Lurinda S. Jones, affectionately known as Dr. Iris, is the founder of iRiS INspires®, an inspirational system of coaching, counseling, and healthy living, and Center of inPOWERmeant™ Inc. (COINPM), a nonprofit organization committed to building bridges of hope for individuals and families navigating life transitions by strengthening the four pillars of life. At the heart of her work is a commitment to legacy, creating systems, structures, and pathways that can be sustained and expanded by future generations rather than repeatedly rebuilt from scratch.
With more than 40 years of cumulative experience as a coach, counselor, ordained minister, author, facilitator, keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and host, Dr. Iris brings a rare integration of clinical insight, spiritual wisdom, cultural awareness, and lived experience. Her work centers on activating inner power to support healing, awakening, and sustainable transformation. She specializes in guiding individuals through grief, loss, trauma, and profound life transitions, helping them reinterpret their experiences, reconnect with their inner truth, and move toward renewed purpose and possibility. A hallmark of her work is the belief that healing is shaped not only by what happens to us, but by how we make meaning of our experiences.
A native of Los Angeles, California, Dr. Iris’s passion for writing began in junior high school and evolved into a lifelong calling to nurture healthy relationships, beginning with self. Her personal anthem, “It is impossible to love God and not love yourself,” is reflected throughout her body of work. She is the author of thirteen impactful books, including the bestseller It’s Not You, It’s Me; The Trilogy, featuring the bestselling You Again, Not This Time; and The Day I Forgave God. Her writing continues to inspire readers to engage their healing journeys with honesty, courage, and self-compassion.
Dr. Iris holds a Bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies, a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and a candidate for a PhD in Psychology with a concentration in Consciousness, Spirituality, and Integrative Health. Her professional training includes certifications in Grief, Loss, and Trauma Counseling, Grief Doula Services, Caregiver Support, Breathwork Practices, and inPOWERmeant™ techniques, establishing her as a respected cultural and spiritual healing practitioner. Grounded in the principles of Person-Centered Therapy, her approach empowers individuals to honor their past, remain present, and creatively shape a fulfilling future.
Dr. Iris’s influence extends across diverse platforms and audiences. She has shared stages at renowned venues such as The Comedy Store and Comedy Union in Los Angeles, blending insight with levity, and has delivered transformative programming for Fortune 100 companies including Merck, Aon, Ford, Franklin Covey, and Dale Carnegie, as well as academic institutions such as Saybrook University and spiritual communities nationally and internationally. She is also a pioneer in facilitating open, courageous dialogue between men and women and among people of differing cultures and religious traditions.
As the visionary behind Center of inPOWERmeant™ Inc. (COINPM), Dr. Iris leads a dedicated team providing guidance, education, and support to families in transition, addressing challenges such as addiction, abuse, grief, trauma, and systemic adversity. Her global mentoring work spans the United States and Africa, another extension of her “dream children” and legacy vision.
Currently, Dr. Iris hosts the Marriage Gone Divorce™ Podcast on iRiS INspires® TV, and is widely known as a radio host, columnist, and TV personality. Across all platforms, she emphasizes selfless living with healthy norms,not rigid boundaries, but standards of living, as the pathway to freedom, fulfillment, and sustainable well-being.
Of all her accomplishments, Dr. Iris says her greatest joy is motherhood. She is the proud mother of a son matriculating at the University of California, Irvine, and grounds her life and work in a guiding truth: what we breathe into today becomes the future we live tomorrow.
For interviews, guest appearances, keynote addresses, workshops, facilitation, MC services, or hosting inquiries, please contact:
📧 iRiS@IrisInspires.com
