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—belonging everywhere yet nowhere at once. Moving through communities with different languages, faiths, and ways of life taught me both the beauty of difference and the pain of exclusion. I learned to listen deeply, notice what goes unsaid, and hold space for the complexity of identity and belonging.
I’ve navigated the realities of serious illness, including cancer. I have been a member of the Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA), a 12-step program. These experiences ground my work in humility, presence, and deep respect for each person’s unique path through suffering and the search for meaning in an often-insensitive world.
I value connection over competition and belonging over conformity.
Before becoming a therapist, I spent over a decade working in global community development. 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 as a Mental Health Counselor at Antioch Community Therapy Services and also at Miracle Mile Community Services.
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, poetry, cooking, gardening, and time with my dog, my family and my community.
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.