Thinking Beyond Boundaries
Perspectives on mental health can differ greatly between cultures, and my approach to psychology bridges the gap between Western methodologies and Eastern practices. My perspective is influenced by the spiritual practices of Sufism and traditional Eastern methods of healing. It’s a blended approach that recognizes mind, body and spirit are interdependent factors in the human experience of health and well-being.
Acknowledging the Body
Throughout my career, it became clear to me there was one important feature largely absent from the discussion of mental health in many Western theories: the body. Even while we now know that factors like nutritional balance, gut bacteria and exercise affect our physical well-being, Western psychology is only beginning to address how these considerations affect our psychological health. My integrated perspective addresses the effects of nutrition, exercise and lifestyle on our overall well-being, and how they can be used to promote positive mental health.
Addressing the Mind & Spirit
Similarly, consideration of the spirit in Western mental health theories is largely defined and limited by a Western perspective. Yet being born as a Turk introduced to the Sufi world provided me with a perspective on how spiritual connection provides a source of joy and hope, and how love is a powerful force in healing.

The unifying concept of the holographic principle, provide further perspective for self-conception that suggest we’re expressions of one interconnected whole. These perspectives allow us to conceive of our own individual struggles and experiences as brain-based constructs that are experienced as real, but in truth are an illusion, thus revealing a pathway for renewal. Practices that engage the senses and promote connection with ourselves and others, such as art, movement, music, poetry, ecotherapy, prayer and meditation, provide a means to both heal and tap into the neural network that transcends conscious experience. Fostering ConnectionWestern psychiatry places focus on diagnoses and labels, and these have a place and purpose. However, the over-prescription of pharmaceuticals can mask underlying issues and alternative solutions, while the common practice of emphasizing and replaying trauma can impede the healing process. Throughout our lives, we develop a set of collective conditions that create the basis of our suffering. These conditions include the labels we adopt, such as “mother,” “father,” “woman,” “man,” “businessperson,” “student,” “French” or “Turkish.” They also include the conditions of worth we ascribe to these labels and our associated emotional responses.

Rather than reinforcing this emotional coding and emphasizing past events and trauma, we can ease our suffering by changing our perspective through renewing our knowledge about how the brain works, and understanding what the “self” truly is.