Pro bono counseling till the end of the year

“Pro bono” is the shortened form of the Latin phrase “pro bono publico”, which means “in the public interest”. The practice of working pro bono originally started in the legal field, where lawyers, and later other consultants, volunteered their services, usually to non-governmental organizations or individuals who could not afford to pay for them. The practice became established at the end of the 20th century.

In psychological counseling, the term is used to refer to the hours of work that professionals offer without pay. This practice improves the quality of services, as it enables specialists to diversify their professional experience. It also provides access to the services to a wider range of clients. People turn to mental health professionals for a variety of complaints, some being more common, while others quite infrequent. Pro bono work is a good opportunity for every specialist to gain experience in a field outside of their area of expertise.

In 2024, I will be working pro bono for two hours a week on the topics of transsexuality and online addiction. The Istanbul Convention of 2011 showed the widespread public misunderstanding of gender issues that created an additional burden for the transgender community. And the 2013 fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders provided guidance for further research into Internet gaming addiction, for the first time drawing the attention  to the risks of excessive online use.  These are some of the reasons why I chose these topics in particular.

Discrimination, violence, harassment are just some of the trials that the transgender community faces most tangibly. The problem is public, as the lack of tolerance is not only contrary to European values, but sometimes it also becomes the ground for crimes.

At an individual level from a psychological point of view, I’m interested in how you accept yourself when you don’t recognize yourself in your body. How do you assert yourself when you face no support among your closest people? What makes the process of biological sex change easier for some and more difficult for others? What are the effective strategies of people who have achieved comfort in their gender identity? Questions to which we can seek answers together.

The option is for you if you are one of those people who do not fit into the traditional dualistic gender definition and feel the need to speak openly about it.

*Note: Keep in mind that gender identity has nothing to do with sexual orientation.

The average age of online addiction worldwide is dropping, which means that a large proportion of those in need of support are school or university students and cannot afford psychological counseling. Where is the line between normal and abnormal in the new digital world? What makes young people choose the screen over physical contact? And when does this choice start causing problems?

This is also a topic of public significance. Currently, generations coming from completely different realities have to cooperate in the world, but they hardly understand each other. For those who grew up without screens, youth today is “defective”. This attitude creates many complications in family relationships. The screen can represent both a lucrative full-time job and a dark abyss consuming all of your time, cognitive abilities and social connectedness. If you’re ready to replace physical reality with virtual reality, you need to have exceptional impulse control, something not everyone can boast of.

If you recognize yourself or a loved one in the above categories and if you believe that counseling could be of use to you, fill out the pro bono counseling form HERE and schedule a visit! During our first meeting, you will have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the counseling process and discuss your questions and concerns. Booking is on a first-come-first-served-basis, therefore you may be placed on a waiting list.