Rafal Pienkowski

Emotional Health Coach & Co-Founder of Be Your Own Saviour 

My Story

For more than 20 years, I dedicated myself to the corporate world. Like many ambitious professionals, I was driven to succeed, climb the corporate ladder, achieve more, and constantly push myself to the next level. On the outside, it looked like accomplishment and progress. On the inside, however, I was slowly disconnecting from myself.

Over the years, the pressure, stress, and emotional weight I carried eventually caught up with me. I experienced multiple severe burnouts throughout my career, each one more difficult than the last. The final burnout affected me not only mentally and emotionally, but physically to the point where I had to take emergency leave from work because my body simply could not continue any longer. Looking back now, I realise my nervous system had been living in survival mode for decades.

At the same time, life brought experiences that deeply shaped me as a person, moments of joy and fulfilment, but also profound grief, loss, and hardship. One of the most defining moments of my life was the heart-breaking loss of my daughter during pregnancy. Like many people struggling emotionally, I tried to cope by burying myself in work and staying busy, rather than truly facing what I was carrying inside.

Eventually, I reached a point where something had to change.

What followed was a deeply personal healing journey that transformed the direction of my life. I explored a wide range of healing modalities, some grounded in science, others holistic and spiritual in nature. With an open mind and an open heart, I began reconnecting with myself in a way I never had before. Through this process, I experienced first-hand the power of nervous system regulation, emotional healing, self-awareness, and inner work.

Today, my work as a coach is rooted in honesty, transparency, leading with heart, and pure intention. I believe true transformation begins when people feel safe enough to be authentic about what they are going through, without judgement, pressure, or pretending to “have it all together.”

My experiences in the corporate world allow me to deeply understand the realities many people face today: chronic stress, overwhelm, emotional suppression, burnout, people-pleasing, and the constant pressure to keep performing while silently struggling underneath. I know what it feels like to appear successful externally while internally feeling exhausted, disconnected, and lost.

That understanding is what led me to co-found Be Your Own Saviour Ltd., alongside my business partner, Lee. Together, we developed The BYOS Method coaching programmes designed to give people practical tools to release emotional baggage, regulate their nervous systems, and create lasting emotional resilience. These are tools I have personally used throughout my own healing journey and continue to live by today.

Everything I do today comes from a place of compassion, service, and lived experience. I do not believe healing is about fixing ourselves. I believe it is about remembering who we are beneath the stress, trauma, expectations, and emotional weight we have carried for so long.

My mission is to help others feel seen, supported, empowered, and equipped with tools that can genuinely change their lives, because I know first-hand how transformative that journey can be.

What It’s Like to Work With Me

I don’t really see myself as a traditional coach. First and foremost, I’m simply a human being who has walked through challenges, burnout, addictions, parenthood, grief, healing, and transformation - and now feels called to support others on their own journeys.

When we work together, there is no hierarchy. We work as a team. You know yourself better than anyone else ever could. My role is not to “fix” you or preach at you, but to walk alongside you, support you, and help you reconnect with the part of yourself that already knows the way forward.

I lead with honesty, transparency, heart, and pure intention in everything I do. I will always do my best to create a safe, judgement-free space where you can show up exactly as you are. In my experience, that is where the real breakthroughs happen - when people feel safe enough to be authentic.

One of my strengths is helping people find practical, grounded solutions to the challenges they are facing. I’ve always had a practical mindset, something that served me throughout my corporate career where I built teams, frameworks, and solutions in high-pressure environments. That same approach carries into my work today. While healing and transformation are deeply personal journeys, I believe they also need to feel accessible, realistic, and sustainable in everyday life. I will always aim to provide guidance, tools, and advice that feel aligned with your own journey, needs, and pace.

I’m also very open about my own journey. I understand what it feels like to live under constant pressure, to experience burnout, emotional overwhelm, personal loss, and to feel disconnected from yourself while trying to keep everything together. I’ve lived it myself, both in the corporate world and in my personal life.

The BYOS Method™ has played a huge role in my own healing journey, helping me process personal trauma, regulate my nervous system, and navigate the pressures of professional life in a healthier way. I’ll share openly how I’ve used these tools personally and professionally, along with other healing modalities that supported me along the way - always with the understanding that every person’s journey is unique, and different approaches resonate with different people.

Above all else, your wellbeing comes first. Everything we do together is guided by compassion, trust, and your highest good.

Who I Work With

I work, relate and resonate deeply with people from all walks of life because, at my core, I’m simply someone who understands what it feels like to carry a heavy load while trying to keep going. I’m a father, a husband, and someone who has experienced traumas, overwhelm, burnout, depression, and moments where I genuinely struggled to see a way forward. I’ve navigated the heart-breaking loss of a baby, my wife’s cancer diagnosis, childhood traumas, addictions, and years of emotional and physical exhaustion - all while continuing to perform at a high level professionally and carrying the pressure of providing for my family whilst running on fumes for far too long. I am always happy to connect and have a chat to see whether we are a good match for each other, as I believe the right connection is an important part of any meaningful work together.

Session Details

Wherever you find yourself on your journey right now, my intention is to meet you there and hold a grounded, supportive space where genuine, lasting emotional change can unfold at a pace that feels right for you.

• 45 minute one-to-one coaching session.

• Conducted via Microsoft Teams video call.

• I can conduct sessions in English or Polish.

• £85 per session (subject to availability).