Our Couple and Family Center Officially Launched by World-Renowned Therapist Prof. Dr. Jeffrey A. Kottler

Our Couple and Family Center (OzU CFC) opened its doors following the opening address of our Rector Prof. Dr. Esra Gençtürk.  Prof. Dr. Kottler, a leading figure in counseling, psychotherapy and training who has authored over 100 books, attended the launch event as the key note speaker.

The official launch event took place on May 22 with the attendance of Prof. Dr. Jeffrey Kottler, the world-renowned therapist, and Prof. Dr. Doğan Cüceoğlu, one of the doyens in Psychology in Turkey.

“After meticulous undertakings by our Psychology faculty who have pursued their dream to establish a modern center equipped with the cutting-edge technology at our University, today I feel very happy to officially launch the Özyeğin University Couple and Therapy Center with you. Today, out of the seven faculty members in Turkey who completed their Ph.D. in Couple and Family Therapy, four work full-time at the OzU CFC. The fifth works as our supervisor.  The OzU CFC faculty also play a pioneering role in the development of couple and family therapy in Turkey.  The OzU CFC is one of the most concrete and novel examples of our approach as a research university to developing new solutions by gaining our strength from knowledge.   We aim that our Center will be home to new research to make significant contributions to the academia with scientific studies; give our students the opportunity to complete their on-campus internships under the guidance of a supervisor; and make psychological support services easily accessible for every family, regardless of what their socio-economic status may be,” said Prof. Dr. Esra Gençtürk in her opening address.

To date, the OzU CFC has had 1,189 appointments and 942 sessions. Out of 942 sessions, 607 were held with students, 325 were held with the clients not affiliated with the University, and 10 were held with the OzU members. The center not only offers couple and family therapy but also provides a wide range of services. The center so far offered 721 individual, 131 family, and 94 couple therapy sessions.

“The bond between the therapist and the client strengthens everything.”

Prof. Dr. Jeffrey Kottler, the guest of honor at the launch event, gave a speech on the “Psychotherapy and Power of Relationships in a Therapist's Life”. Prof. Kottler said: “I feel proud to be invited here. I worked in the field of Psychology with around 40 thousand students in California over the past 20 years. I have been to many counties around the world due to my profession. However, nowhere else have I seen anything like the facility or the culture you have created here. I am thrilled to see that Özyeğin University has engineered a program possessing qualities that I have never seen before. You can truly take pride in this program and this center.”

Kottler also remarked: “100 year old studies have finally given us a definite answer that supersedes all our differences and disputes: Regardless of the approach, theoretical model, or the preferred treatment method, it is the bond between the therapist and the client that strengthens everything we do in therapy. At the core of psychotherapy or any changes observed during therapy lies this bond.  This speech is focused on the key elements that have a high impact on the success of therapy, and the key factors that determine the relatively permanent changes seen during the therapist-client relationship.”