Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transfer Research
Our Transgenerational Transmission of Trauma Research Institute is dedicated to exploring the intricate link between psychotherapy practice and empirical research amid pressing global challenges. In an era marked by extremism, pandemics, and geopolitical tensions, we investigate transgenerational trauma’s nuances and implications.
Recognising the urgency of understanding trauma’s pervasive effects, our mission revolves around harnessing empirical insights to refine psychotherapeutic approaches. We aim to aid individuals and communities impacted by these complex challenges, designing interventions that extend beyond therapy rooms to create significant social impact.
In navigating the complexities of trauma amidst escalating global unrest, our research institute empowers not only therapists by integrating research-derived knowledge into their practices, but also other stakeholders of society, such as policy makers, social scientists, activists working in the NGO sector, etc. This fusion allows for culturally sensitive and targeted interventions addressing transgenerational trauma within contemporary turbulences.
Moreover, amidst pandemics and geopolitical disruptions, our institute serves as an innovation hub. Through research-practice synergies, we develop advanced therapeutic methodologies, aiming to effectively mitigate trauma’s multifaceted impacts. Committed to both scholarly inquiry and practical application, we stand firm against the profound psychological burdens imposed by contemporary global adversities. Our dedication to bridging psychotherapy practice and empirical research underscores our unwavering commitment to addressing and alleviating the multifaceted impacts of trauma within our global community.
Team
Team
Ass.-Prof. Dr. Erzsébet Fanni Tóth
Erzsébet Fanni Tóth is former Vice Dean for International Affairs at the Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, Head of the Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transference Research and Lecturer for Research Methods and University Didactics in the International Programme Psychotherapy Science at SFU Vienna.
Mail: erzsebet.toth@sfu.ac.at
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Dr. Kamila Midor
Kamila Midor is a polyglot scholar, linguist and professional translator who has lived and studied in Poland, the United States, Spain and Austria. She has conducted research at the intersection of cognitive linguistics, psychology and cultural studies. She studied Spanish Studies (Bachelor), English Studies (Bachelor), Translation Studies and Intercultural Communication (Master) and Linguistics (PhD). Visiting researcher at the University of California at Berkeley in 2015/2016.
Mail: kamila.midor@sfu.ac.at
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Lara Lik, MA
Lara Lik is a psychologist from Hungary and holds a master’s degree in psychology from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) in Budapest, specialising in clinical psychology and adult health psychology. She has professional experience in clinical and diagnostic work in the hospital environment, especially at Szent János Hospital in Budapest. In addition to her clinical work, she has completed method-specific training in family therapy through the Hungarian Family Therapy Association and an externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) accredited by the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT). She is currently a researcher at the Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transmission at the Sigmund Freud Private University in Vienna.
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Stéphanie Larchanché, PhD
Stéphanie Larchanché is a medical anthropologist and psychoanalytic therapist. She teaches at SFU Paris, where she specialises in psychosocial and transcultural approaches to mental health care. Her research and publications focus on access to and provision of mental health services for migrants in France and on trauma in the context of asylum procedures.
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Selected Research Projects
Selected Research Projects
Ongoing research projects:
Mental Health and Relocation: Coping Strategies for Hungarian Expats in Austria
Funding body: OMAA, Osztrák-Magyar Tudományos és Oktatási Kooperációs Akcióprogram
Funding amount: €15 000
Project duration: 12 months
Project management: Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transference Research, Sigmund Freud Private University (contact: erzsebet.toth@sfu.ac.at)
Project team: Sigmund Freud Private University (AT), Hungarian research partners: Dr Viola Sallay, Dr Tamás Martos
- Project Description (PDF, English)
#outofthebox Workshops
#outofthebox Workshops
In 2023, our institute launched a new workshop series #outofthebox, which aims to become a critical lab for interdisciplinary topics at the boundaries of psychology, psychotherapy, law, media, literature, art and the world of tech developers. The basic idea on which this initiative is based is that thinking and acting #outofthebox is a creative skill that is essential to face the challenges and provide creative answers to the challenges of the future. In our workshops, participants will have the opportunity to interact and work with well-known personalities from different disciplines, thinking and acting #outofthebox.
