Ekin Gumus

Throughout my life, I have often found myself reflecting on what it means to belong, to oneself, to others, and to the wider world. Over time, this search has led me away from the idea of a single fixed perspective, and toward a more plural understanding of human experience. I’ve come to see psychological life as something shaped by multiple layers at once: internal conflict, relational history, cultural meaning, and the ways we learn to adapt to different environments. This way of thinking naturally brought me to clinical psychology and, more specifically, to the field of sexuality. I became increasingly interested in how sexual experiences are never purely “individual,” but are deeply shaped by emotional development, relational dynamics, cultural expectations, and the often unspoken rules that surround desire, intimacy, and identity. In my clinical work and research, I have focused on sexuality across its many expressions, sexual identity, relational patterns, desire, and distress as well as how shame, stigma, and cultural narratives shape the way people relate to their own sexuality. I have also been particularly drawn to the intersections of gender, identity, and mental health, especially in contexts where individuals experience their identity across conflicting cultural or social frameworks. Alongside this, my work with individuals in complex clinical and social settings has deepened my understanding of trauma, emotional dysregulation, and the ways in which early relational experiences can continue to shape present patterns of relating and experiencing the self. At the same time, growing up across multiple countries and cultural environments has deeply shaped how I think about identity and belonging. I am particularly aware of what it can feel like to exist between frameworks. to carry parts of different worlds within oneself, and to gradually build a sense of continuity through that experience. In many ways, this process has also reflected a broader journey of individuation: learning to integrate different aspects of identity into something more coherent and personally meaningful over time. In my clinical practice, I try to hold space for these experiences without reducing them too quickly into fixed explanations. The work often begins with making sense of what feels confusing, conflicted, or difficult to name. Especially in relation to sexuality, identity, and relationships, so that a more integrated and personally coherent sense of self can gradually emerge. Specializations • Gender identity and dysphoria • Sexuality and sexual dysfunctions • LGBTQIA+ affirmative therapy • Fetishism and kink-aware counseling • Individuation and psychological integration • Multicultural identity and third-culture experiences • Addictions, chemsex and harm reduction • Trauma, sexual abuse and gender violence • Personality disorders • Neurodivergent individuals - ADHD