Three books from the consulting room

Psychologist Dr. Hüseyin Doğan writes about burdens he often hears about in the consulting room. The novels Açılmayan Bavul and Büyüyünce Aç are written in Turkish: one is about family roles and not being able to say no, the other about a childhood in which 'nothing bad happened'. The illustrated children's book Taşlar ve Göller, about a child making room for herself in a new place, is available in Turkish and in Dutch. All three are e-books on Google Play Books.

Açılmayan Bavul

Aileden Taşınan Yüklerin Hikâyesi

Is the suitcase you have carried for years really yours?

A Traveller, a heavy suitcase with a broken lock and a train journey in sixteen chapters. Alongside it, four lives: Elif, who cannot say no to her mother, Hasan, who reconciles others and falls silent at home, Murat, who carries the family's burdens, and Zeynep, who reads her own mood in her partner's face. A Turkish novel about family, with a Threshold after every chapter and a guide at the end.

Turkish-European readers who find it hard to say no to family
Second-generation readers caught between home and a life of their own
Anyone who reads Turkish and has long waited for an apology

See the book →View on Google Play Books ↗

Büyüyünce Aç

Bir yetişkinlik ve çocukluk anlatısı

Do you say of your childhood, "Nothing bad happened"?

When an old primary school is demolished, a blue tin box turns up behind a radiator. Inside are the letters nine-year-old Deniz wrote in 1993 to "the Grown-up Me". Deniz, now forty-two, writes back to the child. A short, illustrated novel in letters, written in Turkish, with handwritten children's letters and drawings.

Adults who learnt as children never to be a bother
Anyone who learnt early to read the mood of the house at the door
Readers of Turkish who want to look back at their own childhood

See the book →View on Google Play Books ↗

Taşlar ve Göller

Stones and Lakes

For children who carry a stone that no one else can see.

Little Leyra's flock has to leave the Iron Cliffs. Carrying her grandfather's stone, she reaches the Grey Lake, a place of waiting, and then the Silver Lake, where everything looks drawn with a ruler. A children's book with watercolour illustrations about migration, belonging and being different; the Dutch edition is called Stenen en Meren.

Children who have moved to a new country, city or school
Parents who want to talk with their child about migration and belonging
Teachers with newly arrived children in their class

See the book →Turkish edition on Google Play ↗

You can read a definition, nod and put it aside. When a story shows you your own phone call, your own kitchen, your own family gathering, you stop for a moment. These books were written for that moment.

The characters are invented, drawn from the many lives Dr. Hüseyin Doğan has met in more than 19 years of clinical work. The psychology sits inside the story, in plain language: not being able to say no, emotional neglect, family roles and what one generation hands to the next.

Açılmayan Bavul and Büyüyünce Aç are written in Turkish: for Turkish-Dutch and Turkish-European readers, the second generation, partners and friends, and anyone who reads Turkish. Taşlar ve Göller also has a Dutch edition, Stenen en Meren, so children can read it in the language of school and the language of home.

About Dr. Hüseyin Doğan →

Frequently asked questions

Are the books available in English?

Not at the moment. Açılmayan Bavul and Büyüyünce Aç are in Turkish; the children's book Taşlar ve Göller is available in Turkish and in Dutch (Stenen en Meren). All are e-books on Google Play Books. You can read them in the Google Play Books app on a phone or tablet, or in a web browser on your computer.

Which book should I start with?

If your present-day relationship with family weighs most, for example finding it hard to say no, Açılmayan Bavul speaks to that most directly. If you want to look back at your own childhood, the short, illustrated Büyüyünce Aç is a good place to begin. If you want to talk with your child about moving, being different and belonging, start with Taşlar ve Göller. The books stand on their own.

Can the books replace therapy?

No. They are stories with psychological insight; they can help you understand yourself better, but they do not replace individual diagnosis or treatment. If you would like to speak with a psychologist in Turkish, you can get in touch through ViaNova Praktijk's appointment page.

Who is the author?

Dr. Hüseyin Doğan is a psychologist with more than 19 years of clinical experience. Through ViaNova Praktijk he works online with Turkish-speaking adults in the Netherlands and across Europe.