Overview of previous #outofthebox workshops
1. Fear bravely
13 October 2023 | Workshop with Hesna Al Ghaoui
Find out more: Fear Bravely
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2. Developing empathy through JOY and dealing with our traumas
20 November 2023 | Workshop with Dr Virág Suhajda
More about this: Developing Attunement
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3. Identity research through the medium of film
9 March 2024 | Workshop with Klára Trencsényi
Read more: Identity research through film
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4. Experience mapping: exploring the healing power of places in health and transgenerational trauma
24 April 2024 | Workshop with Prof. Dr. Tamas Martos & Dr. Habil. Viola Sallay
More about this: Experience Mapping
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5. LGBTIQ+ Minority Stress as a Relational Trauma through the Lenses of Gestalt-Integrative Therapy
17 June 2024 | Workshop with univ. spec. Iva Žegura, clin. psych., mag. psych.
More about this: LGBTIQ+ Minority Stress
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6. The Educator's Experience at Memorial Sites - Psychological Aspects, Challenges and Difficulties
18 November 2024, 15 – 17:30 | Workshop with Joanna Brusik, MA
Read more: The Educator’s Experience at Memorial Sites
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7. Movement Shadow in Diagnostics & Intervention: Use of Movement in Therapeutic Work with Trauma
23 January 2025 | Workshop with Dr Zuzana Vasičáková Očenášová
More about this: Movement Shadow in Diagnostics & Intervention
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8. The Intersection of Trauma, Culture, and Mental Health: A Workshop on Inclusive Practices
25 March 2025 | Workshop with Jason Izadi, BA
Read more: The Intersection of Trauma, Culture & Mental Health
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9. Oral History and Holocaust Memory Research in Slovakia
22 April 2025 | Workshop with Dr Monika Vrzgulová
Read more: Oral History and Holocaust Memory Research in Slovakia
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10. The nightmare of the biomedical approach to mental health in Slovenia
12 June 2025, 15:30 | SFU Vienna, Freudplatz 3, Room 116
Workshop with Prof Dr Miran Možina, SFU Ljubljana
Read more: The nightmare of the biomedical approach to mental health in Slovenia
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Trauma Research Insights
Trauma Research Insights
In 2025, our institute launched another workshop series entitled Trauma Research Insights. The idea behind it is that experts talk about their research on trauma and share their findings and expertise with other researchers at our university. This provides an opportunity for expert discussion, exchange of thoughts and experiences and mutual feedback on different research ideas.
1st Trauma Research Insights Workshop with Deepti Ramaswamy
How can understanding childhood trauma and adverse experiences promote the exit and reintegration of extremists?
On 20 March 2025, we organised the first workshop of the new series aimed at SFU researchers. Our speaker was Deepti Ramaswamy, a visiting researcher from the UK who is currently conducting her research at our institute. She is a psychotherapist and researcher investigating how trauma-sensitive approaches can facilitate the exit and reintegration of former extremists. In her research, she integrates EMDR therapy to explore how personal narratives change through the therapeutic process. She takes a psychosocial approach to synthesising her professional experiences, examining the recurring perpetrator-victim dynamic and developing strategies to break this cycle. Her talk sparked a lively discussion with many questions, but above all left a deep impression due to her methodological expertise and the passion with which she speaks about her research. We are delighted that Deepti chose to conduct her research at our institute and that she was willing to share her valuable insights with us.
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Conferences
Conferences
The head of the Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transference Research (ITTF), Erzsébet Fanni Tóth, held a workshop on how to encourage children to explore their family’s past in the classroom at the pedagogical conference “Life is a game – an adventurous conference (not only) for teachers” in Komárom (SK) on 17 November 2022.
More in the programme
On 1 April 2023, the Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transference Research took part in the Conference for Youth and Child Psychotherapy of the Catholic University Pázmány Péter in Budapest and provided methodological know-how to legitimise psychotherapy science.
Read more in the abstracts booklet (PDF)
On 18 June 2024, Dr Kamila Midor from the Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transference Research took part in the interdisciplinary conference on Gorals “In Search of Identity” at the University Ignatianum in Krakow. She spoke about the effects of cultural affiliation with the Gorals from Żywiec and the use of the Żywiec dialect in addition to standard Polish on the work of the translator and presented examples from her own experience.
More in the programme / photos
The international FemCities Conference took place from 26 September – 27 September 2024 at the Faculty of Psychotherapy Science at SFU on the topic of “Mental Health or Mental Load”.
European Psychotherapy Research Conference (SPR), 12-14 Sept. 2024, Brno, Czech Republic
Moving Beyond the Textbook: A new era in psychotherapy training
On 9 and 10 Sept. 2024, the Faculty of Central European Studies at the University of Constantine the Philosopher in Nitra hosted the 7th International Conference on Transculturality and Bilingualism.
Read more (PDF, English)
From 9 to 11 Oct. 2024, four members of the SFU Trauma Institute took part in the interdisciplinary Marginalities Conference organised by the research group “Margini. Spazi, potere, canone/Margins. Spaces, Power, Canon” in Rome, Italy.
