As an immigrant in various countries, Irnes has lived experience when it comes to challenges faced by adjusting, transitioning and adapting to new environments. He is fluent in English, Bosnian, Serbo-Croatian, and intermediate level German. He acknowledges the impact of our upbringing, culture, ethnicity, religious background, gender and sexuality on our overall wellbeing. He has a strong background in supporting clients with mental health struggles (diagnosed/undiagnosed), direct and vicarious trauma including associated work stress and burnout. His professional experience began 14 years ago, while working in counselling agencies, hospital settings, providing direct community support, and holding various leadership positions within the mental health sector.

Irnes is a down to earth person with a great sense of clean humour. He enjoys using funny analogies to break down difficult concepts and convey them in a relatable language for his clients. He is open, transparent and honest, while providing appropriate self-disclosure when it is in the client’s best interest. Irnes is flexible in his therapeutic approaches. He realizes that sometimes the best conversations can happen on a basketball court or a little nature walk. He also utilizes guided meditations nearing the end of a session to ground the emotional pain discussed.

Outside of the therapy space, Irnes has several interests and passions including sports and exercise, photography, videography, home improvement projects, spending time outdoors and travelling. An important part of Irnes’ life is prioritizing time with his loved ones. He believes that confronting emotional pain and other conflicts are necessary for personal and professional growth, and as a result engages in self improvement through education, and challenging his own belief systems that may place barriers for positive change.