About Me
I came to the UK in 2010 after studying psychology in Istanbul, Turkey. I completed a masters degree in counselling and worked with children and young people during my university placement. Working over ten years in a mental health charity, in therapist and management roles, I had one to one and group work with adults with severe mental health disorders. During this time, I completed a diploma programme in psychotherapy.
Having started my private practice in 2020, I am also currently working part-time in the NHS talking therapy service. I started my clinical training in psychoanalysis and psychotherapy at CFAR (Centre for Freudian Analysis and Research) in 2015 and I still continue my formation as a psychoanalyst which also involves going through my own analysis. I work with a Lacanian orientation.
I am an accredited member of the BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy). I work in accordance with BACP ethical framework https://www.bacp.co.uk/media/3103/bacp-ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions-2018.pdf and CFAR Code of Ethics and Code of Practice https://cfar.org.uk/code-of-ethics/.
I offer sessions in English and Turkish. Terapi seanslarını Ä°ngilizce veya Türkçe yapmaktayım.
What is psychoanalysis?
How do psychoanalysts work?
Psychoanalysis is a practice of talking. ’The talking cure’ was developed by Sigmund Freud in the 1890s. According to Freud, our behaviour is determined by unconscious forces; something that lays the ground in our childhood that impacts our present and everyday life. My work is oriented by Jacques Lacan who is a French psychoanalyst who insisted on returning to Freud’s work with a focus on unconscious, speech and language.
Psychoanalysis works with a variety of issues such as major life changes, anxiety, depression, feeling lonely, jealousy, overwhelming thoughts, repetitive patterns that feel difficult to break, love/gender/relationships or sometimes just a curiosity about understanding ourselves better. Individuals usually seek help when their symptoms become overwhelming.
The idea of a psychoanalytic treatment is to be able to access our parts that we are not aware of, which creates our suffering. We try and do this by creating a space to speak freely about what comes to mind (free association). Our crisis, suffering, symptoms are linked to what is ‘unsaid’; therefore, treatment aims to work with the unconscious by enabling the individual to articulate what cannot be said. Exploration of these unconscious processes can enable the individual to find their own way to dealing with difficulties in their life.
Some approaches today focus on eliminating/correcting symptoms with an intent to help the person bring back to the ‘normal’. Psychoanalysis works with symptoms that can normally be seen as pathological in a different way. We work with symptoms in order to understand the uniqueness of the person and what the symptom is trying to tell us rather than to get rid of it. Symptoms are to be heard in a different way and not to be eliminated, as they act as a clue to the individual’s past and where the suffering lies. Being able to understand our symptoms will bring relief to our suffering eventually.
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There may be a belief that some analysts/therapists can be silent or blank individuals. On the contrary, I would be asking you questions about your past, childhood, family relationships, dreams and inviting you to discuss whatever comes to your mind. Sometimes talking about everyday life that doesn’t seem important to you on the surface can bring something important. Psychoanalysis works with ‘chain of word associations’ that something we say may be linked to another word that is highly significant in our past and we do not think about it every day. I would listen in a different way and pay attention to words you use in order to help you uncover something fruitful.
Questions
What type of interventions?
The treatment is aimed to address individual’s needs and it is not ‘one size fits all’ therapy. Every individual is unique with their own life history so the interventions would be unique to the individual. Psychoanalytic treatment requires a long term treatment as well as patience and commitment but I can offer brief treatments to individuals who would benefit more from them due to their circumstances.
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Duration/Frequency of the Sessions?
Sessions are between 40-50 minutes and there is no 50-minute set time. This is because it may be more helpful to end the session on a note where it is meaningful rather than to be restricted by the clock.
Sessions are usually once a week to start with. Some individuals may choose to meet fortnightly or twice a week depending on their individual circumstances. This is something that can be discussed throughout the initial sessions.
Fee?
What is next?
The fee will be discussed based on what you can afford. 2 weeks' cancellation notice is required for all appointments. Missed sessions without notice are due in full.
If you want to decide if psychoanalytic treatment is right for you or see if we can work together, we can arrange an initial consultation. It is important that you work with someone you feel that it is the right fit for you as this can affect the whole treatment.
Resources
For more information on psychoanalysis
Freud Museum London