What "Psychotherapy" means is not yet fully understood in Turkey, and it is confused with concepts such as psychology and psychiatry.
Psychotherapy; It can be applied to children, adolescents, adults, couples and families. There are different psychotherapy practices: Psychoanalytic/psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, client-centered therapy, existential therapy, etc. While some of the psychotherapy practices are more common in our country, some are not well known and not implemented.
Resources on psychoanalytic therapy began to be translated since the 1930s, and since the 1980s, it began to be implemented by psychotherapists who studied abroad and returned to Turkey. It is thought that psychoanalytic/psychodynamic therapy is adequately included in Turkish sources.
Existential therapy concepts have also gained popularity over time and started to be used within the psychodynamic model. The behavioral therapy model has been used since 1970, and today it has been widely replaced by the cognitive behavioral model. The Gestalt model is becoming increasingly widespread, but there is a problem of lack of Turkish resources on this field. Some therapy models, such as transactional analysis, have not become widespread in Turkey.
There are major deficiencies in the field of psychotherapy in Turkey. There is no official institution that grants the title 'Psychotherapist'; Psychotherapy skills are acquired through a master's degree in clinical psychology, psychiatry or various courses. There is a legal problem regarding checking competence.
In Turkey, there are approximately 1500 psychiatrists, 10,000 psychologists - 2000 new graduates added every year - and around 700-800 clinical psychologists.
Turkey. Psychological disorders are seen in 24% of the population and depression ranks first. There are relatively few health centers for psychological disorders, and applications due to psychological disorders are quite low.
In Turkey, there is a problem of psychological disorders not being recognized and accepted. For this reason, psychological disorders are experienced more as somatization – that is, body disturbances. This makes it difficult to get rid of the problem with the right treatment method.
Another pro Problem is the stigma against those who suffer from psychological disorders. In Turkey, those who work in the field of mental health can be described as 'crazy doctors', and those who experience psychological problems can be described as 'crazy'; For this reason, people may tend to hide their psychological distress because they are afraid of being perceived as 'crazy', do not seek treatment, or may suggest to themselves that the problem they are experiencing is not 'crazy enough'. The majority of those who seek treatment are able to hide the fact that they are receiving treatment from those around them, again due to stigmatization.
Religion in Turkey has an impact on not seeing psychotherapy as a treatment method. The Turkish society, which is mostly Muslim, may prefer to seek help from teachers, use medicinal herbs, visit holy places and pray, and make vows to solve their problems.
Sometimes, the problem is having different expectations about psychotherapy. Turkish society has a collectivist structure; It has values such as adaptability and paying attention to what others say and think. For this reason, they ask the psychotherapist to tell them what to do, and when their wishes are not fulfilled, they experience this as a very strange situation. Clients who cannot find concrete suggestions on what to do assume that psychotherapy is not good for them and may stop coming after a few sessions.
A second unmet expectation is to get a solution from psychotherapy within a few sessions. The general complaint of clients who have this expectation is that the psychotherapist just keeps silent, listens and does nothing. Here, a lack of knowledge about what psychotherapy is can be mentioned.
The popularity of the cognitive behavioral therapy model compared to non-directive therapy models can be defined by the difference in method of this model. In this model, the therapist acts as a teacher, a guide, is in a stronger position giving directives, and tells what to do and what not to do when necessary; It coincides with the behavior of respecting authority in Turkish society and accepting it -mostly- without questioning.
Some rules of psychotherapy are also considered 'strange' by clients in Turkey: Not accepting gifts, greetings. �p no hugging or kissing on the cheek when saying goodbye, strict time limit.
A study conducted shows that psychotherapy in Turkey; It has been revealed that it is more accepted among women, individuals between the ages of 19-35, divorced people, people with high socio-economic levels and university graduates compared to men.
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