About counselling

 

The term counselling is slightly misleading, because you won't get any advice or counsel from me on what to do and what not to do with your life.

 

You know best

what is best for you.

 

I am here to accompany you, to support you on your journey - wherever it takes you - and to help you find your own answers, your own truth along the path. 

 

 

Mirror

 

What you get from me is an imaginary mirror. It helps you see yourself, as you are - with your strengths and weaknesses. Your fun side and your dark side, too.

By looking into this mirror and receiving regular feedback much of the unconscious stuff can come close to the surface and become conscious - behaviour, patterns, coping mechanisms, etc., therefore giving you a chance to look at them, examine them and decide which ones you wish to keep.

 

 

A safe space for healing

 

In the safe space that we create together you can be wholly yourself - no need for masks.

The sheer fact that this is probably the first time in your life that you do not have to wear any masks is immensely liberating. The soul starts to feel safe, relaxes and the self-healing process can take place. 

 

My function is to hold this sacred space and our relationship is the container for healing to take place.

 

Everything you share with me in this space is confidential - this is the fundament of our work together and the basis of trust.

 

 

Trauma resolution - the Somatic Experiencing® (SE) method

 

Somatic Experiencing® is a groundbreaking, body centered, natural process-based approach to processing and resolving trauma and stress, developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine. It is based on the observation that wild animals, although often in danger, are rarely traumatized. Instinctive, innate mechanisms are used to regulate and channel vast amounts of energy mobilised and untapped for survival. This processing makes them immune to trauma and enables them to return to their equilibrium state even after a single, life-threatening event that is extremely stressful. 

 

Although we, humans have regulatory mechanisms similar to animals, the operation of our instinctive systems is often overridden - among other things - by the rational part of our brain. This restraint prevents the depletion of survival energy and does not allow the nervous system to return to a state of equilibrium. Undissolved, un-exhausted survival energy gets stuck in the body and the nervous system and often leads to the development of a wide variety of symptoms - such as anxiety, depression, psychosomatic problems and behavioural disorders. 

 

SE uses awareness of body sensations to help the individual "renegotiate" and transform the trauma instead of reliving it. With proper guidance, through the body's instinctive "felt sense" the individual is able to access their own natural self-healing ability, enabling the safe and gradual release of the accumulated survival energy. When these energies are resolved, the individual often experiences a great reduction or elimination of their traumatic symptoms. 

 

The process enables the individual to perceive him/herself and others more fully, and the healing journey can awaken our untapped resources and the perception of our own life force. With the help of these new allies, we can open doors to rebirth and experience increased vitality and flow in our lives. The experience can be a true spiritual awakening - one that helps the individual reconnect with the world. 

 

When is SE effective?

 

Traumatic symptoms are not caused by the triggering event itself. They arise as a result of a disturbance in the autonomic nervous system's ability to self-regulate and the remaining survival energy is not dissolved in our physiology and is not discharged from the body. Each time we are unable to return to a relaxed, "normal" state, our nervous system becomes more and more hypersensitive or less responsive, and thus there is an increasing chance that events and experiences that would not have affected us before will have an effect on us. Over time - months or years later - the following symptoms may appear:

 

• Fast heartbeat, breathing difficulties, dizziness
• Hypervigilance (increased vigilance, constant "guarding")
• Hyperactivity
• Extreme sensitivity to light, sound or touch
• Involuntary movements: tickling, twitching of limbs
• Anxiety, including chronic, low-level anxiety
• Panic attacks, phobias
• Fear and terror
• Unwanted and intrusive images or sudden flashbacks
• Excessive emotional reactions
• Insomnia, restless sleep, nightmares, night terrors
• Psychosomatic diseases, especially: certain types of headaches, migraines, neck and back problems
• Muscle weakness, muscle pain, e.g. fibromyalgia, myofascial pain
• Menstrual problems (such as severe premenstrual syndrome)
• Digestive disorders, e.g.: irritable bowel syndrome, spasmodic colon
• Immune system problems
• Skin diseases
• Environmental sensitivity
• Physical, mental or emotional exhaustion
• Sudden mood swings: for example, angry reactions or outbursts of anger, feelings of shame
• Feeling of helplessness and weakness
• Feeling indecisive and overwhelmed
• Mental “fallouts” or stupor
• Memory loss or forgetfulness
• Inability to commit
• Attraction to dangerous situations
• Addictive behavior: smoking, alcohol addiction, drug use
• Avoidance of certain circumstances: avoiding places, activities, memories, situations or people
• Losing the ability to love, care, or connect with others.

Since SE works directly with the body's neurophysiology to help regulate the nervous system and its effects on the endocrine and immune systems, these symptoms can be gradually alleviated.

 

Source: SE Hungary (https://www.sehungary.com/) 

 

 

My specialties 

 

Being an expat and living as part of a patchwork family gives me a heightened sensitivity towards these life situations and the special issues they may bring with them.

 

On my own journey I have worked through many of my own issues - some of them I collected in this blogpost: https://www.youareenough.de/2019/06/25/i-have-been-there-too/. 

 

If you find your difficulties are similar, I might be the right person to support you in working through them since I have done this myself. 

I might have a sense of what you're going through, because I have been there too.

 

 

What does integrally informed mean?

 

Basically, integral means holistic (whole). 

 

Integral psychology combines classic, Western psychology (starting with Freud) and traditional, spiritual traditions and puts them on the same map. An integral approach includes the strengths of both views in a complementary way.

 

Essentially, it gives me a broader, fuller perspective of the human being.

 

 

Testimonials

 

"I recommend Anikó's space for healing: loving, warm, gentle, yet strong and real."

 - Szilvia Susán-Crick, Brighton

 

 

"Empathetic. Uplifting. Encouraging. Thought-provoking and intuitive. Deeply facilitates personality development.

Working with Anikó is about freedom. About being able to live a life that we dreamed of for ourselves. This journey into our inner self is often painful, yet very liberating. Facing a mirror and to process, accept, understand and embrace our past is a downright cathartic experience. Thank you for every minute of it!”

- Mercédesz Németh 

 

 

"Anikó is a very kind, conscientious, precise and thorough counsellor. My sessions with her helped me very much. We learned a series of exercises that I can practice alone and she provided me with detailed descriptions and useful videos to make sure I practice properly. I strongly recommend working with her."

- A. T., Budapest

 

 

"I'm very glad that I have found Anikó, that I got to know her. I was in a very dark place emotionally when we met and already during our first session I found her sympathetic, so we continued working together on my topics.

She listened to me patiently, helped me a lot with her practical, good advice. She recommended me to start meditating and recommended me to learn a new method in order to be able to manage my difficulty on my own too. I was happy to follow this recommendation and continued to practice every day.

I can recommend working with Anikó wholeheartedly to anyone."

- Mrs. B., Hungary