Readers’ questions

The intro call is a free 15-minute introduction by phone or online; it is not a session. I briefly hear what brings you, explain how I work and we see whether we suit each other.

The first session is a 50-minute assessment and is charged at the session fee.

No. You can come without knowing what to say. Noting your questions on your phone is enough. If you take medication it helps to know its name; you do not need to bring reports or test results.

A psychologist holds a psychology degree. A clinical psychologist has a master’s or doctorate in clinical psychology with training in assessment and psychotherapy. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who diagnoses and can prescribe medication. A counsellor in Türkiye graduates from psychological counselling and guidance.

I am a clinical psychologist; I do not prescribe and I work with psychiatrists when needed.

In CBT there are usually short tasks between sessions: a thought record, a small experiment or an observation. They are not about grades but about carrying what we discuss into daily life. We set the amount and difficulty together; even a week you could not do it gives us something to talk about.

Whenever you want. When you think about stopping, it helps to talk about it in a session; that way we close the road together and write down what helped and what to do in hard times. Taking a break and returning later is also possible.

However frightening, an attack usually peaks within a few minutes and then eases. In the moment you can try slowing your breathing (in for four, out for six), feeling your feet on the floor and counting five objects around you.

If there is chest pain, severe symptoms for the first time or fainting, call 112; panic attacks are only discussed after physical causes have been ruled out.

Anxiety is a natural emotion that prepares us for danger; making it disappear completely is neither possible nor desirable. In therapy the aim is for anxiety not to run your life, so you can do what you want even when it comes. How long this takes varies from person to person.

I use an end-to-end encrypted video service. The link arrives in your email the day before; you do not need to install an app or open an account. You can join from a computer or a phone; a computer and headphones are more comfortable.

Yes. Times are planned in Istanbul time. There may be situations where working with a local specialist where you live is more suitable (for example when you need support nearby in a crisis); we assess this together in the intro call.

I do not take prepaid packages or lump sums; each session is paid on its day. That way your decision to continue depends on whether the process helps you, not on a package you have paid for.

Some private health insurers cover psychotherapy sessions up to a certain number. As I issue a receipt for every session you can claim; please check the cover and required documents with your insurer.

No. Neither in-person nor online sessions are audio or video recorded. I keep only my own brief session notes, stored in a locked cabinet or encrypted. In online sessions I also ask you not to record.

I am not an emergency service and may not be able to reply immediately outside session hours. If you are thinking of harming yourself or someone else, please call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department without waiting. Afterwards we talk about it together in a session.

I do not share with anyone who my clients are; if we meet in the street I act as if I do not know you unless you greet me first. Working with someone close to you (a partner, sibling, close friend) at the same time may not be ethically appropriate; just mention it in the intro call.