PhD Psychotherapist with a Clinical Background in Ankara: 18 Years of Experience, Online Therapy

I am Dr. Hüseyin Doğan. In my 18 years of clinical practice I have worked with approximately 10,000 clients. For many years I ran an active clinical practice in Ankara. I completed my doctorate in counselling psychology at Gazi Üniversitesi. With the Fulbright scholarship I carried out a year of clinical postdoctoral work in America, as a faculty member at the Department of Psychology of the University of Central Florida (UCF). At present I work as a resident specialist psychologist in the Netherlands. But the soul, the people, the dynamics of Ankara: these are still the foundation of my clinical practice.

With my clients in Turkey I now work entirely online; and in the same way with my Turkish-speaking clients living in the Netherlands, Germany and other European countries. On this page I explain how my clinical experience in Ankara will add value for you, why online therapy has become the preferred option for many professionals, and how to take the first step.

18 Years, 10,000 Clients: the Foundations of Clinical Wisdom

In the field of mental health, experience, once it passes a certain threshold, turns into something else. 18 years of active clinical practice and sessions carried out with approximately 10,000 clients create a clinical wisdom that goes far beyond theory.

What does this mean in practice?

Pattern recognition: what a client says in the first 10 minutes usually signals to me what the next 2-3 sessions will reveal. This is not a 'prophecy', it is the intuition of having lived through thousands of similar beginnings.

Subtle distinctions: distinguishing moderate anxiety from OCD, high-functioning depression from burnout, normal grief from complicated grief: these are not acquired without seeing thousands of cases.

Rare combinations: clients rarely come with a single 'thing'. Combinations such as anxiety + trauma, depression + relationship problem, eating disorder + anger are frequent. Within 10,000 sessions you have encountered and worked with every combination.

Points of resistance: at certain points in every therapy process, the client builds a 'wall'. An experienced therapist recognises these walls and knows the right moment to break them down.

Why Does the Ankara Experience Matter?

There are many 'online Turkish psychologists'. Choosing among them is difficult. But among them, those who had a physical clinical practice in Ankara for years can be counted on one hand.

Why is this experience so valuable?

1. Knowing the Professional Texture of Ankara

Ankara is a professional city with its own character. Ministries, public institutions, academia, the diplomatic milieu, the defence industry, technology centres. Each carries its own stress, expectation and culture.

Although the professional difficulties experienced by a bureaucrat and by an academic may seem similar, they have very different dynamics. The stress sources of an engineer in the defence industry and of a doctor in Çankaya are not the same.

By working in Ankara for years, I came to know these differences. When a client says 'I work at a ministry' or 'I am a researcher at TÜBİTAK', these names are not just a label for me, but a real context.

2. Knowing the Cultural Layers of Ankara

Ankara is not a simple city. A city that has absorbed internal migration, native Ankaralılar, families of civil servants, academics from rural areas, children of second- and third-generation bureaucrats: all different cultural backgrounds.

When a client says 'I grew up in Keçiören but now live in Çayyolu', this is not just address information, but a sociocultural journey. The identity layers, the contradictions, the pressure to succeed that this journey creates, I know. Because I saw that texture myself in my clinical practice.

3. Knowing the Family Dynamics in Ankara

Ankara families have a distinctive structure. A strong education culture, high expectations of success, a tradition of public service, the pressure of 'let the child become a doctor/lawyer/engineer', the particular burden of children of academic parents: these are all dynamics specific to Ankara.

While for someone from Istanbul the 'university entrance exam' is a stage, for many Ankaralılar it can be a matter of the family's honour. This difference is critical. Knowing this context when I work with my clients in Ankara deepens the assessment.

4. Knowing the Health and Academic System of Ankara

My clients sometimes say 'I have my doctorate at Hacettepe' or 'I am a faculty member at Ankara Üniversitesi'. I know these institutions, their work cultures, their academic politics. There is no need to spell it out one by one.

The same applies to the health system. I know the cultural differences between the private hospitals, the public hospitals and the private clinics in Ankara.

5. Knowing the Rhythm of Life in Ankara

A seemingly simple example: when a client asks 'can I have a session at 18:30 in the evening', I know the level of fatigue at that hour, the mental state after work stress, the tension created by the traffic on the way home. I observed these clinically in Ankara for years.

My Areas of Specialisation: Where Have I Deepened?

No therapist can say 'I work with everything'. The areas in which you are truly good take shape over time, by treating hundreds of similar cases. In my 18 years of practice I have deepened in particular in the following areas:

Anxiety Disorders

Generalised anxiety, social anxiety, health anxiety, performance anxiety. In the high-pressure world of work and academia these problems are at an epidemic level. In my clinical approach, a CBT-based structured intervention + neuropsychological education come together. Results are usually seen within 8-16 sessions.

Panic Attacks and Panic Disorder

Among professionals aged 30-45, panic attacks have increased strikingly over the past 5 years. The most effective approach for panic attacks is a structured CBT protocol. I have treated thousands of panic attack cases: this protocol usually brings dramatic relief within 10-14 sessions.

OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

OCD is a far more common disorder than it appears on the surface. I encounter it especially often among academics, lawyers and engineers. For OCD, ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is the gold standard. With a structured process of 16-24 sessions, significant improvement is achieved.

Phobia

Fear of flying, needle phobia, claustrophobia, social phobia, fear of driving a car/taking the metro. Each phobia is distinct, but there is a common approach: gradual exposure. For specific phobias, 6-10 sessions are usually enough.

Trauma and PTSD

Childhood traumas, loss of parents, accident traumas, chronic stress traumas, sexual trauma. Trauma work requires special training. I use EMDR and somatic approaches. For complex trauma (C-PTSD), long-term psychodynamic work may be needed.

