Dr. Elvan Memiç

As a 72-year-old retired history professor experiencing what I called 'midnight ruminations'—persistent, intrusive thoughts about past regrets that only surfaced at night—I was skeptical about therapy. Dr. Memiç didn't dismiss this as simple insomnia. Over six sessions using a tailored narrative therapy approach, she helped me reframe these episodes not as failures, but as my mind's attempt at final editing. She incorporated my love for archival work, having me physically 'file' these thoughts each morning in a designated notebook. The midnight sessions in my mind have ceased. Her method was academic, respectful, and uniquely effective for someone set in their ways.

Our 8-year-old son, Leo, began having what he called 'the wobbles'—sudden paralyzing anxiety at school that made him feel the floor was moving. Pediatricians found nothing. Dr. Memiç met him not in an office, but in a small, plant-filled therapy room at Acibadem Maslak. She used no direct questioning. Instead, she engaged him through a game of constructing a city with blocks. Through the metaphor of a 'foundation inspector' for the shaky buildings, she uncovered his unspoken fear of our impending international move. She equipped him (and us) with 'stabilizer tools'—tangible, physical actions he could take. The wobbles are gone. She spoke his language fluently.

I was referred to Dr. Memiç following a critical incident in my work as an air traffic controller—a near-miss that wasn't my fault but triggered a severe, visceral reaction to my console screens. This was an acute professional emergency. She bypassed traditional talk therapy and immediately implemented a targeted protocol combining sensorimotor techniques with controlled, graded re-exposure in a simulated environment she arranged at the hospital. Within three weeks, she had de-fused the physiological panic response and rebuilt my cognitive association with the screens. She operated with the precision and urgency of a surgeon, saving my career.

My visit was a routine, mandatory psychological check-up for a high-security professional certification renewal. I expected a box-ticking exercise. Dr. Memiç's 'check-up' was nothing of the sort. In a single 90-minute session, she conducted a fascinating 'cognitive resilience audit,' using scenario analysis and subtle stressor tasks that felt more like engaging puzzles. She identified a latent pattern of 'over-convergent thinking'—my efficiency came at a cost to adaptive flexibility—and provided me with specific, drill-like exercises to counteract it. It was the most valuable routine assessment I've ever undergone, leaving me with practical tools I use daily, not just a stamp on a form.