Duygu Gökyıldırım Uslu, Psychologist

Duygu Gökyıldırım Uslu is a psychologist at Acibadem Atasehir Hospital in İstanbul, where she works within the Psychiatry & Psychology unit. Her practice centers on psychological support for people affected by cancer, including both patients and their relatives, together with sleep disorders, smoking cessation and a range of other psychological concerns in children and adults. She has more than 16 years of experience in the field.

She graduated from Yeditepe University Faculty of Arts and Sciences in 2010 and continued her studies at The City University London between 2011 and 2013. Her professional experience includes Imece Women’s Centre (2011 to 2012), Özel Medicana Hospital (2012), Bahat Health Group (2013) and Universal Aksaray Hospital (2013 to 2015). She has worked at Acıbadem Healthcare Services since 2016. She is a member of the Türk Psikologlar Association and the Turkish Psychologists Association.

Clinical focus

A central part of her work is psycho-oncology. She offers psychological support after a cancer diagnosis and works with patients on quality-of-life concerns during cancer treatment, such as adjusting to the diagnosis, managing distress and maintaining daily functioning. She also provides emotional and coping support for the relatives of patients, who often carry a considerable burden of their own during a family member’s illness. Her subspecialty interests include sleep disorders and the Smoke-Free Life program, within which she supports individuals who wish to stop smoking.

Her areas of expertise further include obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, hyperactivity and autism spectrum disorder. She also works in neuropsychology, which involves the assessment of cognitive functions such as attention, memory and executive skills and their relationship to behavior and emotional wellbeing. In each of these areas, the psychological approach is tailored to the individual’s presenting concerns and, where appropriate, coordinated with psychiatrists and other specialists in the unit.

How Duygu Gökyıldırım Uslu works with international patients

Duygu Gökyıldırım Uslu speaks Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports and imaging, for example MRI, CT, X-ray or ultrasound reports, laboratory and pathology results, operative notes and discharge summaries, and arranges appointments and the hospital visit itself. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and symptoms, a review of existing imaging and previous treatments, a clinical examination and a discussion of the options. Video consultation is available for international patients, which may be helpful for an initial conversation about concerns such as adjustment to cancer care, sleep or eating-related difficulties, smoking cessation or emotional coping, as well as for follow-up after an in-person visit.