Bircan Kırlangıç Şimşek
Psychologist, Psychodramatist, Trainer, Supervisor
She began her Psychodrama education in a training group led by Abdülkadir Özbek in 1986. She has received training and/or supervision from many psychodramatist, including G. Leutz, J. Gneist, G. Zigler, J. Burmeister, M. Gassou, J. Tezsary, R. Oudıjk, M. Karp, and M. Maciel. She has been personally psychoanalyzed by Prof. Dr. Neriman Samurçay between 1986 and 1992.
She completed her psychodrama education in 2000 with her thesis titled “The Effects of Poetry on Role Patterns and Group Process with an Approach Based on Poetry in Psychodrama.”
As an instructor at the Abdülkadir Özbek Psychodrama Institute Instructor, she has supervised many psychodrama theses and served as a jury member in several psychodrama completion exams.
She has published several articles on psychodrama, including in peer-reviewed journals.
She has developed several pschodrama methods, including the “Multi-Mirror Supervision Method,” “Döşelek,” “Live Poetry,” “Feeding Shadow” and “Self in the Other.” She often uses traditional and cultural elements in psychodrama.
Below is a summary of her main publications, conferences and service activities:
Books: As Author
- Kemal Abi [Kemal] (Vivo Publishing House 2021)
- Yaratıcılık Özgürlüktür [Creativity is Freedom] (Nobel Publishing House 2012)
- Cumhuriyetle Büyüyen Kadın: Neriman Samurçay [Neriman Samurçay: The Woman who Grew up with the Republic] (İzgören Publishing House 2012)
- Üstün Dökmen’le Nehirde: Psikodrama Sandalıyla Yolculuk [In the River with Üstün Dökmen: A Journey with the Boat of Psychodrama] (published four times by the İzgören Publishing House, first publication in 2010)
- Kapi [The Door] (Elips Publishing House 2007),
- Selvinin Dalları [The Branches of Selvi] (Galata Publishing House 2004)
Books: As translation editor (from English to Turkish)
- Kim Kalacak [Who Shall Survive?], J.L. Moreno ( Bilim ve Sanat Publishing House 2022)
- Metafor Terapi [Metaphor Therapy], Richard R. Kopp (Bilim ve Sanat Publishing House 2021)
- Muğlak Kayıp [Ambiguous Loss], Pauline Boss (Bilim ve Sanat Publishing House 2021)
- Psikodrama Artı Gerçeklik ve İyileşme Sanatı (Psychodrama, Surplus Reality and the Art of Healing, Zerka T. Moreno (Nobel Publishing House 2013)
- In addition to the above, she has also served as the coordinating editor for the translation of eight other books on psychodrama and of a dictionary of psychodrama terms
Some Conferences
- Conference entitled “Encounter and Tele”, at the Malatya summer school of the Turkish Psychiatric Association (2011)
- Conference entitled “The World Where Psychodrama was Born” at the Art Psychotherapies Workshop (2013)
- Conference entitled “'The Fate of Spider Webs” at the Third National Art Psychotherapy Symposium (2014)
- Conference entitled “God Imitation Syndrome and the Courage to Stop Oneself” at the Eighth Istanbul Psychodrama Days (2014)
- Conference entitled “Against the Captivity of ‘Pushing’, the Freedom of ‘Choosing’” at the Ninth Istanbul Psychodrama Days (2015)
- Large group exercise entitled “The Fifth Season” and conference and small group exercises entitled “Feeding from the Present and Walking to the Past” at the Izmir Psychodrama Days (2016)
- Conference entitled “From Sequencing Stones To Sequencing Words: From ‘Döşelek’ to ‘Lamentation’” at the Art Therapy Congress (2016)
- Conference for the World Mental Health Awareness Day (2018)
- Several speeches as part of various organizations by Ankara Psychodrama Association’s and other NGOs
- Participation to various social projects for disadvantaged groups, such as the workshop at the Atmaca District in Bergama
Service Activities
- President of the 45th Internal Group Psychotherapy Congress
- Founder of Ankara Psychodrama Days and Former President and Member of the Organizational Committee
- Honorary Chair of the 2021 Ankara Psychodrama Week
- Founding President of the Psychodrama Associations Federation
- Founding and Current President of the Abdülkadir Özbek Psychodrama Association
- Founding and Current President of the Assocation of Psychodrama Using Poetry and Litterature
- Founding President of the Ankara Psychodrama Association
- Co-President of the 2018 Psychodrama Week
- Former Board Member of Turkish Psychological Association
- Former Board Member and current member of the Turkish Association of Group Psychotherapists