M.D. Özkan Kobak

I brought my 8-year-old son, Leo, to Dr. Kobak after his school raised concerns about sudden social withdrawal and night terrors following our relocation from Berlin. What I thought would be a simple adjustment issue turned into a discovery of selective mutism intertwined with anxiety. Dr. Kobak didn't just talk to me; he engaged Leo through intricate sand tray therapy in his office at Acibadem Kadikoy. He saw the castle Leo built with no doors and understood the metaphor instantly. His approach was a blend of play therapy for Leo and compassionate, clear guidance for us as parents. After three months of tailored sessions, Leo not only speaks at school again but drew a picture of his new castle with a wide-open drawbridge. Dr. Kobak reads the unspoken language of children.

As a 72-year-old retired history professor, I was deeply ashamed when my daughter insisted I see a psychiatrist. I was convinced my forgetfulness and irritability were just 'old age.' Dr. Özkan Kobak conducted what he called a 'neuropsychiatric geriatric assessment.' It was thorough, respectful, and felt like an intellectual dialogue, not a clinical interrogation. He differentiated between normal aging, the grief from losing my wife, and the early signs of vascular depression. His treatment plan wasn't just a pill; it included bibliotherapy (he suggested specific historical memoirs) and a gentle behavioral activation schedule. He restored my dignity. I'm not just 'less sad'; I've regained the curiosity to continue writing my monograph.

This was not a routine visit. My husband, in the midst of a severe, acute manic episode, was brought to Acibadem Kadikoy in a state of crisis. The emergency team called Dr. Kobak. He managed the situation with an astonishing calm that immediately lowered the tension in the room. He spoke to my husband not as a 'disruptive patient,' but as a person in profound distress. His rapid yet precise evaluation in that high-pressure environment led to a stabilization plan that avoided unnecessary aggression. He explained the neurobiological storm happening to me, the spouse, with clarity. His follow-up has been meticulous, adjusting medications with a jeweler's precision. He pulled us back from the brink with expertise and profound humanity.

I am a 30-year-old software engineer undergoing a major, complex spinal surgery. My surgeon recommended a pre-surgical psychiatric evaluation, which I found odd. Dr. Kobak was the assigned consultant. Instead of focusing on generic 'stress,' he delved into my specific cognitive patterns and catastrophic thinking styles related to anesthesia and post-op immobility. He designed a brief, targeted cognitive-behavioral protocol to 'debug my anxiety,' as he humorously put it, using my own professional language. He taught me concrete mental techniques for the ICU stay. Post-surgery, he visited me once, not for a formal session, but to check on the 'implementation.' His pre-habilitation work was as crucial to my recovery as the surgery itself. A uniquely proactive form of psychiatric care.