On October 18, 2025, Petra Vágyi, a well-known clinical psychologist and certified schema therapist, will give a thought-provoking lecture in Budapest (Budapest, Hungary) about why people often get stuck in toxic dating cycles or struggle to form lasting relationships. She will unravel the unconscious patterns, known as schemas, that shape romantic choices and relationship dynamics, often rooted in unmet childhood needs or early emotional wounds.
Invisible Patterns That Rule Relationships
Most of us have experienced those uncanny moments when we find ourselves trapped yet again in an unpleasant scenario—reacting the same way, thinking and feeling the same things, with outcomes we already know are bad but seem powerless to prevent. It’s as if we all carry that invisible “red button” inside us, kicking off a familiar series of actions whenever it is pushed by certain situations. These autopilot reactions are driven by schemas—deeply ingrained behavioral blueprints stored in the unconscious.
Usually formed in childhood or adolescence, schemas develop in areas where our core emotional needs were neglected or unmet. Over time, they distort how we see ourselves and interpret the world, filtering reality and driving repetitive negative experiences. What once helped us cope as children—like putting up emotional walls or trying to please everyone—ends up holding us back as adults. Until we identify these patterns consciously, they run the show unchecked, making new experiences feel eerily like old wounds playing out all over again.
Schema Therapy: Becoming Your Own Expert
Petra Vágyi’s approach centers on bringing these unconscious patterns to light, so people can let go of outdated defenses and beliefs. Schema therapy helps you identify what you truly need now—not what you once needed as a child—and how to actually fulfill those needs in adulthood.
The lecture uses real-life stories and vivid examples to clarify how schemas operate—not just in theory but in everyday life, helping listeners recognize their own recurring scripts. The end goal? To strengthen your “healthy adult self”—the inner adult who can see what’s happening internally and knows you have the power to make changes, rather than being steered by old hurts.
Meet Petra Vágyi: The Expert Behind the Event
Petra Vágyi has trained psychiatrists and psychologists since 2005, working at leading Hungarian universities. Her focus remains on schema therapy, guiding people to see the hidden motivations behind their automatic responses and break free from repeating the same old relationship stories. She is the author of several key books, including Trapped by Schemas: How to Escape Repetitive Patterns (Sémáink fogságában) and Schemas in Relationships: On the Trail of Romantic Difficulties (Sémáink párban).
Tickets for this transformative event in Budapest (Budapest, Hungary) are $14.
October 18, 2025
Budapest (Budapest, Hungary)
