My Online Services

one

Individual Sessions

Drawing on different theoretical orientations the therapeutic process will be tailored specifically to address any presenting difficulty. Individuals will be considered as the experts of their lives already possessing the necessary competencies to solve any presenting issue. They will be encouraged to re discover the skills and resources that had been instrumental in overcoming difficulties in the past. At the same time individuals will learn how to accept themselves and their limitations by creating the necessary conditions for acceptance and nonjudgmental awareness to emerge.

Together we will establish a therapeutic alliance that would enable us to work as a team, while at the same time stressing the need for individual effort, motivation and regular disciplined practice. These are core constituents of any beneficial and therapeutic outcome. Furthermore constructs such as, emotional resilience, improvement of interpersonal relationships and self-compassion will be explored and will be made to contribute towards sustaining psychological health and stability. Finally, people’s interconnectedness will be examined while stressing the importance significant others can make in contributing and sustaining any change.

Format of the sessions

Weekly Meetings
50 min each meeting
Cost 850 YTL/ 50 Euros

second

Group Trainings

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Description

This is a well-defined and systematic patient-centered educational approach which uses relatively intensive training with mindfulness at the core of a program. The main aim is to teach people how to take better care of themselves and live healthier and more adaptive lives. The prototype program was developed at the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre.

This model has been successfully utilized with appropriate modifications in a number of non-medical settings such as schools, prisons, athletic training programs, professional programs, and the workplace. We emphasize that there are many different ways to structure and deliver mindfulness-based stress reduction programs. However, there are key principles and aspects of MBSR which are universally important to consider and to embody within any context of teaching.

Objectives of the course

a) Making the experience a challenge rather than a chore and thus turning the observing of one's life mindfully into an adventure in living rather than one more thing one "has" to do for oneself to be health.

b) An emphasis on the importance of individual effort and motivation and regular disciplined practice of the exercises in its various forms, whether one "feels" like practicing on a particular day or not.

c) The immediate lifestyle change that is required to undertake formal mindfulness practice, since it requires a significant time commitment.

d) The importance of making each moment count by consciously bringing it into awareness during practice, thus stepping out of clock time into the present moment.

e) An educational rather than a therapeutic orientation, in a time-limited course structure that cultivates ongoing motivation, support , and feelings of acceptance and belonging. The social factors of emotional support and caring and not feeling isolated or alone in one's efforts to cope and adapt and grow are in all likelihood extremely important factors in healing as well as for providing an optimal learning environment.

Format of the course

8 weekly Meetings
2.5 hours each meeting
1 Mindful day/6 hours
Total 26 hours

Mindfulness Based Compassion Living (MBCL)

Description

Compassion is a human capacity inherent in all of us. For various reasons this capacity is not in everyone so well developed but fortunately it can be cultivated and deepened through practice.

The program is a follow up course for the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course. It consists of 8 sessions 2 hours each which are held weekly. Between the 6th and 7th session an extra silent day is offered to deepen the practice. Participants commit themselves to set aside an hour daily for practice at home with the help of a workbook and audio files.

Objectives of the course

The acknowledgement of pain and suffering as part of human life and insight into how our brains evolved to help us survive.

Understanding the three basic emotion regulation systems: the threat system, focused on safety and self-protection; the drive system, focused on acquiring satisfaction, resources and rewards; and the soothing system, focused on ‘safeness’, contentment and social bonding.

How the three systems can get out of balance by influences from outside, but also from inside, for instance through harsh self-criticism and shaming.

Common humanity: sensing our shared human condition; and what we did not choose is not our fault.

How imagery can influence the emotion regulation systems and imagination exercises can help restore the balance by strengthening our soothing systems and help to cultivate an inner helper.

Exercises how to compassionately motivate ourselves, pay attention, sense, think, reason, speak and act.

Exercises that help us discover what contributes to happiness, joy and gratitude.
Becoming familiar with the Four Friends for Life (loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity) and discovering which of the four is the best helper in a given situation.

Format of the course

8 weekly Meetings
2.5 hours each meeting
1 Mindful day/6 hours
Total 26 hours

third

Couples

One on one sessions

As a therapist my aim is to explore the individual needs of each couple and work with them as a team to meet. In couples therapy thou, there is a paradox, the outcome might not be always positive, that is the absence of the problem. The outcome might be either deciding to dissolve a relationship or trying to make it work. It is important therefore to facilitate a process of discovery, so the individuals can make the necessary decision for their future. In order for this process to work will need to create an environment of acceptance, understanding, compassion and honest communication. Learning to balance our needs and that of our partner is a learned skill, one that needs to be consciously cultivated.

