Online Psychologist from Istanbul: PhD Psychotherapist with 10,000 Clients' Experience

The depth of 18 years and 10,000 clients

In mental health, experience turns into something else once it crosses a certain threshold. 18 years of active clinical practice and sessions with roughly 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 to 3 sessions will reveal. This is not a 'prophecy', but the intuition of someone who has experienced thousands of similar beginnings.

Subtle distinctions: telling moderate anxiety apart 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 common. Within 10,000 sessions you have encountered and worked with every combination.

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

This depth matters for my clients in Istanbul. Because although there are many specialists in Istanbul, the number of therapists with 18 years of active practice and 10,000 sessions of experience is limited.

My specialisations: where have I deepened?

Not every therapist can say 'I work with everything'. The areas in which you are truly good form over time, by working with hundreds of similar cases. In my 18-year practice I have deepened especially in the following areas:

Anxiety disorders

Generalised anxiety, social anxiety, health anxiety, performance anxiety. In the high-pressure business world of Istanbul, these problems are at epidemic levels.

In my clinical approach I combine a CBT-based structured intervention with neuropsychological education (understanding what is happening in the brain during anxiety). Results are usually visible within 8 to 16 sessions.

Panic attacks and panic disorder

Among professionals aged 30 to 45 in Istanbul, panic attacks have increased strikingly over the past 5 years.

The most effective approach for panic attacks is a structured CBT protocol. Recognising triggers, body awareness, exposure techniques and cognitive restructuring. I have worked with thousands of panic-attack cases; this protocol most often brings dramatic relief within 10 to 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 in Istanbul. Because these professions are already based on 'control', and the line is easily crossed.

For OCD, ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is the gold standard. A structured process of 16 to 24 sessions brings a significant reduction in OCD symptoms for most clients.

Phobia

Fear of flying, needle phobia, claustrophobia, social phobia, fear of driving or taking the metro. Every phobia is unique, but there is a common approach: gradual exposure.

For specific phobias, 6 to 10 sessions are usually enough.

Trauma and PTSD

Childhood traumas, loss of parents, accident traumas, chronic-stress traumas, sexual trauma. Trauma work requires specific training.

For trauma 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-year practice I have worked with hundreds of couples. Marital crises, repair after infidelity, breakdown in communication, emotional distancing, sexual problems.

For couples therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is my primary approach. Grounded in attachment theory and scientifically robust. According to research, EFT achieves a success rate of 70 to 75%.

Child and adolescent problems

Crises of adolescence, academic anxiety, difficulties with social adjustment, parent-child communication problems, attention problems, technology addiction.

My doctorate in educational psychology supports this work in particular. When working with adolescents, I address the triad of education + clinical + family system in an integrated way.

International academic grounding

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

This academic depth is directly reflected in my clinical practice, especially with:

• Academics and teachers as clients
• Adolescents and young adults
• Learning and performance anxiety
• Professionals in a career crisis
• Parenting dynamics

Fulbright scholarship: postdoc at the University of Central Florida

With the Fulbright scholarship, the most prestigious academic scholarship in the US, I went to America. I spent a year as faculty doing postdoctoral work at the Department of Psychology of the University of Central Florida (UCF).

What did this experience bring me?

1. Getting to know the American clinical standard from the inside: in America, clinical psychology is a place that sets world standards. Being there as faculty 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 intertwined with clinical practice: this is an integrated formation.

3. International perspective: having worked across the trio of America + Turkey + the Netherlands: the clinical traditions, approaches and values of three different cultures. This perspective makes a particular difference when working with bicultural clients (people with an experience of living abroad, international professionals).

4. Academic authority: the Fulbright scholarship and postdoc are not merely 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 based 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 regulations in Europe:

• Mandatory annual ethical review
• Regular supervision (monthly)
• Continuing professional education (mandatory annual hours)
• Strict confidentiality protocols (GDPR + NEN 7510)

These standards keep my clinical practice continuously up to date and of high quality.

