Shaped by global experience, personal healing, and a belief in collective care

I'm Deniz, and I'm glad you're here.
When we work together, you won’t just have a therapist—you’ll gain an ally.

I’m an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (#154984), supervised by Tom Andre (LMFT119254), and employed by Right Place Counseling.

I offer virtual therapy across California. I live and work in Los Angeles, on the ancestral lands of the Gabrielino/Tongva people. I provide therapy in English and Turkish and speak Spanish professionally.

Born in Istanbul and shaped across continents—North America, Latin America, South Asia, and the Pacific—I’m white, multiethnic, multicultural and a Third Culture Kid (TCK). I’ve long straddled identities, cultures, and geographies—holding multiple worlds in one heart, yet belonging fully to none.

Moving through communities with different languages, faiths, and ways of life taught me both the beauty of difference and the pain of exclusion.

I've long carried questions of identity, belonging, and meaning—experiences that allow me to listen deeply to yours. I am also a part-time poet who finds meaning in stillness and solitude. I am more at home in the quiet rhythms of nature than in prescribed routines or superficial conversations.

I value connection over competition and belonging over conformity.

I’ve faced realities of illness, including cancer and chronic illness. These experiences inform my work with humility, presence, and deep respect for each person’s unique journey through suffering and their search for meaning in an often-insensitive world.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent over a decade in community development, working for International nonprofit organizations including with the United Nations and then the United Way. I stood alongside people rebuilding their lives after community violence, displacement, natural disasters, and systemic harm. What stayed with me most were the quiet acts of dignity and the moments of shared connection in the face of loss—moments that ultimately brought me to this work.

I completed my Clinical Training two community clinics: Antioch Community Therapy Services and Miracle Mile Community Practice.

I hold master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology (Antioch University Los Angeles) and International Policy, Human Development (Monterey Institute of International Studies).

Outside of therapy, I find joy in nature, classic literature, poetry, cooking, gardening, and time with my dog, my family and my community.

My Approach
Let's connect

Professional Credentials

Education

  • Antioch University-Los Angeles, Master of Arts (M.A.)​, Clinical Psychology, Marriage & Family Therapist, 2023-2025

  • Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, Master of Arts (M.A.), Graduate School of International Policy & Management, 2012 - 2014

  • California State University, Fullerton, Bachelor of Arts - BA, Mass Communication/Media Studies; Advertising, 1998 – 2001

Professional Licensure

  • California Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #154984)

  • NPI 1023990793

Clinical Training

  • Antioch Community Therapy Services 2023-2025

  • Miracle Mile Community Practice 2023-2025

Additional Training and Certifications

  • Professional Development Certification- Design, Partnering, Management, and Innovation - Certificate in International Development and Social Change

  • Suicide Prevention Training

  • BBS Telehealth Training

  • Adolescent Suicidality Certification

  • Trauma-Informed Care Certification

Supervision Arrangement

I practice as a member of Right Place Counseling under the direct clinical supervision of Supervised by Tom Andre (LMFT119254 ).
- in accordance with California Business and Professions Code §§ 4980.43.4 and 4999.46.4

Scope of Practice

I am a California-licensed pre-licensed therapist. I am qualified to provide psychotherapy services to California residents who are in California at the time of service.

All services are delivered via HIPAA-compliant telehealth platforms in accordance with California telehealth regulations (Business and Professions Code § 2290.5).

I support a wide range of mental health concerns, there are certain services I am not qualified to provide:
- psychological testing
- immigration evaluations
- forensic or court-mandated evaluations
- prescribe medication.