Dr. F. Rabia Ay

As a 72-year-old retired marine cartographer, my lifelong struggle with undiagnosed OCD centered on map symmetry and tidal calculations. Dr. Ay didn't just prescribe medication; she incorporated my passion into therapy, using nautical charts as exposure tools. After six months, I can now visit harbors without needing to mentally 'correct' mooring line angles—a freedom I hadn't known since childhood.

Our 8-year-old daughter Elif developed selective mutism after witnessing a hotel fire during our vacation. Dr. Ay worked with her through puppet therapy in Turkish and English, discovering she'd created an entire silent language with her stuffed animals. The breakthrough came when Dr. Ay learned this 'language' and communicated back—Elif spoke her first words in months that same afternoon.

I'm a 34-year-old professional freediver who developed panic attacks at depth after encountering a shipwreck. Traditional therapists focused on my surface anxiety, but Dr. Ay recognized it as a specific phobia tied to enclosed underwater spaces. Her unique VR therapy simulated gradual wreck penetration while monitoring my physiological responses. I've now returned to competitive diving with new mental protocols.

After surviving a paragliding accident that left me with traumatic brain injury at 41, I developed Capgras syndrome—believing my wife was an imposter. Dr. Ay coordinated with neurologists to create a multisensory recognition therapy using scent, voice recordings, and tactile memory objects from our 15-year marriage. The moment I truly recognized my wife again occurred during a session with our wedding song playing.