Process-oriented coaching

Movement begins
with inner ground

Process-oriented coaching for those going through change, overwhelm or a search for new direction. Working with burnout, leadership under pressure, decision-making and finding your place — with special knowledge of the challenges facing people in NGOs, independent media and civil society.

Anna Ignatenko — process-oriented coach

Anna Ignatenko

Process-oriented business coaching, MIPOPP, 2025

Process-oriented coach, fairytale therapist, producer and media consultant. I work with Russian-speaking and English-speaking professionals navigating burnout, career crossroads, displacement and finding themselves in new circumstances. A domain that's close to me and deeply familiar from the inside — leaders, journalists and staff in NGOs, independent media and the civic sector. I spent 13 years in that world, lived through burnout, building my own project, crises and periods of deep precarity tied to political realities, and it was that experience that brought me to coaching as a tool for systemic change. I work with people and teams from many different fields — those drawn to a depth-oriented, process-based approach, those who find resonance in how I see the world, and those who value the ability to stay present with the soul's movement in a time of rapid global change.

I worked in independent media in Russia from 2012 — as a journalist and producer, multimedia editor, strategy consultant, and as a founder, editor and editor-in-chief. When the space for press freedom closed, in 2022 I was forced into exile and had to shut down my projects. That experience of personally navigating crisis, loss and reinvention — including through spiritual traditions — led me to the helping professions. I now bring that lived understanding of leadership in the third sector to coaching work with people who operate under similar pressure.

Founder and editor-in-chief of Supernova — a media outlet on the future, technology and freedom in Russia (2020–2025). Journalist and editor at Meduza and Novaya Gazeta (2016–2020). Produced major award-winning special projects: C for Community (Winner, Global Health Reporting Contest 2017); published Russia's first book of documentary comics The Kafka Code; covered the global refugee crisis in Europe for Open Russia (2016), worked on reporting about the war in Ukraine. Consulted for Newsmaker Moldova and Glasnaya, led courses for Prague School of Media, and designed and delivered training programmes for Equalit.ie — a Canadian international NGO working on digital resilience and open-source technology for communities under censorship and surveillance.

Taught at HSE University Moscow (alma mater), ITMO and RANEPA (2018–2022) — courses in documentary storytelling, creative producing, media management and multimedia journalism.

2025 Process-oriented coaching, MIPOPP · ACC ICF (in process, 2026)
2019 Mini MBA Future Media Management, SSE Riga
2017 MA in Creative Industries Producing, HSE University Moscow
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Confidentiality & security

Confidentiality is the foundation of all my work — and I know from my own experience that for clients in the media and human rights field, security can be critical and often a reason not to seek support at all. On request, I use security protocols that I know well from my previous professional life: encrypted communication channels and other tools. I do not keep records, or encrypt them, to protect client safety.

in Follow me on LinkedIn I write about coaching and process work — and share observations on burnout and organizational culture in the third sector and media.

Want to learn more?

I offer a free 30-minute introduction call to get acquainted with me and how I work. You can ask any questions about coaching and confidentiality, clarify whether I can help with your situation, learn about what results are possible, and discuss formats and approaches. In 30 minutes of coaching conversation you can already begin to clarify what matters — and that alone is valuable, regardless of whether you continue working together. You can choose a time using the button below, or reach me through any contact channel.

Choose a time →

Coaching for leaders
and teams

Individual and group coaching for leaders and teams — including NGOs, independent media, charitable organizations and civic projects.

Executive coaching

For leaders & founders

Leader burnout is a risk to the whole system: decisions, team, product, reputation. In NGOs and media that's compounded by mission pressure, funding instability, unsafe political environments, the challenges of displacement. Coaching in this context is underused — yet it works preventively: 4 sessions over a month can bring you to a point of clarity and renewed direction, help you recognize what's happening in the team, and see what can shift before things reach a breaking point. The particular feature of executive coaching in this space is the weight of responsibility a leader carries, and the reach of their decisions across team, project and stakeholders.

Focus: resilience and resource · decision-making under pressure · burnout prevention · displacement and transition · leadership through crisis and change.

from €75 / session
Book an introduction call
Choose a time →

Personal work
at your own pace

Process-oriented coaching for those navigating life challenges, seeking inner ground and moving toward their goals.