Relationship and Marriage Problems

In my 18 years of practice I have worked with hundreds of couples. Marriage crises, repair after infidelity, broken communication, emotional distancing, sexual problems. For couple therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is my primary approach. According to research it shows a success rate of 70-75%.

Child and Adolescent Problems

Crises of adolescence, academic anxiety, difficulties in social adjustment, parent-child communication problems, attention problems, technology addiction. My doctorate in educational psychology supports this work in particular.

International Academic Background

Alongside clinical practice, the academic foundation is also of great importance. Especially for a deep and continuously updated clinical quality.

Fulbright Scholarship, Postdoc at University of Central Florida (USA)

With the Fulbright scholarship, the most prestigious academic scholarship of the USA, I went to America. At the Department of Psychology of the University of Central Florida (UCF) I did a year of postdoctoral work as a faculty member.

What did this experience bring me?

1. Knowing the American clinical standard from the inside: in America, clinical psychology is in a place that sets the world standards. Being there as a faculty member meant direct access to the most current research and clinical practices.

2. Academic and clinical integration: teaching in a university setting, doing research and at the same time being interwoven with clinical practice: this is an integral formation.

3. International perspective: having worked in the triad of America + Turkey + the Netherlands, the clinical traditions, approaches and values of three different cultures. This perspective makes a difference, especially when working with bicultural clients (people with a life abroad, international professionals).

4. Academic authority: the Fulbright scholarship and the postdoc are not just an ornament, but a sign of scientific rigour and the discipline of continuous learning.

The Netherlands, NIP Registration and the European Standard

At present I work as a resident in the Netherlands. I am a clinical psychologist registered with the NIP (Nederlands Instituut van Psychologen). The Netherlands is one of the countries with the strictest clinical regulation in Europe:

• mandatory annual ethical review
• regular supervision (monthly)
• continuing professional education (annual mandatory hours)
• strict confidentiality protocols (GDPR + NEN 7510)

What Do My Clients Say About Online Therapy?

The experiences of my clients who received online therapy from Ankara in recent years show a consistent pattern.

Most of them begin with "At first I was sceptical, but…" The biggest worry about online therapy: "Can a real bond be formed?" But after a few sessions this worry usually disappears.

"I notice no difference." My clients say they do not feel a clinically meaningful difference. The 2024-2025 meta-analyses confirm this too: online therapy shows equivalent effectiveness to face-to-face.

"Actually it is more advantageous." Many clients specifically prefer online. The reasons:

• the comfort of being in one's own home
• time to recover after the session (instead of plunging into traffic)
• privacy (no acquaintance in the waiting room)
• a more flexible schedule
• being able to continue sessions uninterrupted even while travelling

"It is sustainable." Perhaps the most important advantage. Clients who begin therapy usually stop after 3-6 months due to work pressure, traffic and travel. In online therapy this 'dropout rate' is much lower.

My Clinical Approaches

Throughout my 18 years of practice I have been trained in more than one school of therapy. I have not remained confined to a single school. Depending on your situation, I choose the most suitable approach.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): structured and evidence-based for anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, phobia.

ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention): the gold standard for OCD.

EMDR: the scientific standard for processing traumatic experiences.

Schema Therapy: for recurring relationship patterns, deep self-worth problems, childhood-rooted difficulties.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): the gold standard in couple therapy, in the repair of attachment wounds.

Psychodynamic Approach: for identity problems, existential crises, deep personality work.

Play Therapy and Family Systems: in child and adolescent work.

The Session Process

1. Contact

You reach me using the form on the appointment page or the email address. A short message in which you outline in broad terms what you are seeking support for, your preferred session times and whether you have prior therapy experience is enough. I respond within 24 hours.

2. Intake Call (15-20 Minutes, Free)

Before the first appointment, I offer a non-binding and free intake call.

3. First Session, Assessment (50 Minutes)

The first session is an assessment session. I understand your situation in detail, and we draw up a draft treatment plan.

4. Regular Sessions (50 Minutes)

We usually start weekly. As the process advances, it can move to once every two weeks.

Time Zone

The time difference between me and Turkey:

• Summer (March-October): Turkey is 1 hour ahead of the Netherlands
• Winter (November-February): Turkey is 2 hours ahead of the Netherlands

The session times are set according to your time zone.

Prices and Payment

Individual session (50 minutes): 100 Euro

Couple therapy (60 minutes): 130 Euro

Child/adolescent session (50 minutes): 100 Euro

Payment methods:

• Wise (most economical, ideal for Turkey)
• Bank transfer (Euro or TL)
• PayPal
• Credit card (online payment link)

Cancellation policy: cancellation must be reported 24 hours in advance.

Confidentiality and Security

The sessions take place via secure and encrypted platforms:

• Zoom (HIPAA-compliant, end-to-end encrypted)
• WhatsApp video (encrypted)
• Signal (for maximum privacy)

Confidentiality principles:

• the sessions are in no way recorded
• clinical notes are stored in an encrypted environment (NEN 7510-compliant)
• information is not shared with any third party

Legal framework: work is done according to Dutch professional ethics rules and GDPR standards.

For Whom Is It an Ideal Match?

Ideal Match

• people with an anxiety disorder, panic attacks, OCD, phobia
• clients who need trauma work
• couples seeking support for relationship and marriage problems
• parents with children in adolescence
• Turkish-speaking professionals living in Turkey or in Europe
• individuals with academic/intellectual depth
• those who value a scientifically grounded approach
• those who have lived or are living between two cultures

More Suitable Alternatives

• an active psychiatric crisis (hospital follow-up required)
• when there is active severe substance dependence
• only a need for acute crisis management
• primarily a search for medication treatment