Format of the sessions

Weekly Meetings
1.30 min each meeting
Cost YTL/ 70 Euros

Wise Livin-The Relationship

Description

Co-existence with another human being, is a challenging affair in any given scenario. When it comes to the life of a couple the situation can be even more challenging as we have two individuals coming from different backgrounds, holding different values and beliefs while trying to negotiate a common future. Competing goals of the partners as well as societal pressures make the task ever more difficult. In this course our aim is to create an understanding on core issues such as listening, accepting, being innovative and resolving confrontation. During the two and half month period, that the course runs plenty opportunities for practice and feedback will arise.

Objectives of the course

Awareness and Presence
Attachment theory-Understanding Patterns, understanding how your past affects your present
Mindful Communication-the ability to listen and connect
Acceptance of differences
Confrontation- what does it try to prevent
The expert of their lives
Innovation-the ability to Play
Eros-The Sexual and sensual
Love always preservers-no conditions apply

Methodology

The training course is based on a mixture of theoretical discourse and experiential learning. The participants will have the opportunity to apply theory to practice in class as well as design their own interventions at home. The group format will be employed in order to receive and give feedback on each other’s their experiences.

Methods used:

• Contemplative, inner reflection and guided practice exercises.

• Psychological assessment Instruments

• Theoretical discourse

• Self-reflection Journals

• Work with peers-dyadic sharing

• Group Discussions –sharing different perspectives

Format of the course

• 9 weekly Meetings+1 Intro

• 1.5 hours each meeting

• Total 14 hours

fourth

Divorce Mediation

Wise Livin- Together Creating the future

Deciding to end a marriage is a painful and a resources depleting process for those directly but also indirectly involved. As such it should never be taken lightly. Recently one of the most liberal European countries, Denmark which also has one of the highest divorce rates changed its approach to divorce. In the past, Danes could take a divorce by simple filling an online form. Now couples need to wait for three months and undergo counselling before the marriage can be dissolved.

Employing Solution Focused approach an approved method for out of court mediation in Holland, we help the interested parties develop a solution approach to a difficult problem. We create the best case or good enough case scenario, using existing competencies and possibilities. That could mean strengthening relationships through trust and respect or ending them in an acceptable way as possible. We essentially create a non zero sum situation where both parties can "win", by taking away something they deem as necessary for the future. Solution focused mediation cases are solved more rapidly, in an earlier stage than other approaches, more economically and usually with a better outcome than anticipated.

Format of the sessions

Meeting duration: Depends on arrangement
1.5 hour each meeting
Cost YTL/ 75 Euros

fifth

Family Counseling

One on One sessions

As primary care givers, parents would like to help their children develop the ability to preserver, adapt and bounce back in the face of stress and adversity. Working together as a team, we will help each family develop the parenting approach suitable for them. They will discover how to employ clear and supportive language that makes children feel appreciated, while at the sometime it highlights their existing strengths and skills. Children that feel accepted and understood naturally develop a natural reservoir of resilience to rely upon. On the other side of the parenting spectrum the family will learn to initiate and install a healthy degree of discipline coupled together with responsibilities. This is the kind of discipline that would assist the child to develop the ability to self regulate.

The session can be held solely with the parents or include the child as well.

Format of the sessions

Meeting duration: Weekly meetings
1.5 hour each meeting
Cost YTL/ Euros

Wise Livin- Being a Parent

Description

Parental care is one of the most demanding and difficult tasks for many adults, but parents fulfill it with love, joy, pride and a sense of fulfillment. However it can be very stressful job, being the best parent that you can. During the program Conscious Livin- Being a Parent, we will attempt to understand the basic theory affecting the development of children, learning to deal with everyday situations and understand our own reactions. Finally having the time to apply what has been learned in real life scenarios during a period of four months.

Objectives of the course

The following themes will be examined during the training:

Attachment theory- creating the safe space to explore
How does the mind functions and how it affects decisions
Emotions the evolutionary perspective and present day reality
The Right kind of Discipline, how to get it across
Understanding and resolving Conflict
Motivation- how to learn to access existing skills and strengths
Connecting with others-extending compassion and kindness to friends and peers.
Good enough-Is there a benchmark for parenting?

