EVA GASPAR-ZSOLNAI
Psychologist and Somatic Practitioner
ABOUT MY BACKGROUND
Over the years, I worked as a counselling psychologist in various settings, including education, health care, social services and public service and defense-related institutions. Along the way, I explored a range of approaches — from cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy and humanistic approaches to relaxation techniques and altered-state-based methods.
I think and work from a critical psychology perspective. This means I don’t view emotional difficulties as purely individual flaws or personal failures, but take into account the wider social and systemic contexts in which psychological challenges arise. This foundation continues to shape how I see human experience today — as something deeply personal, yet always connected to our wider environment.
MY JOURNEY TO SOMATICS
In 2023, I came across the work of Peter Levine and Somatic Experiencing — a turning point that completely reshaped how I understand healing, well-being, and resilience. Later on, I began exploring somatic methods and practicing various body-based techniques for nervous system regulation. These gave me firsthand experience of how simple somatic tools — not just therapeutic interventions — can offer real support for regulation, relief and a deeper sense of connection to ourselves.
All of these experiences had such a significant impact that I went on to study with leading organizations and experts. Learning from pioneers in the field was both inspiring and transformative.
Throughout my professional and personal life, I often saw how insight alone does not always lead to change. Some people understand their patterns well, yet still feel stuck; others are simply looking for practical ways to work with stress and anxiety as they arise in everyday life.
Somatic approaches offered me another piece of the puzzle: a way to bring the body into the process and bridge the gap between understanding and lived change.
HOW I WORK TODAY
Today, my work brings together my background in psychology with a growing specialization in body-based approaches to stress and anxiety.
I offer psychological counselling for people who want to explore a current difficulty, understand patterns and find practical ways forward, as well as somatic stress and anxiety support for those who want to develop body-based skills for nervous system regulation.
While these are distinct ways of working, they share the same foundation: curiosity, collaboration and respect for each person’s own experience. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all method, I aim to help people find what genuinely supports them.
WHAT I BELIEVE ABOUT SUPPORT AND CHANGE
My way of working has been shaped just as much by what didn’t help me as by what did. Through my own experiences, I learned how valuable the right kind of support can be — and also what it feels like to be misread or guided away from your own internal signals.
These experiences taught me something essential: real support doesn’t override what someone feels, but helps them reconnect with their own perceptions, needs and signals.
Meaningful change often begins when we feel safe enough to notice what’s happening inside and to trust what we find there. What supports one person may not work for another. That’s why I don’t believe in fixing, forcing or directing. There is no one-size-fits-all method, and no approach works without trust, attunement and genuine respect for someone’s own experience.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME
— The Part Where The Cat Steals The Show
After several years of living across Europe, I currently live in Budapest with my husband and our cat, Charlie.
At one point, I was genuinely interested in training her as a therapy cat and even started a cat-assisted therapy course. Unfortunately, Charlie didn’t meet a single requirement. Not one. So, that dream was short-lived.
On the bright side, living with her has been an excellent crash course in nervous system regulation. She’s the embodiment of rest, presence and healthy boundaries — when she’s not plotting world domination from the windowsill.
AND IF YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT MY STUDIES
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Psychologist MA - Educational and Counseling Psychology
Eötvös Loránd University, 2013Psychologist BA
Károli Gáspár University, 2010 -
Somatic Embodiment & Regulation
Dr. Linda Thai, ongoing
Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Natural Neural Exercises to Enhance Emotional & Physical Health
Polyvagal Institute (Dr. Arielle Schwartz), 2025
Somatic Anxiety Therapy
Embody Lab, 2025
Traumatic Stress Studies
Trauma Research Foundation (Dr. Bessel van der Kolk), 2024
Nutritional and Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Professionals
Dr. Leslie Korn, 2024
Ericksonian Hypnosis
Hungarian Association of Complex Psychotherapy, 2019
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Hungarian Association for Behavioural, Cognitive and Schema Therapies, 2018
Autogenic Training
Hungarian Association of Relaxation and Symboltherapy, 2016 -
Somatic Hacks for Calming the Nervous System
Dr. Linda Thai, 2025
TRE (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises), Introductory Workshop
TRE Hungary, 2025
Expert Strategies for Working with Anxiety
National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine, 2024
Feline-Assisted Therapy
Foundation for Therapy and Assistance Cats (Noemi Banszky), 2021
Positive Discipline
Positive Discipline Hungary, 2018
ADHD: Everyday Strategies for Elementary Students
University at Buffalo, 2016
Autism Spectrum Disorder
University of California, 2016
Effective Strategies for Managing Childhood Behavioral Issues
Vadaskert Foundation for Mental Health of Children, 2015