Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan gave a lecture within the scope of the Positive Psychotherapy Practitioner Training organized by the Üsküdar Üniversitesi Continuous Education Application and Research Center (ÜSEM). Speaking in his presentation titled “Neuroscience-Based Positive Psychotherapy,” Tarhan explained the main purpose of psychotherapy and the brain's power to program itself. Tarhan stated that therapy is a process that reprograms the algorithms in the brain. In the training, which will continue between October 11, 2025 – January 10, 2026, participants will continue to learn neuroscience-based positive psychotherapy approaches practically.
In addition to Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, Prof. Dr. Oğuz Tanrıdağ, Head of the Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Faculty Member Fatma Turan of the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Bengisu Altınten, ÜSEM Manager, as well as academicians and students, attended the training held at NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi.
Bringing from minus to zero is not enough…
Tarhan stated that classical psychotherapy is based on the understanding of bringing a person's diseased state from minus to zero, and that this approach is no longer considered sufficient. Tarhan said: “Bringing a person from minus to zero does not truly heal them. We can compare this to physical health. A person with a weak immune system can get sick again even if they recover from an illness. The ideal is to strengthen the immune system. In psychotherapy, the goal is not only to treat the disease but also to determine what can be done to prevent the person from ever getting sick.”
“Our brain is a self-programmable system”
Emphasizing that positive thinking revitalizes the brain while negative thinking weakens it, Tarhan stated that therapy is a process of reorganizing the brain's algorithms. Tarhan said: “What we do in therapy is essentially a reprogramming process in the brain. When this change becomes permanent, rewiring occurs. In psychotherapy, changing a wrong belief with a correct belief means changing a faulty algorithm with a healthy algorithm. The therapist is, so to speak, the one who regulates the brain's software. Our brain is a self-programmable system.”
Training is continued as a comprehensive program
The Positive Psychotherapy Practitioner Training, organized by Üsküdar Üniversitesi Continuous Education Application and Research Center, is continued as a comprehensive program for the application of positive psychology-based approaches in psychotherapy. The training aims for therapists to focus not only on alleviating symptoms but also on increasing the individual's psychological resilience and life satisfaction.
Participants gain knowledge about the fundamental principles of positive psychotherapy, its relationship with neuroscience, and the brain's reprogramming processes. In addition, practical therapeutic techniques continue to be shared through case examples.
The training program will continue between October 11, 2025 – January 10, 2026.