Methodology

Methods used:

Custom made exercises
Psychological assessment Instruments
Theoretical discourse
Self-reflection Journals
Work with peers-dyadic sharing
Group Discussions -listening to different perspectives

Format of the course

12 weekly Meetings
1.5 hours each meeting
Total 24 hours

Based on different parenting needs two groups have been created differentiated by children’s age:

6 -12 years old WHITE group

12-18 years old ORANGE group

Format of the sessions

Meeting duration: 9 meetings
1.5 hour each meeting
Cost YTL/ Euros

sixth

Children & Adolescent

One on one Session

Children have one important task, to make sense of the world. The best way to go about doing that is by manipulating their environment. Caregivers need to create for them a secure environment, so they can be able to test out their theories. Secure not only in the physical sense but also in psychological. Working with children in that secure environment they learn how explore their emotions review interpersonal connections and learn to self regulate. In a nutshell they gradually build emotional resilience, to learn how to wither life changes.

When working with children parents are always involved, either directly or indirectly. They are the ones that would sustain what ever progress has been made within the sessions. Either by removing a behavior or be instigating one. Parents can be the therapist most important working partner.

Format of the sessions

Meeting duration: Weekly meetings
40 min each meeting
Cost 850YTL/ 50 Euros

Wise Livin-Adolescent Mentorship

Description

A Mentor can play an important role in every area of social and personal life, encompassing family dynamics, education, culture, sports and spiritual life. As such a mentor is open to the experience of others and he would listen with compassion and understanding to their frustrations and disappointments. Adolescence is a challenging time, where an individual has to discover their place in the world amidst important life defining decisions. A mentor would stand by the adolescent, listening with awareness but also posing thought provoking and some times challenging questions. Using his knowledge and expertise as well as life experience he aims to guide individuals in discovering personal meaning within the stress, confusion and conflict that might be present in their lives.

Format of the sessions

Meeting duration: Depends on arrangement
30 min each meeting
Cost 700YTL/ 30 Euros

‘Mindfulness Matters!’

The mindfulness matters, awareness training is a concrete and systematic program developed for children by Eline Snel. There is ample evidence to support its efficacy. The program is designed to help the child’s inner development by cultivating such skills such as attention, concentration, patience, friendliness, and tolerance. By developing the child’s awareness, the child is then able to focus attention consciously in the current moment and without judgement. This makes it easier to deal with the emotional changes in their life. The method involves four each one representing an age group.

The groups are:

Green- 4 to 8 years/8 lessons

Red -9 to 11 years old / 8 lessons

Yellow -12 to 14 years old / 10 lessons

Blue- 14 to 19 years old / 10 lessons

Lesson 1 Observing and focusing

Mindfulness teaches children and adults to be fully present in the moment. It enables them to understand what is going on in the inner and outer world with an open and loving mind.

Lesson 2 Listening to your body

All kind of things take place in our body. Tired from a day's play and running. Our body knows all about it!

Lesson 3 Tasting, smelling, hearing, seeing and feeling

Observing objectively is best learned through the senses.

Lesson 4 Patience, faith and letting go

Desires and longing are very important and very healthy but at the same time are also difficult to handle. Unfortunately sometimes there are situations you cannot change despite our best effort.

Lesson 5 You can feel feelings

You can feel emotions and feelings in our body. Mindfulness matters is all about detecting, acknowledging and generously accepting feelings.

Lesson 6 The wondrous world of thoughts

We will get to know the stream of thoughts and will learn how to control these thoughts.

Lesson 7 it’s fun to be kind

Encouraging kind thoughts has an enormous effect. It will enable us to view somebody else with compassion even if we have conflict with that person.

Lesson 8 The secret of happiness

Happiness can sometimes be found in little things. It s always about the wonder of simplicity. About things that are fine as they are. Without you having to change them.

Lesson 9 Being nice is fun

Becoming aware of the power of a kind word, a friendly gesture and a friendly face on yourself and other people will also ensure that there will be less bullying.

Lesson 10 The secret of happiness

Happiness can be found in little things, the wonder of simplicity. About things that are fine as they are. The secret lies in consciously allowing these moment to happen.

Format of the sessions

Meeting duration:8/10 meetings
40 min each meeting
Cost YTL/ 200 Euros