One of Türkiye’s leading psychiatry experts and a world-renowned therapist, Prof. Mehmet Zihni Sungur, has begun teaching at Üsküdar University.
One of Türkiye’s leading psychiatry experts and a world-renowned therapist, Prof. Mehmet Zihni Sungur, has joined Üsküdar University as a faculty member.
A distinguished academic with numerous national and international achievements, Prof. Sungur is now sharing his extensive experience with students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology (English), which offers future psychologists the opportunity to learn directly from one of the field’s most respected figures.
A career crowned with international success
Known for his expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Couples Therapy, and Sex Therapy, Prof. Mehmet Zihni Sungur is recognized as one of Türkiye’s most respected names in psychiatry. He has served as President of the European Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (EABCT) and is also the first president elected from outside the United States to the International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy (IACP). Honored with the Gold Medal Award by the European Federation of Sexology, Prof. Sungur holds a prominent position in the international psychotherapy community.
Sharing his scientific and clinical expertise at Üsküdar University
Having served as a faculty member at various medical schools and pioneered many innovations in psychotherapy, Prof. Sungur now aims to integrate scientific knowledge with clinical experience in his teaching at Üsküdar University. He has led major initiatives to establish a common professional language in psychotherapy, to introduce cognitive therapy to Türkiye, and to raise educational standards in the field. He is also a founding member and certified supervisor of the Beck Cognitive Therapy Academy (ACT). Under his guidance, Üsküdar University students will not only study psychology but also gain a deep understanding of the ethical, scientific, and humanistic dimensions of psychotherapy.
Who is Prof. Mehmet Zihni Sungur?
Prof. Sungur graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine in 1982. During his psychiatry residency at Ankara University, he worked between 1985 and 1988 at the Institute of Psychiatry, as well as at Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospitals in London. He became a psychiatry specialist in 1990 and an associate professor in 1992. Afterward, he focused his studies on Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, Sexual Dysfunction and Therapy, Marriage Therapy, and Anxiety Disorders. He served as the Founding President of the Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (1996), a founding member of the Sexual Education, Treatment and Research Association (CETAD, 1998), and Coordinator of the Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapies Working Group of the Turkish Psychiatric Association. He continues to serve as President of the Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies and Coordinator of the Family and Couples Therapy Unit of the Turkish Psychiatric Association. In 1998, he and his colleagues received the Lilly Schizophrenia Reintegration Award for their project on treating and reintegrating schizophrenia patients into society. That same year, he received the Nusret Fişek Public Health Service Award for his contributions to public health education and therapy services. In 2000, he was elected President of the EABCT, and in 2001, he became a professor. He later served as a faculty member at Marmara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. Prof. Sungur is accredited as a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapist by both the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies (BABCP). He currently serves as a member of the EABCT Accreditation and Certification Committee, the Common Language in Psychotherapy Committee, the IACP Executive Board, and is also a member of the American Psychiatric Association (APA). As a founding member, trainer, and consultant at the Beck Cognitive Therapy Academy (ACT), he also holds the title of certified supervisor.