The Perception of Psychotherapy in Turkey

Abstract

1. IntroductionPerception of psychotherapy is subject to several factors those actually affect not only the perception but practice as well. I will examine issues that might influence the perception and the practice of psychotherapy in Turkey.Kagitcibasi (1994) stated that even today psychology is not given sufficient value in Turkey as it is not thought to be the solution to important problems. This situation is similar in the developing countries. In addition, according to Kagitcibasi (1994), the large number of women in the area of psychology lowers the status of this area. Because Turkish society has a patriarchal structure, in which women are secondary to men.Formal institutions in Turkey do not provide the teaching of psychotherapy, thus there is no formal institution to grant the title of 'psychotherapist' (Psikoterapi Portali [Psychotherapy Portal], 2011). In Turkey, psychotherapist skills are provided at clinical psychology master's degree but clinical psychology programs may not provide being a fully competent psychotherapist. Add to this, only some information of psychotherapy and some facilities to practice psychotherapy are provided in medical schools of psychiatry. Further education on psychotherapy is needed for the ones those want to become competent enough.It is considerable to review formal education departments, from which people in Turkey may become psychotherapists. Undergraduate psychology education is a four-year program in arts and sciences faculties, which provides general information regarding all areas of psychology. Psychiatry experts specialize for four years after six years of medical faculty undergraduate education. They receive an education mostly based on drug treatment. Undergraduate programmes called 'counselling' in Turkey teach school counselling rather than psychotherapy, so they mainly work as guidance counsellors at schools and at other training units. The reason for giving school counselling in the undergraduate education is defined by Korkut (2007) as the need for school counsellors in Turkey. Counselling focused on school counselling started in 1950s in Turkey and developed influenced by the developments in the United States (Korkut, 2007). However guidance and counselling graduates may label themselves as psychotherapist and offer psychotherapy.Although psychologists had been requesting to formally known for forty years (Paker, 2010), there was no mental health law regarding to control the competency of psychotherapy practitioners until 22 May 2014, and psychology graduates and psychiatry experts may practice psychotherapy as if they were competent enough, because there was no law to control whether they are competent. Although this health law is not satisfying for psychotherapy practitioners, with this law definitions of health occupations are made, and duties of these occupations such as 'psychologist' and 'clinical psychologist' are defined. According to the law, a psychologist works under the responsibility of a clinical psychologist, and a clinical psychologist works under the responsibility of a specialist in medicine. Counsellors are not included in the health law. Psychologists are able to conduct psychological tests those they are certificated, and clinical psychologists are able both to conduct psychological tests and to offer psychotherapy, but in situations those are defined as illness they must be leaded by a specialist. For clinical psychologists, they are not needed to lead by a specialist for situations such as family, occupation and social environment related problems.There are nearly 1.500 psychiatrists, 10.000 psychologists adding 2.000 new graduates every year, and approximately 700-800 clinical psychologists in seventy-five million population of Turkey (Turk Psikologlar Dernegi Tanimlar Komisyonu [Turkish Psychological Association Definitions Commission], 2011). Therefore, there is not enough number of mental health practitioners, and if only psychiatrists can take main responsibility of private mental health services, the number diminishes. …