Evaluating the growing need for therapy today, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Modern people are now lonely, unable to manage their expectations, and relationships have become superficial. This has increased the tendency to seek therapists. Just like having a financial advisor or a legal consultant, having a psychological counselor has become a necessity of modern life.”
Stating that most clients attribute their problems to external factors, Prof. Tarhan said, “Seventy to eighty percent of those who come to therapy link their problems to external causes, their spouse, society, the economy. However, if a person cannot change the flow, they must change their perspective. Gaining mental flexibility is one of the key goals of the therapy process.”
President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan evaluated all aspects of the therapy process on the program Nevzat Tarhan ile Akla Ziyan broadcast on EKOTÜRK screens.
Is the need for therapists real or artificial?
Prof. Tarhan stated that in the modern age therapy has become not only a treatment but a life necessity and said, “Recently, a mother was telling me that her child was going to therapy. The child asked, ‘Mom, did you go to therapy when you were young?’ The mother replied, ‘No, I never went, and I never felt the need.’ This dialogue shows the reality of today. Even adolescents now feel the need for therapy. So is this need real or artificial? It is a controversial issue. Modernism has weakened people’s stress management. People now struggle to solve their problems and feel emotional pressure. In such cases, therapy becomes a necessity.”
Evaluating the increasing need for therapy today, Prof. Tarhan said, “Modern people are now lonely, unable to manage expectations, and relationships have become superficial. This has increased the tendency to seek therapists. Having a psychological counselor, like having a financial advisor or legal consultant, has become a necessity of modern life.”
Expressing that modern life challenges people’s stress threshold, Prof. Tarhan continued: “In ancient times, a person’s pulse would rise to 140 only a few times a year when encountering a lion or tiger. Today, there are people whose pulse rises to 140 every day in city traffic or work life. Stressors have increased, expectations have multiplied. People now mistake every desire for a need. However, human needs are not limitless, desires are limitless. The modern age has made people forget this distinction.”
Loneliness has become a global threat
Emphasizing that loneliness has now become a global threat, Prof. Tarhan stated that modern people have lost their capacity to form deep bonds: “The United Nations defines three major global problems: income inequality, climate change, and loneliness. Loneliness has become the epidemic of our age. People may have many friends, but they cannot establish secure and deep relationships. Young people who cannot form secure attachments even within their families try to establish this connection with therapists.”
Classical therapy approaches have been replaced by positive psychotherapy
Stating that classical therapy approaches have now given way to positive psychotherapy, Prof. Tarhan said, “If a person feels the need for change but does not know how to achieve it, positive psychotherapy comes into play. In this approach, we focus not on pathology but on potential. We reveal the person’s strong character traits and teach them to manage their weaknesses through these resources. This is a healing approach without reopening wounds.”
Emphasizing that developments in neuroscience have transformed psychotherapy, Prof. Tarhan said, “It has been observed that brain areas related to happiness are more active in therapies focused on the positive. Therapies focused on the negative trap individuals in the past, whereas positive focused therapies strengthen psychological immunity. This provides more lasting results in coping with trauma.”
There can be no therapy without trust
Stating that one of the most fundamental elements of therapy is the therapeutic alliance, Prof. Tarhan said, “A person will tell their therapist something they have told no one else. If a therapist shares the names of past clients, trust cannot form. This is an ethical issue. Trust, transparency, sincerity, and active listening are essential for a therapeutic alliance. A sincere therapist activates the mirror neurons in the client’s brain. Therefore, in every therapy where trust is established, emotional healing occurs much faster.”
He also emphasized that nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions, gestures, and body language, is as important as words in the therapy process, stating, “People communicate not only through words but through emotion. Sometimes a glance or a facial expression is more powerful than a thousand words. That sense of warmth solves half of the therapy.”
Every therapy is personalized
Prof. Tarhan stated that the therapy process should be personalized and said, “We generally begin with a ten session goal. First, we conduct personality tests and relationship assessment scales. We try to understand the person’s inner and outer world, including what they do not say, through projective tests. Then we decide which therapy method is appropriate. Just as a good mechanic has every tool in their toolbox, a therapist has different tools. Sometimes cognitive behavioral therapy is needed, sometimes neurofeedback, sometimes psychoanalysis.”
Emphasizing the importance of teamwork between psychiatrists and psychologists, Prof. Tarhan said, “A person must be approached as a biopsychosocial and spiritual whole. If the biological infrastructure is impaired, psychological interventions alone are not sufficient. Therefore, combining medication with therapy yields the most ideal results. The goal of therapy is not only to see the wound but to help the person rebuild themselves.”
“The therapist must leave their prejudices at the coat rack”
Prof. Tarhan stated that therapists must step out of their identity roles and stand before the client only in the role of clinician, saying, “There are things that can be shared in therapy and things that cannot. The therapist must respect the client’s privacy, vulnerability, and sacred values. For example, someone may have a stutter, that is their vulnerability. Or they may belong to a different subculture. The therapist should not make this felt. They must leave their prejudices at the coat rack. Outside they may be a mother, father, spouse, businessperson, even have a political identity, but in therapy they must be present only with their clinician identity. A person who cannot enter that role and lacks categorical thinking cannot conduct therapy. Each case must be evaluated separately. You may see ten different cases in a single day. You cannot focus on a new case without shelving the previous one. That is why taking written notes is very valuable. The client feels, ‘What I say is important, my therapist is taking notes.’ When those notes are used in later sessions, the trust relationship is strengthened.”