Read more (PDF, English)
On 23 and 24 Oct. 2024, Kamila Midor participated online in the 2024 APS Global Psychological Science Summit, organised by the Association for Psychological Science. She presented a poster titled “Bereaved Americans Talking about Grief After Suicide: Examples, Metaphors, and Why It Matters“, one of two posters (out of more than 300 in total) labelled as a study conducted from a linguistic perspective.
Conference programme (PDF) / Overview Posters (PDF)
Kamila Midor participated in the first International Academic Conference on Universities and Cultural Routes, which took place on 13 and 14 Nov 2024 in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The event was organised by the European Institute of Cultural Routes and the Compostela Group of Universities.
Read more (PDF) / Picture gallery
On Nov. 21-22, 2024, Dr Erzsébet Fanni Tóth and Dr Enikő Darabos from the Trauma Institute at Sigmund Freud Private University (SFU) attended the annual meeting of research institutes of the International Memory Studies Association in Nottingham, UK. The event, held at the National Justice Museum, was coordinated by scholars from Nottingham Trent University.
At the beginning of April 2025, Dr Kamila Midor from the Trauma Institute had a remarkable opportunity to present her research at the 22nd Annual Hawai’i International Summit: Preventing, Assessing & Treating Trauma Across the Lifespan. The Power of Connections: Uniting Communities for Action in Honolulu, Hawai’i, USA, thanks to the support from the SFU.
Dr. Kamila Midor took part in a prestigious convention organized by the Association for Psychological Science from May 22–25, 2025 in Washington, D.C., USA.
Learn more (PDF)
Third Mission
Third Mission
On June 3, 2025, a meeting was held at the main public library in Żywiec, Poland about the book Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us (by Stephen W. Porges, Seth Porges), which was translated into Polish by Dr. Kamila Midor (Jak trauma i poczucie bezpieczeństwa wpływają na nasze życie. Perspektywa poliwagalna).
On 23 January 2025, Dr Kamila Midor held a webinar entitled “Death and mourning the Viennese way” as part of her collaboration with the Polish foundation Instytut Dobrej Śmierci [https://instytutdobrejsmierci.pl/en](Institute of Good Death). Its aim is to provide information and promote dialogue about death and grief in a safe space.
- Read more (PDF)
The Hungarian National Museum (Budapest) hosted a very special book presentation on 26 February 2024. The more than 600-page anthology “Magyar menyasszony” [Hungarian Bride] deals with the changes in the concept of marriage in Hungary over the last 500 years. The Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transfer Research contributed to this analytical work with the essay “Deportált menyasszony” [Deported Bride] by Erzsébet Fanni Tóth. The essay analyses the complex effects of transgenerational trauma caused by marriages prevented by deportation during the Second World War and was presented at the event by Ms Tóth.
- Read more in the table of contents.
Long Night of Research 2024
On 24 May 2024, the Sigmund Freud Private University hosted LNF 2024, a research event for families and students. The aim of the Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transference Research was to familiarise guests with psychotherapy in an entertaining and exciting way with games and prizes for all age groups.
For the children, there was a treasure hunt in which they went in search of famous personalities from the history of psychotherapy in the university’s medical building. They were given a map with pictures of some of the founding figures of psychotherapy, including Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Melanie Klein, Karen Horney, Victor Frank, Anna Freud and Alfred Adler. Along with the card, the children received sheets of paper with a brief introduction to the figures.
A quiz and game in the style of the game show “Who wants to be a millionaire?” with multiple-choice questions on research and theories in psychotherapy was developed for the young people and adults. The game could be played individually by answering the questions on the posters distributed around the room, or interactively by using the set-up in the centre of the room, which mimicked the original game show.
The event was a great success! All of our guests left the room with new knowledge, a prize and a smile on their face. We were delighted with the enthusiastic participation of children and adults and were able to show our sceptical guests that research can also be fun!
written by Gina Hargitay (MA student, English Psychotherapy Science) and Anna Pisoni (Erasmus intern)
Visiting Fellows
Visiting Fellows
Deepti Ramaswamy
is a UK-based psychotherapist and doctoral researcher investigating how trauma-sensitive approaches can facilitate the disengagement and reintegration of former extremists. Her research integrates EMDR therapy to explore how personal narratives change through the therapeutic process. She began her career working with children and adolescents facing social, emotional and behavioural challenges in educational settings before moving into the clinical field. Her experience includes work in child and adolescent psychiatry, eating disorders, correctional facilities, veterans care, and supporting torture survivors. More recently, she has worked as a mental health specialist in conflict zones such as Iraq, Syria and Myanmar. In her doctoral thesis, she is taking a psychosocial approach to synthesise her professional experiences. She is investigating the recurring perpetrator-victim dynamic and exploring strategies to break this cycle.
