I was born in Ankara, Türkiye, and grew up in vibrant, culturally diverse neighborhoods. I spent long summers with my farming relatives by the Black Sea, surrounded by nature and traditional family life. I was also a kid who read constantly, and between those two worlds and all those books, I became fascinated by how people change when their surroundings change, and how people from different backgrounds connect with each other. I eventually studied psychology and earned a PhD in social psychology.

For years, I was a nomadic academic, working in Belgium, the Netherlands, the USA, and Türkiye, exploring how culture shapes attachment, parenting, identity, and emotions (you can find my publications here). After decades in academia, I left in 2018. I then found my way to art-making, studying printmaking (graduated in 2025) and painting at a local fine arts academy in Belgium.

I’ve always loved creative activities, but it was during a ceramic training in Türkiye that I truly felt the healing power of art, especially when shared with others in a supportive space. That experience inspired me to pursue a 3-year advanced bachelor program of art therapy in Belgium, which also included a 420-hour internship period at a psychiatric hospital's alcohol addiction department. When I graduated with honour degree, everything finally fell into place.

Art therapy now allows me to combine my love for psychology, science, psychotherapy, arts, handcrafts, and culture in a way that feels whole and authentic.

As a woman living in a multicultural, multilingual family, with many years of international experience, I know what identity and belonging can mean. At ANKA Art Therapy and Consultation practice, I offer a safe space where you can explore these feelings, reshape your life path, and imagine new possibilities.