and awakened a calling to deepen my understanding of psychology and healing.

That’s what ultimately led me to pursue professional training in counseling, so I can support others in navigating their own challenges and transformations.

Another pivotal moment in my career is stepping into the world of public speaking.

I’m honored to have been invited as a speaker at the 4th Global Women Power Summit on Leadership 2025, taking place on October 9th and 10th, 2025, in Toronto, Canada.

This opportunity marks an exciting new chapter in sharing my voice, insights, and passion for empowering others on a global stage.

The Coaching Style:

How do you innovate with coaching your clients?

What sets my work apart is the diverse range of methods I bring to my coaching.

With over 20 years of experience in teaching and a strong foundation in mind body techniques, I integrate various tools to support my clients in a holistic way.

I hold coaching and mind body medicine certifications from Saybrook University, as well as in NLP, Mental and Emotional Release® Therapy (Mental and Emotional Release® is a trademark of Matt James, MA, PhD, licensed exclusively to Empowerment, Inc.), Hypnosis, sound healing, Reiki, and dancing.

I also hold a master’s degree in cellular biology, which enables me to gain a deeper understanding of the internal processes that the human body undergoes on a biophysical level under pressure, stress, or other external stimuli.

My approach weaves together these evidence based methods with a deep spiritual practice I’ve cultivated for over a decade, including meditation and breathwork.

I guide my clients from a place that honors the connection between mind, body, and spirit.

I’m also deeply engaged in ongoing education to stay aligned with the emerging future of healing, including the therapeutic use of psychedelics.

This journey is what led me to pursue my licensure as a professional counselor, so I can ethically and skillfully support others when these powerful medicines become legally available for therapeutic use in the U.S.

What’s unique about your coaching approach?

What makes my coaching practice truly unique is its versatility and depth.

I’m educated in a wide range of modalities… from movement and breathwork to emotional release techniques, NLP, and psychological principles.

I’m currently pursuing my master’s in clinical counseling, which continues to deepen my understanding of the human experience.

At the core of my work is a strong spiritual foundation.

I guide my clients through their spiritual growth while helping them stay grounded and emotionally integrated.

One of the most important aspects of my approach is addressing and preventing spiritual bypass, a common issue in today’s spiritual communities where deep emotional wounds are avoided by masking them with “positive thinking” or spiritual concepts.

True healing requires us to acknowledge and process what lies beneath, not just rise above it.

My work brings together mind, body, and spirit in a way that supports fundamental transformation, not avoidance.

What benefits do your clients get after working with you?

What I believe my clients gain most from working with me is a deep sense of wholeness, a fuller understanding of who they truly are on a spiritual, mental, and psychological level.

My coaching is about helping people reconnect with their authentic selves while staying grounded and practical in their daily lives.

I honor and support my clients’ spiritual experiences, but I also guide them in anchoring those insights into real, tangible action.

My goal is to help them not just dream, but create their dream life, what I like to call “heaven on earth.”

A big part of this journey is encouraging my clients to step out of the victim mindset and take full responsibility for their lives.

Empowerment begins when we stop waiting to be saved and start choosing to transform.

I’m here to support that transformation every step of the way.

Do you use any specific tools to be efficient with your clients?

Yes.

Above all, I bring cultural humility and deep respect for the individuality of each client.

I tailor my approach to honor their unique background, values, and experiences, creating a safe and empowering space for transformation.

I often incorporate guided imagery in my coaching sessions as a powerful tool to support clarity, focus, and inner connection.

I also encourage my clients to take ownership of their journey by completing homework assignments, including establishing action steps they want to take before our next session.

Before we begin working together, I ask each client to complete a discovery form, which helps us explore their current life situation and create meaningful, SMART goals to guide our work.

One of the core methods I use is Mental and Emotional Release® Therapy, a highly effective technique I’m certified in that helps clients release stored negative emotions and limiting beliefs.

This process allows them to open their minds, shift their perspective, and move forward with greater freedom and purpose.

The Impact:

If you had a super megaphone that, when you speak into, the whole world will hear your message, what would you say?

I always encourage my clients to step out of the victim mindset and take full responsibility for their lives.

True transformation begins when we take action, believe in ourselves, and stop waiting for someone else to change things for us.

I deeply believe that anything we desire is within reach, if we’re willing to do the inner work and take inspired steps forward.

With commitment and self belief, we truly can create the life we dream of.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your life?

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that anyone can achieve their dreams, if they truly believe in themselves.

I’ve come to understand that we are the creators of our own reality, and our mindset plays a powerful role in shaping our experiences.

Reprogramming limiting beliefs and cultivating a positive, empowered mindset is essential for reaching our goals and living a fulfilled life.

At the heart of it all, I truly believe that anything is possible… if you believe it is.

Your final thoughts?

My final thought is this: bringing awareness to alternative approaches in psychology can open doors to profound transformation.

One of the most empowering truths we can embrace is that we have far more influence over our mindset (and our lives) than we often realize.

Our perception is not the full reality, it’s just a fraction of it.

When we begin to shift our perspective, heal from within, and expand our awareness, our entire experience of life can change.

Growth is not a destination, it’s an ongoing evolution.

And I believe that through this inner work, we can all create a more aligned, empowered, and fulfilling life.

Where Can You Find Joanna Skorupa?

If you liked this interview and if you would love to experience deep healing and embodied awakening so you can create “heaven on earth”, then contact Coach Joanna and see how she can help you achieve that.

Feel free to follow her Facebook and Instagram accounts.

And if you’d like to connect with her more personally, you can do that through LinkedIn or by sending her a direct message on her Email [email protected]. It was an honor having this interview with her.