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Internship | Trainees
Internship | Trainees
Orsolya Kolozsvári-Dörögdi
I am Orsolya Kolozsvári-Dörögdi. After completing my Master’s degree in Design and Art Education at the Moholy-Nagy University of Arts and Crafts and Design (MOME), I am taking part in a further education programme at SFU Vienna from January to June 2025 as part of the Pannonia Professional Scholarship. Under the mentorship of Dr Erzsébet Fanni Tóth, I am focusing on supporting the cultural identity, successful integration and mental well-being of children who have moved abroad. My aim is to develop workshops that use art education methods to promote personal and social competences – at the intersection of art education and psychological support – and can be used both in the public education system and in independent workshops.
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Anna Pisoni
I’m Anna Pisoni, 23 years old, and I recently graduated in sociology from the University of Bicocca in Milan. I’m attending the Erasmus+ Mobility Traineeship at the Institute for Transgenerational Transmission of Trauma Research at Sigmund Freud Private University. I have a passion for travelling, and before pursuing further studies, I wanted to do research on stimulating topics. Luckily, I got the opportunity to conduct research in Vienna. I believe it’s a lovely city. I’ve just done one day of work and I’m already enthusiastic as I participate in the workshop ‘Exploring the healing power of places in health and Transgenerational Trauma‘.
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Nadin Kranicz-Jona
My name is Nadin Kranicz-Jona, I am 14 years old and I attend the Flora Fries educational campus in 1150 Vienna. I was very happy to complete my practical work experience days with Dr Erzsébet Fanni Tóth at SFU Vienna in September 2023. I learnt many new things, including researching Sophie Scholl, Anne Frank and Eva Heyman, reading and summarising an interesting book, and creating a list of interview questions for the third-party funded project “Arriving in the City“.
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Klára Trencsényi
From Sept. 2022 to August 2023, Klára Trencsényi, a filmmaking student from the Hungarian University of Theatre and Film Arts SZFE, participated in the Erasmus+ Mobility Traineeship at SFU Vienna. Her practice-based research focussed on the transmission of collective memory through her documentary, “The Missing Tale (2022).” Together with her mentor Dr Erzsébet Fanni Tóth (SFU), she researched how Hungarian teenagers in Austria perceive their family histories amidst post-Covid restrictions and Vienna’s integration policies.
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Final Theses
Final Theses
Our students are currently writing a number of BA, MA and PhD theses on the subject of transgenerational trauma. Below you will find some selected theses:
- Manuel Kolanowitsch | BA thesis on “Transgenerational stress disorders in grandchildren and great-grandchildren from World War II soldier families”
- Denis Mekolle | PhD thesis
Events
Events
7th Annual Conference of the Memory Studies Association
3 – 7 July 2023, Newcastle University
30th Anniversary Conference of the Kek Vonal Foundation
15th November 2023, Budapest, address by Erzsébet Fanni Tóth
“Exploring Home and Alienation – Conversations on Children’s Literature, Trauma and Identity”
16th November 2023, University in Nitra, Slovakia, guest lecture by Erzsébet Fanni Tóth
Workshop “Modes of Expression. Testimonies, Metaphors, and Music”
21st November 2023, Sigmund Freud Museum
Holocaust Literature and Ego Documents Conference (PDF)
11th & 12th December 2023, Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Graz
Unspoken memories: exploring the senses of ethnic Hungarian deportations in post-WWII Czechoslovakia
21st Oct. 2024, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno
Media Reports
Media Reports
- Beszéljünk végre a nőkről is! –Második világháborús női sorsok (13.05.2025, https://vasarnap.com)
- Horror that remains (03.05.2025, Salzburger Nachrichten)
- Populists name diffuse fears and play with them (25/02/2025, DerStandard)
- https://volksgruppen.orf.at/magyarok/stories/3281759 (25/11/2024, in Hungarian)
- https://sound.orf.at/radio/bgl/beitrag/7533534/magyar-hirmagazin (26/11/2024, in Hungarian)
Contact
Contact
Ass.-Prof. Dr. Erzsébet Fanni Tóth
Institute management
erzsebet.toth@sfu.ac.at
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Dr. Kamila Midor
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Lara Lik, MA
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Stéphanie Larchanché, PhD
n/a
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Institute for Transgenerational Trauma Transference Research
Faculty of Psychotherapy Science
Sigmund Freud Private University
Freudplatz 1, 1020 Vienna
transgentraumaresearch@sfu.ac.at