Being a foreigner studying or residing in a different country and a different culture makes one tend to seek for psychological help for various reasons. Especially being an international student in a new environment puts a lot of pressure and stress and psychological counseling can play a crucial role in their life, in making it better. Although many believe, one should have gone through a dramatic trauma to seek psychological help, any kind of psychological irritation and disturbance is worth seeking professional aid. Thus, I am writing this article to shed some light on mental health by increasing awareness of different kinds of psychological counseling options in Istanbul for foreigners, with a specific focus on International students.
Universities
Most universities in Istanbul offer free psychological guidance and counseling in English. And quite surprisingly, many students are not aware of this! The services vary from counselling for students who have problems studying, anxiety, friendship, relationship problems, trauma, perfectionism, depression and all the way to suicidal thoughts.
I picked some universities with the highest number of international students. But if your university is not listed here, do not hesitate to check with the facility in your campus. In case they don’t offer these services, there are a few off-campus options as well at the end of this article.
Bahçeşehir University
Bahçeşehir PDRM Center aims to help students in individual, social and academic fields by guiding them to attain necessary skills throughout their university life. Here is a list of the services they offer. Counseling sessions and appointments are scheduled via e-mail at pdrm@dso.bau.edu.tr. Personal counseling sessions are usually scheduled on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis depending upon the nature of the problem and each session typically lasts 45-50 minutes.
İstanbul Bilgi University
İstanbul Bilgi University’s psychological counseling unit offers different services for its students and staff.
For students they offer individual sessions, group activities, seminars/trainings and counseling for families. For individual sessions, the student must book an appointment first, sessions last approximately 45 minutes. Group activities or seminars are done in Turkish though! Their website also offers many different brochures that may be helpful. To book an appointment fill out the student application form or the staff application form and send it via e-mail: pdb@bilgi.edu.tr or hand it in to their office.
Sabancı University
The university’s facilities offer the services of psychological counseling and psychotherapy exclusively for Sabanci University students. Counseling sessions and appointments are scheduled via e-mail at psychotherapy@sabanciuniv.edu. Sessions last around 45 minutes. If a student is suicidal, they can immediately contact the crisis medical center line of the University Phone: 0 216 483 94 81 (ext. 6666). The psychological center offers self-help resources as well, which may come handy to introvert students that have difficulty expressing themselves face to face.
Istanbul Sehir University
Psychological Counseling and Guidance Center is ready to support its students through all emotional, social and mental problems they may experience in both university adaptation process and as young adults. Clinical psychologists at the center help students with personal psychotherapy, personal counseling interviews and group activities. Counseling services are available for free exclusively for its students. Appointments are scheduled via e-mail at pdrm@sehir.edu.tr within office hours.
Koç University
On its website, KURES (Koç University Guidance and Psychology Services) elaborates that most people need the company of a professional through the transformation to university process to be able to verbalize and understand the experience. KURES accompanies students in the process of growing up and find out their dreams, and supports their personal development. It aims to help students acquire the knowledge and skills that will help them cope with the academic, social and personal problems they face throughout their university life. To find out more about their Self-Development services, please visit the website.
Boğaziçi University
BÜREM is the counseling center for Boğaziçi University students, offering a variety of services including individual and group counseling. For an appointment, students should visit BÜREM (South Campus) in person and fill out an application form. Intermediate level of English is required to make use of the individual counseling services. Intermediate level of Turkish is required to participate in group counseling programs. For more info, please contact the center via e-mail at burem@boun.edu.tr.
In all of the aforementioned centers, confidentiality and secrecy is a top policy. So you can seek help with ease and trust.
Clinics, Centers and Online Options
If you are not a student or if you are a student who is seeking an off-campus English Psychological Counseling, here are some clinics and centers in Istanbul, and some online options.
Face To Face Terapi
The clinic Face To Face Terapi provides professional, thoughtful, compassionate psychotherapy sessions for individuals, couples and families experiencing emotional difficulties. The center offers therapy sessions ranging from couples counselling to group therapy conducted by a dedicated team of English speaking psychotherapists with a broad range of expertise. Face To Face Terapi is one of the few counselling centres in Istanbul specialising in psychoanalysis. For more details on psychoanalysis, please visit the website. The clinic is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 9pm, located nearby the Kanyon shopping mall in Levent.
DBE (Institution of Behavioral Studies)
DBE provides not only psychological counseling for adults, children and adolescents but it also has a Trauma Center. The institute is a well recognized for adapting and developing innovative approaches in mental health practices. It also carries research and offers training in Psychology and Therapy. For more information, please check the website. You can contact the clinic via e-mail at dbe@dbe.com.tr.
Türkiye Hastanesi (Arabic Psychiatry Section)
Türkiye Hastanesi has the Psychiatry section that serves in Arabic. First, they conduct a consultancy and run the necessary tests, and the treatment program is designed based on the results and the individual needs. For more details on what kind of psychological problems they treat and all the necessary information, please check the website. For an appointment, you can call them at 0212 314 14 14.
Online
Shezlong.com
It is the first online Psychotherapy in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. It is offered in English and Arabic! You can find a long list of therapists and psychiatrists, that you can check their prices and times and find what is the most convenient for you. Each therapist also has a bio that emphasize his/her speciality, and this could help you chose as well. Shezlong comes in handy to those that can’t go to clinics for logistic reasons or for social stigma. You can find more about it on the website. Also, make sure to check out what the press had to say about this online innovation here.
Sibly
Intended for employers to benefit their employees, Sibly is one of the most responsive and effective mental health applications, and the best thing about it is you can access to it 24/7 unlike the conventional therapy options. Beside it being very responsive, it is also designed and based on scientific facts and it is affordable and available all around the world.