The reality of Istanbul: the greatest enemy of therapy is time

For the millions of professionals who live in Istanbul, the most precious resource is time. And the traditional therapy model consumes this resource heavily.

Let us state the reality plainly. For a one-hour in-person session, in Istanbul it typically takes:

• 45 minutes to 1 hour outbound travel
• 10 to 15 minutes looking for a parking spot
• 50 minutes session
• 45 minutes to 1 hour return travel
• 30 minutes of mental recovery

Total: 3 to 4 hours, for one session.

This model is not sustainable for a busy Istanbul professional. Especially:

• Managers working 50+ hours a week
• Doctors whose shifts change constantly
• Academics with inflexible schedules
• Consultants who visit several offices
• Working parents with young children

The great majority of these profiles know therapy 'would be good', but cannot actually start and sustain it.

Why is online therapy a solution for Istanbul?

The profile of the clients reaching me from Istanbul in recent years shows the following: online therapy is no longer an alternative, but the most sensible model for Istanbul.

Why?

1. You get your time back

For a 50-minute session you set aside 50 minutes. Not 3 to 4 hours. This difference is the key to sustainability.

Calculating per year: one session a week = 52 sessions a year. In the in-person model: 156 to 208 hours (travel included). In the online model: 52 hours. The difference is 100 to 150 hours a year, that is, 4 to 6 working weeks.

2. You can join from anywhere

You are on a business trip. You are at your summer house in Bodrum. The children are at school, you are at home. You have gone to İzmir for a family visit.

In all of these, therapy can continue. The session runs without interruption.

In the in-person model, if you cannot attend the session for 3 weeks, the process stays put. It even goes backwards. In the online model, within those 3 weeks you might do 3 sessions, and that from wherever you happen to be.

3. Privacy increases

In the clinic waiting rooms of Istanbul's prestigious districts, the chance of running into a familiar face is not low. Especially for those with a certain visibility in business, the media and academia, this risk is real.

With online therapy this risk is zero. From your own home, door closed, the session is invisible.

4. You are protected after the session

Having to plunge straight into traffic after an in-person session is therapeutically harmful. The session ends, something emotional has opened up, and you have no space to hold that feeling. Car horns, the crowd on the metro, work calls.

After online therapy you can sit at home for 20 to 30 minutes. You drink tea. You think. You take notes. This integration time is the hidden engine of recovery.

5. The technology barrier is exaggerated

The myth that 'you cannot form a real bond online' collapsed over the past 5 years. The meta-analyses of 2024-2025 are clear: for most psychological problems, online therapy shows equivalent effectiveness to in person. In some cases (social anxiety, panic, shame-based issues) it is even more advantageous.

For which issues do people reach out from Istanbul?

The most frequent issues reaching me from Istanbul in recent years overlap with my specialisations mentioned above:

1. Professional burnout and high-functioning depression

In Istanbul's business world this picture is of epidemic proportions. Especially:

• Managers at international companies
• Employees in the finance sector
• People in senior roles at consultancy firms
• People working 50+ hours a week

Typical description: 'My work is going very well, I am financially successful, but inside I feel as if dead. Nothing gives me pleasure anymore. I am constantly tired but cannot stop.'

2. Anxiety disorders and panic attacks

As I mentioned above, the rise in panic attacks among professionals aged 30 to 45 in Istanbul over the past 5 years is striking. In 18 years I have worked with thousands of panic-attack cases; this experience dramatically increases treatment success.

3. OCD and obsessive patterns

In the high-pressure academic and professional world of Istanbul, OCD is common but often hidden. We work with the ERP protocol, an evidence-based approach tested in thousands of OCD cases.

4. Trauma and work with the past

Childhood traumas, loss of parents, PTSD after an accident, chronic-stress traumas. We work on this in depth with EMDR and somatic approaches.

5. Relationship and marriage problems

In Istanbul: long relationships, aged marriages, new relationships; each comes with its own challenges:

• Emotional distancing in high-performing couples
• Partners kept apart by international work
• Repair processes after infidelity
• Dynamics of a second marriage
• Cross-cultural couples

6. Child and adolescent problems

Academic stress in adolescence, school anxiety, the relationship with social media, parent-child communication, technology addiction. My doctorate in educational psychology adds a particular depth to this area.

