About the process
"Roots & Wings was created with expat parents in mind — especially those living in Budapest. We believe that even in a foreign land, you can plant deep roots and raise resilient children. Your mental health, emotional balance, and sense of belonging matter."
Mission statement
"Our mission is to offer compassionate, professional support for families facing the hidden challenges of expat life. From generational trauma prevention (ACE) to body-mind harmony (somatic health), through support and community — we aim to build a foundation for healthier, stronger families abroad."
Body–Mind Harmony (Somatic Health)
"Stress from relocation, identity shifts, or homesickness often impacts both mind and body. Through somatic practices (body awareness, focusing, we support you to reconnect with your body, relieve tension, and restore inner balance."Trauma Prevention & ACE-Aware Parenting
"Experiences from childhood — even generational trauma — can echo across generations. Our trauma-aware parenting and ACE-prevention work help you recognize, heal, and break cycles — building a healthier emotional foundation for your children. Systemic therapeutic approach helps to understand the system in a family and in relationships ackowledging transgenerational trauma and helping relate to others in your family. My knowledge and approach mix a systemic approach with somatic makes me suitable to follow you through the crisis of intimacy and connection to others."
Resources & Blog
"We share articles, stories, tools and advice on topics such as homesickness, mental health, raising children in a foreign country, finding belonging — all in a compassionate, understanding voice.
I bring an embodied, holistic perspective to my work — not only through talk therapy, but also through the body:
Somatic experience — working with felt experience and the wisdom of the body
Body posture and body work — supporting nervous system regulation and inner presence
Stress-release techniques that help soothe the nervous system and restore balance
My approach is open, grounded, and gentle — inviting you to feel supported in your body while also being fully seen in your story. I believe healing happens in connection, trust, and the courage to move toward life with openness.
I'm here to help you find strength in softness, peace in presence, and clarity in times of uncertainty. Whether you are building a life in a new country, navigating personal transitions, or deepening your relationship with yourself or your child, I would be honored to walk with you.
My methods and studies in the field of mental support: Instituto Superior Psicologia Applicada (Lisboa, Erasmus), Hungarian Family and Couple Therapy, Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy, Non-violent Communication - Nada Ignatovic Savic, Somatic methods, Autogen relaxation, perinatal support, Systemic therapy and counseling, Focusing method
Little story
"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." (Victor Borge)
I greet you with a smile and muse you to find your way to your laughter. Often, the hardest part in parenthood is that we lose our sense of humour. I help you find your sense again. I know it is just as good medicine as listening to you with my whole body absorbing your senses and feelings to help you maintain them until they are gone.
I worked with my cognitive competencies to understand post-traumatic growth, but I found out it was not enough because I wanted to feel peace and connection to others and myself. I worked through my senses and arrived at a peaceful state, where I relate with a sense of wise humour as a mother, professional supporter, myself, wife, stepparent, woman, daughter, sister, and friend. Authenticity is my presence.
Does anyone know Momo, the book by Michael Ende? The book is a much more children's book; in some places, at certain times, you can only tell the truth when you are a child, and only in fairy tales. This book has a certain angle about life, I would say I can relate to with my healing support.
"Time is life itself, and life resides in the human heart."
So if you want to know more
About the founder
My name is Zsuzsanna Kollár. Zsuzsanna universal version is Susanne, it means lily. Please call me Zsuzsa.
I am a compassionate and grounded somatic therapist and counselor with over 10 years of experience supporting individuals and families through life's transitions. My work is rooted in a belief that life can be well-lived, and that each of us has the innate capacity for resilience, healing, and growth.
Over the years, I've had the privilege of supporting:
Families and parents in the early years, nurturing secure foundations for both adults and children
Expectant and new parents with perinatal care and emotional support
Individuals navigating divorce, including women and men, with sensitivity and deep understanding
Children and parents together, as a child expert and counselor
I have experience working with people from other countries, suffering from their own difficulties. I am a researcher and did research about the difficulties of expats in Lisbon (saudade)
I worked in refugee shelters in Hungary with UNHCR. Refugees suffer from the biggest rootless trauma, and I supported a trauma-informed care project to inform people about the way we can be more gentle to others, called trauma-informed care
Worked as an expert in social policy for the government, NGO, and UN projects - Master in Social Policy
My Ph.D. research topic was trauma and Covid on Corvinus University Sociology and Communication Doctoral School
Testimonials
"Zsuzsi's presence was like a bliss of home. My eyes got wide-open with surprise when she told me first she is Hungarian, I did not even thought that on the playground we met first." Sade
"Zsuzsi's support gave me a second birth healing the first traumatic birth experience. She held me in the worst deepest moments with two little children only one and half year difference and I am a good mother now that is the best gift anyone can get. I am honored and grateful." Gertrud
"Zsuzsi's support get me through the crisis of parenthood as a father and husband. I could grieve my old self to become with smooth strength my new self. She hold me with gentle safety the whole time." Andreas
Preserving my client's safety I do not use references with real names but these are real sentences they gave me reflecting our progress. Under no circumstances I gave out my clients real feelings and identity (even on my blog I use my experiences as inspiration but the stories are fictions helping you