Turkish-Speaking Psychologist – Online Counselling in Turkish

Why counselling in Turkish?

Many people with Turkish roots speak excellent English. They run meetings in it, talk to their GP in it, write to their children’s school in it. And yet they notice that part of their inner life does not quite land in English. Feelings are tied to the language in which we first experienced them. Expressions such as “içim daraldı”, “gönül koymak” or “ayıp olur” can be translated, but their weight usually gets lost on the way.

In a second language we speak in a more controlled, tidier way. That helps in daily life. In a counselling session, though, what matters most often sits exactly where control slips: in an unfinished sentence, in a word from childhood. English words like “GP”, “landlord” or “visa” will naturally come up in the conversation – that is completely fine.

Many people search for “turkish speaking therapist london”, “turkish therapist near me” or “turkish psychologist online”. Whether you live in London, Manchester, Birmingham or Dublin, the city makes no difference online. Sessions are in Turkish; sessions in English are not offered.

Who are the sessions for?

• Adults seeking individual sessions: long-standing unhappiness or unease, loneliness, questions of self-worth and identity, or the same pattern repeating itself across different relationships.
• Couples and married partners: a marriage far from both families, partners living in different countries, mixed couples who can both follow a conversation in Turkish.
• Parents, children and teenagers: for children, adolescents and bilingual parenting, my colleague Psikolog Melike Dikbaş is the right person to contact (page in Turkish): online sessions for families living abroad.

Situations people often bring

It is rarely one dramatic event. More often it is what has quietly piled up over the years:

• The Home Office email about your visa that you keep leaving unopened; the sleepless weeks before a renewal decision.
• Going to work as usual on the morning of Bayram while photos of the festive table in Türkiye arrive in the family WhatsApp group.
• Telling your mother “I’m fine” on every call, because “I’m struggling” would immediately be answered with “then come home”.
• Being “the Turkish one” in Britain and “the one from abroad” in Türkiye – and never feeling fully at home in either place.
• Family expectations about marriage, career choices and caring for ageing parents.
• Having recently arrived: competent at work but completely alone outside it; or having moved for your partner’s job and spending your days between language classes and the flat.
• The question “will we ever go back?” that has hung in the air for years.

How an online session works

1. Get in touch: send a WhatsApp message or call. Just say which country you live in and whether you are looking for individual or couple sessions.
2. Brief initial check: we clarify whether what you are looking for fits this service. If it doesn’t, I will tell you honestly.
3. Time confirmed in both time zones: the appointment is confirmed in Turkish time and in your local time. Fees and payment details are shared when the appointment is arranged.
4. Connection: the video call link is sent before the appointment.
5. First session: about 50 minutes to get to know each other and map out what is going on. You don’t need to tell your whole life story.
6. Ongoing sessions: usually weekly or fortnightly, ideally on the same day and at the same time. The number of sessions is not fixed in advance.

Time difference with Türkiye

Türkiye stays on UTC+3 all year and does not change its clocks. The UK and Ireland change on the last Sunday of March and October, so the difference changes twice a year:

Most of continental Europe is 2 hours behind Türkiye in winter and 1 hour behind in summer. After the clocks change, it is worth confirming your next appointment once more.

Approach: psychodynamic

Sessions follow a psychodynamic, transference-focused approach: a present difficulty is looked at together with the earlier experiences and relationship patterns it is built on. What happens between us in the session – the wish to cancel, the feeling of not being understood – can itself become something to talk about.

For people living abroad this has a particular meaning: migration often gives an old story a new stage. For one person, moving away feels like freedom; for another, it feels like being left behind all over again.

Online, this works when the frame stays reliable: same day, same time, a quiet room with the door closed and, ideally, headphones.

Costs, insurance and confidentiality

These sessions are not covered by the NHS, and you should not expect private health insurance to reimburse them. Fees and payment details are shared when the appointment is arranged.

What you share is kept confidential in line with professional ethics and Turkish data protection law (KVKK) and is not passed on to third parties. The limited exceptions – such as a serious and immediate risk to yourself or others – are explained clearly in the first session.

If you have symptoms that need medical attention – weeks of poor sleep, being unable to work, or a possible need for medication – please speak to your GP first. These sessions can run alongside that care but do not replace it.

In a crisis, call now

Online counselling is not suitable in an acute crisis or if you are thinking about ending your life. Do not wait for an appointment:

Numbers checked on 17 September 2026 against the official websites of the NHS, Samaritans and the 988 Lifeline.

This page in Turkish: Yurt dışında yaşayanlar için Türkçe online psikolojik danışmanlık.