Single session

€50 60 minutes
  • Working with a specific challenge or life question
  • Non-directive coaching, following your process
  • Reaching the intended result set at the start of the session

Good for those who want to try the method, work through a specific question, get past a cognitive block and start moving. In this format you can book a coaching session directly and we meet in the work.

Choose a time

10-session package

from €350 a journey of change and integration
  • Transformational work with your inquiry
  • Systemic change in life and work
  • Maximum depth of process

Over 10 sessions, a client moves through different cycles and challenges, has the chance to put new neural pathways to work in real life, and replace outdated patterns with new ones. On the final session you can look back at your original inquiry and see that you have arrived where you set out to go — even when that once seemed impossible.

Get in touch

For staff in NGOs, media and the civic sector

For independent media and non-profit organizations in a funding crisis, the standard session rate may be out of reach — but support through change is exactly what's needed. For people and organizations in this space going through a difficult moment, I have special conditions — reach out and we'll find a format that works.

Payment accepted in EUR, RUB and any cryptocurrency. Instalment payment and formal invoicing to a legal entity are available.

What clients say

I rarely write reviews — very few things impress me. But not this time. After a session with Anna, it was as if a switch had been flipped: the things I'd been turning over in my head suddenly became so clear I could act on them right away. Anna has a gift for drawing out the core of things and making sense of where to start — not just "talking it through," but structuring the chaos. It all began lightly and playfully, and I came out with a concrete plan: where to go and what to do. The atmosphere was wonderfully comfortable — Anna guided me through the session and kept me from disappearing into the weeds. We sorted through what felt like a colossal mess, and somehow I came out energized, not exhausted.

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Karalina
Coach · Southern Italy

Going into these sessions I knew how Anna works, and I expected depth. Even so, the results exceeded my expectations — I didn't think so much could fall into place so quickly. I have a very fluid sense of self and find it hard to articulate my own identity — but I needed to get clear on it to move forward. The amount of clarity and grounding I have now is remarkable: I can see who I am, where I've been, what I'm doing now and where I want to go. I'd recommend process-oriented coaching with Anna to anyone who finds the purely rational approach too narrow, but still wants to create and shine.

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Dariana
Mindfulness trainer · St Petersburg

I've trusted Anna in matters of depth for a long time, so I was genuinely excited when she moved into coaching — the combination of her depth and a practical approach to plans felt like a perfect match. In our session, we gradually transformed my existential questions into concrete steps. Her questions helped me understand what I actually want to do. And most importantly — why. The blend of attentiveness, gentleness and directness is rare. But that's exactly what Anna brings. I trust her with myself and gladly recommend her to others.

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Vasily
Editor · Moscow, Russia

This was my first experience of individual coaching. I thought Anna would ask a lot of questions — but in practice I was the one doing most of the talking, and by the end I understood that's exactly the point. I'm grateful for the precision of her questions and observations: Anna senses deeply and gently steered the direction of my thinking. The result: by talking it through out loud, I laid out my problem clearly and saw it from above. I understood where the knot was and what needed to be loosened to move forward. And I arrived at a concrete answer to where I want to go — I found it myself. A real result in an hour of work.

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Victoria
Organization manager · St Petersburg

Our session stirred up something complex inside me, but by the end Anna helped me return to myself and reassemble. Afterwards I felt alive, in a state of "calm enthusiasm." I thought a busy week would prevent me from processing the results — but it all settled in the background on its own. The most important thing: I noticed my anxious part, looked into it and realized it's on my side, not against me.

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Slavyana
Small business · Almaty, Kazakhstan

I felt very comfortable during the session — I relaxed quickly and went with the flow Anna offered, even though I'm usually very cautious with new people. It felt as if someone had taken me by the hand and very gently turned me toward where I needed to go. Two days later I can already feel something has shifted inside. During the session I discovered a desire to be louder, to live my emotions the way I want to. It's still a little scary — but I have no regrets at all.

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Irina
Organization staff · Paris, France

Thank you so much for these 4 sessions — the work exceeded all expectations and was a genuine revelation. Already in the first session a clear direction appeared: we went deeper, untangling fears and limitations. And immediately after the second, a breakthrough came — I could see my real dream clearly, the one I had been hiding from myself for so long. And the most precious thing: Anna didn't leave me alone with that insight — she noticed the changes I couldn't yet see myself. By the end, the breakthrough had become a real goal and a plan of action.

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Natalia
HR · Moscow

Let's start
a conversation

Write via any channel that works for you — we'll talk about what's on your mind and find the right format.

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