Atakan Karakas, NCPS

Atakan Karakas is a counsellor who works from a collaborative, person-focused stance. She believes people know their own stories and brings openness and respect to each session. Her approach is practical and grounded, aimed at helping people move through difficult feelings and daily challenges.

She uses techniques from acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy to help people notice what matters and try small changes. Attachment-based and client-centred ideas guide how she listens and builds trust during sessions. Dialectical behaviour therapy skills are available when teaching ways to manage strong emotions and improve coping.

Atakan has seven years of professional experience and is listed with NCPS. She has supported people facing stress, anxiety, grief and depression, as well as concerns such as ADHD, addictions and compassion fatigue. She also helps with relationship and intimacy-related issues, self-esteem, eating and sleeping difficulties, and major life changes.

Additional areas she addresses include abandonment, adoption and foster care issues, caregiving stress, chronic illness and disability, body image, codependency and communication problems. She also works with people affected by trauma and abuse and those navigating career and parenting strains.

Sessions are delivered in English and Turkish. Atakan accepts international clients and aims to make therapy fit around everyday life. To begin, readers are invited to complete the short questionnaire and arrange a session through the Start Therapy process.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, and then take action guided by personal values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression and difficulty making life changes. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings and behaviour and teaches practical steps to change unhelpful patterns; it often helps with anxiety, low mood and sleep problems.

Matching an approach to a person is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what tends to help, then try methods together. This is a collaborative process and adjustments are made as progress is reviewed.

Session formats are not specified in the original biography, so please confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, avoid travel time, and use shorter check-ins when needed. It also allows continuity of care for people who live abroad or have changing schedules. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt exercises, worksheets and skills coaching for remote sessions to keep the work practical and goal-focused.