Advice is not the same as therapy
Prof. Tarhan stated that the fundamental difference that separates therapy from advice is that it must be a structured process, saying, “Some people are looking for advice. However, therapy is not advice. Therapy is a process structured according to the person’s needs. A goal is determined and a roadmap is drawn. At the beginning, the therapist measures the person’s condition through assessment scales, and at the end of therapy observes change using the same scales. Subjective and objective data are compared. In this way, the concrete impact of therapy is monitored.”
If a person cannot change the flow, they should change their perspective
Noting that most clients attribute their problems to external factors, Prof. Tarhan continued: “Seventy to eighty percent of those who come to therapy link the problem to external causes, their spouse, society, the economy. However, if a person cannot change the flow, they must change their perspective. Even if someone has strong psychological resources, they cannot use them if they have cognitive distortions. Gaining mental flexibility is an important goal of the therapy process. We call this cognitive flexibility. In other words, a person should be able to see not only Plan A, but also Plans B and C.”
Ego battles damage relationships
Emphasizing that in family and couples therapy it is common to see each side waiting for the other to change, Prof. Tarhan said, “In close relationships, parties generally try to change one another. However, the question that should be asked is, ‘What is right for the future of our relationship?’ Many people say, ‘If my spouse improves, I will improve too.’ When both sides think this way, ego battles begin. Change must start with oneself. Therapy begins by building this awareness.”
Stating that the desire for change is the most important condition for starting therapy, Prof. Tarhan said, “If a person constantly talks about their spouse, boss, or environment but never mentions themselves, it means they do not want change. Therefore, the first goal in therapy is to build motivation for change. Even accepting to go to therapy means fifty percent recovery. Because this is a sign of maturity.”
The goal in therapy is not relaxation but change
Prof. Tarhan emphasized that the goal of therapy is change rather than relaxation, saying, “Some people say, ‘I left therapy feeling very relieved.’ However, the aim of therapy is not relief but change. Therapy is like a staircase; a person should climb one step higher at each session. A goal must be set, a bond must be formed, and assignments must be given to the person. This is one of the building blocks of the therapeutic process.” Referring to the emotional dimension of the therapeutic relationship, Prof. Tarhan said, “Some people see the therapist as an attachment figure and place them in the role of a mother, spouse, or a missing figure in their life. We call this transference. In such cases, the therapist must maintain professional boundaries and, if necessary, refer the client to another specialist. Otherwise, therapy deteriorates.”
Prof. Tarhan also addressed power struggles within family relationships, saying, “Some people truly become those who make others ill. However, if a person does not allow it, no one can make them ill. Individuals with a high need for control and a lack of empathy try to enslave the other person. This is not sustainable. In the early stages of marriage, it is very important to develop the ability to say no. Being able to say, ‘I am doing this for you, but it is not right,’ keeps relationships balanced.” Emphasizing that the ultimate aim of therapy is for the person to look at themselves objectively, Prof. Tarhan said, “If a person cannot be objective about the problem they are experiencing, they cannot produce a solution. A person who always sees themselves as right cannot see their own blind spots. In therapy, both the client and the therapist must be independent of their own prejudices. Real change is only possible with this awareness.”
Receiving ten sessions of therapy is an investment in oneself
Stating that going to therapy should not be seen as a luxury but as a medium and long term investment in one’s mental health, Prof. Tarhan said, “It may seem like a luxury, but when a person considers what they might lose in such situations, receiving ten sessions of therapy is actually a medium to long term investment. It prevents many future mistakes, loneliness, and depression. It is possible to see every event not as a trauma but as a developing experience. We should be able to see both the positive and negative aspects of life together, but set our focus on the positive.”
Emphasizing that when a person cannot achieve this on their own, seeking help from someone knowledgeable is highly human and beneficial, Prof. Tarhan said, “If you encounter an obstacle on your life path and you cannot overcome it, you seek advice. A specialist who has seen hundreds of patients can say, ‘Look at it from this angle, if you do it this way it will improve.’ In the past, people received such guidance from wise individuals; now it is provided by professionally trained therapists.” Referring to the importance of cultural compatibility in the therapy process, Prof. Tarhan said, “Even in therapy training this is emphasized: One must know the person’s culture, identity, and values. A client cannot benefit from a therapist who does not understand their values. A person progresses faster when working with a therapist compatible with their culture.”
Artificial intelligence may shorten therapy but cannot replace it
Evaluating the role of artificial intelligence in the therapy process, Prof. Tarhan concluded, “Artificial intelligence can be utilized. Before going to a therapist, a person can ask questions to artificial intelligence and weigh their thoughts. This can reduce the number of sessions. Perhaps therapy that would take ten sessions could be completed in six. However, artificial intelligence is not a conscious being. If you replace the therapist with it, it will guide you like a child and direct you. Therefore, the information obtained should be evaluated together with a therapist.”