7. Identity and existential crises

A picture often seen among middle-aged professionals in Istanbul: success on the outside, emptiness inside. 'My career is successful, my children are fine, my family is in order, but who am I?'

8. Return after an experience abroad, or indecision about it

Professionals returning to Istanbul from abroad or considering returning. My own international experience (Fulbright in the US, currently in the Netherlands) lets me understand this dynamic closely.

9. Executive coaching and therapy

The specific needs of managers at C-suite level:

• The loneliness at the top
• Impostor syndrome
• Decision fatigue
• The work-life balance
• The stress of corporate politics

My clinical approaches

Throughout my 18-year practice I have trained in more than one school of therapy. I have not confined myself to a single school. I choose the most suitable approach according to your situation.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): structured and evidence-based for anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and 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 and difficulties rooted in childhood.

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

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

Play Therapy and Family Systems: in work with children and adolescents.

The session process: how do we work?

1. Contact

You reach me using the appointment form or the WhatsApp button. In a short message, it is enough to note:

• in broad terms what you are seeking support for
• your preferred session times (morning/afternoon/evening)
• whether you have previous therapy experience

That is all. I respond within 24 hours.

2. Introductory call (15 to 20 minutes, free)

Before the first appointment, I offer a non-binding and free introductory call. The purpose of this call:

• to form a first impression
• to assess whether your issue matches my area of expertise
• to discuss practical matters (fee, frequency, timing)
• so that you too can assess working with me

This call can take place via WhatsApp.

3. First session: assessment (50 minutes)

The first session is an assessment session. In this session:

• I understand your current situation in detail
• I take your history
• we clarify your goals
• we draft a treatment plan
• I answer your questions

4. Regular sessions (50 minutes)

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

Suitable time slots for Istanbul:

• Morning: 10:00-12:00 (Istanbul)
• Midday: 13:00-14:00 (Istanbul), for those who want a session during the lunch break
• Evening: 19:00-21:00 (Istanbul)

Because these times are balanced against working hours, they are ideal for professionals.

5. Throughout the process

Brief contact via WhatsApp between sessions is possible (but does not replace the session). I regularly give small 'assignments' to think about; these deepen the session.

Time zone

The time difference between me and Istanbul:

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

Session times are set according to your time zone. I adapt according to my own calendar.

Fees and payment

Individual session (50 minutes): 100 Euro

Couples therapy (60 minutes): 130 Euro

Child/adolescent session (50 minutes): 100 Euro

This fee is:

• comparable to the fees of prestigious practices in Istanbul
• at the European average
• reasonable for PhD level + Fulbright postdoc + 18 years of experience

Payment methods:

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

Cancellation policy: a cancellation must be notified 24 hours in advance. For cancellations after this period, the full session fee is charged.

Confidentiality and security

Sessions are held via secure and encrypted platforms:

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

Confidentiality principles:

• Sessions are in no way recorded
• My clinical notes are kept in an encrypted environment (NEN 7510-compliant)
• Your information is not shared with any third party
• Even if I work in parallel with your partner or family, the individual sessions remain entirely confidential

Legal framework: I work according to the Dutch professional ethics rules and the GDPR standards. These standards give you additional assurance.

For whom is this an ideal fit?

My practice is not suitable for everyone. Let me be clear:

Ideal fit

• People experiencing an anxiety disorder, panic attacks, OCD or phobia
• Clients who need trauma work
• Couples seeking support with relationship and marriage problems
• Parents with children in adolescence
• People seeking sustainable therapy given Istanbul's intense pace
• Individuals with academic/intellectual depth
• People who value a scientifically grounded approach
• Professionals with international connections

More suitable alternatives

• An active psychiatric crisis (hospital follow-up is needed)
• When a severe substance addiction is active (detox takes priority)
• Only a need for acute crisis management
• Primarily seeking medication treatment (a psychiatrist is needed)