Flóra Bakos
"Empathy is when you see with someone else's eyes, hear with someone else's ears, and feel with someone else's heart" - Alfred Adler
Egry József St 17, 1111 Budapest
Hungarian
English
In-person
ELTE MA • Certified Psychologist in Clinical and Health Psychology
Hungarian Individual Psychology Association • Self-awareness experiential group 150 hours (in progress)
As a private individual
In my own life, acceptance, understanding, and paying attention to each other are important cornerstones. Creating these is often easier for me than accepting them. Even today, I try to remind myself that I can, and indeed should, expect these in my relationships.
As a child and teenager, I spent a lot of time alone. Although my family surrounded me, I often felt lonely, and this feeling sometimes still touches me today.
I know what it's like to lack emotional closeness, and how important it is to be there for each other, not just physically but emotionally too.
Luckily, I always had friends, but it was harder for me to open up to others. I often worried whether I was acceptable as I am.
It didn't help that in upper primary school, I became a victim of bullying: I didn’t have branded clothes, and my thinking was different from others. When I tried to become part of the community, I often received negative feedback.
So, I hid in my shell, which was colorful and pearly from the inside but hard and rough on the outside.
My anxiety stayed with me, even grew, and accompanied me for a long time in my life. Back then, I didn't feel I could ask anyone for help, so I tried to deal with this situation alone. How wonderful it would have been if I could have shared it with someone!
What got me through that time was art. Art gave space to my different way of thinking and my rich fantasy world, and through it, I found a community where others also saw the world differently. Art is still an integral part of my life. I am fulfilled by the time spent with friends, shared laughter, and the company of my dog, who always needs attention and care. It inspires me that now I can give others the kind of support I missed before and pass on the feeling that you don't have to face everything alone.
As a therapist
It is important to me to create an atmosphere in our sessions where you can not only talk about difficulties but truly experience the feeling of being heard, accepted, and safe. I envision a space where there is no need to conform, where attention is not just focused on you, but happens with you: together we progress on the path where you can better understand yourself. I don't offer solutions but guide you in finding your own answers, those that are in harmony with your personality, your past, and your current life situation.
Out of the psychological approaches, the psychodynamic approach is closest to me.
This means that I pay attention to unconscious processes, the effects of early experiences, and the emotional patterns that appear in current relationships. The aim of our joint work is not only to alleviate the symptoms but to understand how these are connected to deeper, internal experiences.
I like to complement this approach with elements from other psychological viewpoints, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. The tasks related to this perspective help identify thought patterns that intensify anxiety or hinder self-acceptance, and I support you in developing new, more flexible coping strategies. Both approaches are effective in deepening your self-awareness.
Simultaneously, I often incorporate art therapy elements, especially when words find it difficult to connect with the experiences. Drawing, painting, or other creative expressions provide an opportunity for unconscious emotions to take shape, allowing us to work with them from a safe distance yet intimately.
When a feeling takes form, it is no longer just "within us," but can be engaged with: observed, interpreted, and even transformed. Such processes often lead to deeper insights into self-awareness and offer a new perspective on how we relate to ourselves and others.
In the therapeutic space, reason and emotion, conscious work, and creative freedom are present simultaneously. I believe their harmony helps you get closer to yourself, to the part that may have been silently waiting for a long time to be heard.
My areas of expertise
Everyday anxiety, constant worrying
Ongoing tension, feeling exhausted
Maintaining mental balance and well-being
Boosting self-confidence, handling self-criticism
Decision-making difficulties in life situations, getting stuck
Loneliness, difficulties in connecting
Deeper understanding of your feelings and how you function
Feeling down, loss of motivation, negative moods
Issues I help with
Book an appoiontment
Take a look at my calendar and pick a time that works for you. Keep in mind that the time you choose will become your regular slot throughout the counseling process. This means we’ll meet at this same time every session, long-term.
If you don’t see a suitable time, feel free to reach out—we’ll get back to you shortly.