Hello! My name is Melda and I am a Senior Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #121438), currently supervised by Mona Klausing, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA #101243). I hold an M.S. in Counseling and a Ph.D. in German Cultural Studies with an emphasis on Orientalism, Postcolonialism, Women and Gender Studies and Visual Arts.

Thank you for your interest in learning more about me and my approach to mental health and well-being. I believe that we all hold knowledge that comes from within and that alternatives to the dominant stories we have about ourselves offer great potentials for change. I am passionate about listening for your dominant narratives and seek to bring out alternative and/or hidden stories collaboratively with you to initiate change and preferred ways of being and relating to yourself and to others.

I am enthusiastic about post-modern ideas, interdisciplinary and integrative work, and I am passionate about exploring the use of verbal and physiological “languages” as “tools” that construct (and at times limit) our narratives, and impact perceptions of ourselves, our relationships, our surrounding cultural realities as well as our mental and physical identities.

I am fascinated by the many ways people relate to one another in their families and communities and I pay attention to how mechanisms of power, authority and oppression can be at the core of relationships.

And now, a little about my own story:
I grew up in Germany in a German-Turkish family. I have and continue to encounter life in multi-cultural spaces and have a great appreciation for diversity and the unfamiliar. I am a mother of three (plus two dogs), and love spending time outdoors, watching the rhythm and flow of nature. I value deep conversations and aim to nurture empathy, resilience and vulnerability to gain and maintain a deeper relationship with myself and others. I thrive to embrace and have love and compassion for peoples’ challenging sides, including my own, to keep life enjoyable when it gets messy.

If my introduction resonates with you and if you feel inspired to contact me with questions or to schedule an appointment, I look forward to hearing from you and supporting you. My therapeutic approach draws from Narrative Therapy, the main theoretical framework I utilize in my work, as well as Solution-Focused Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy.