Interdisciplinary
Trauma Symposium:From Resilience to
Collective Healing
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Dr. M. Claire Greene,
PhD, MPH
Program on Forced Migration and Health, Columbia University
Mailman School of Public Health
“Building Multisectoral Systems of Care to Promote Resilience and Healing Among Youth in Humanitarian Emergencies”
An Invitation
to the Symposium
Redefining the multilayered nature of healing:An interdisciplinary gathering
AcadeMaya Center for Learning, which transforms Maya Foundation’s longstanding field experience into a learning ecosystem, is bringing its first major symposium to life in collaboration with Koç University.
Taking place on Saturday, 17 October at the Koç University campus, this symposium looks beyond the clinical dimensions of trauma to explore processes of social and spatial repair. Our invitation extends across a broad spectrum—from mental health professionals and urban planners to disaster management professionals, academics, and field practitioners working with disadvantaged groups.
Our aim is not only to develop technical capacity, but also to bring different disciplines to the same table, share our collective knowledge, and broaden our perspectives on community healing.
Through discussions on post-trauma and post-disaster processes across the nervous system, decision-making mechanisms, collective memory, and spatial repair, we aim to uncover the healing potential of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Panels
Sessions exploring multidimensional approaches from experts in their fields
Workshops
Interactive spaces where theoretical knowledge meets practice
Poster Presentations
Academic presentations highlighting original research and field experience
You Are Invited
You are invited to be part of this interdisciplinary dialogue—to build a collective approach and explore the multilayered nature of healing together.
Panels
- PANEL 1Memory, Neuroscience, and Trauma
- PANEL 2Disasters:Preparedness, Risk Modelling, and Resilience
- PANEL 3Space, Collective Trauma, and Social Repair:From Care to Memory, From Justice to Healing
Panel 1 – Moderated by: Dr. Ayşenur Coşkun Toker
Memory, Neuroscience, and Trauma
Prof. Sami GÜLGÖZ
Psychology
Trauma and Memory:A Complex Relationship
Assoc. Prof. Sedat IŞIKLI
Psychology
“The World Is No Longer Safe”:From Epistemic Mistrust to Shattered Assumptions
Asst. Prof. Onur İYİLİKÇİ
Psychology
The Impact of Childhood’s Unique Neurobiology on the Traces of Trauma in the Brain
Prof. Özlem KARAIRMAK
Psychological Counseling and Guidance
From Traumatic Memory to a New Narrative:Memory, Brain, and Art
Panel 2 – Moderated by: Dr. Mehpare Selcan Kaynak
Disasters: Preparedness, Risk Modelling, and Resilience
Prof. Zafer YENAL
Sociology
Nourishing Life:Food Systems and Community Resilience
Assoc. Prof. İlker KAYI
Public Health
Accessibility of Post-Disaster Mental Health Services
Assoc. Prof. Suncem KOÇER
Media and Visual Arts
Infodemic and Resilience in the Context of Crisis:An Ethnographic Perspective
Panel 3 – Moderated by: Clinical Psychologist Burcu Beşiroğlu
Space, Collective Trauma, and Social Repair: From Care to Memory, From Justice to Healing
Prof. Hatice AYATAÇ
Architecture
Memory and Belonging:The Spatial Dimension of Social Repair
Prof. Bertil EMRAH ODER
Law
Trauma and Justice:Law as a Source of Victimhood
Asst. Prof. Mustafa AVCI
Media and Visual Arts / Ethnomusicology
Listening to Trauma:Sound, Music, and Collective Memory
Workshops
- WORKSHOP 1Case-Based Supervision Workshop:Put Your Oxygen Mask On First When Working With Trauma
- WORKSHOP 2Generation to Generation:The Transmission of Psychological Resilience
- WORKSHOP 3Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in Psychosocial Work
Workshop 1
Case-Based Supervision Workshop: Put Your Oxygen Mask On First When Working With Trauma
Assoc. Prof. Ceren ACARTÜRK
Psychology
Dr. Gülşah KURT AKTAŞ
Psychology
Workshop 2
Generation to Generation: The Transmission of Psychological Resilience
Assoc. Prof. Yudum SÖYLEMEZ
Psychology
Clinical Psychologist Sezin BENLİ
Psychology
Workshop 3
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in Psychosocial Work
Clinical Psychologist Didem DOĞAN
Psychology
Scientific Program
| 10:00-10:30 | REGISTRATION |
| 10:30-11:00 | Opening Remarks: Maya Foundation & Koç University |
| 11:00-11:30 | Keynote Speaker: Dr. M. Claire GREENE, PhD, MPH, Columbia University |
| 11:30-11:45 | Coffee Break |
| 11:45-13:15 | Panel 1: Memory, Neuroscience, and TraumaModerator:Dr. Ayşenur Coşkun TokerSpeakers:Prof. Sami GÜLGÖZ Assoc. Prof. Sedat IŞIKLI Asst. Prof. Onur İYİLİKÇİ Prof. Özlem KARAIRMAK Workshop 1: Case-Based Supervision Workshop: Put Your Oxygen Mask On First When Working With TraumaWorkshop Facilitators:Assoc. Prof. Ceren ACARTÜRK (In person) Dr. Gülşah KURT AKTAŞ (Online)*Workshop 1 will be held in person with Assoc. Prof. Ceren Acartürk and participants in the workshop room, while Dr. Gülşah Kurt Aktaş will join online. |
| 13:15-14:15 | Lunch Break |
| 14:15-15:45 | Panel 2: Disasters: Preparedness, Risk Modelling, and ResilienceModerator:Dr. Mehpare Selcan KaynakSpeakers:Prof. Zafer YENAL Assoc. Prof. İlker KAYI Assoc. Prof. Suncem KOÇER Workshop 2: Generation to Generation: The Transmission of Psychological ResilienceWorkshop Facilitators:Assoc. Prof. Yudum SÖYLEMEZ Clinical Psychologist Sezin BENLİ |
| 15:00-16:00 | Poster Presentations |
| 15:45-16:00 | Coffee Break |
| 16:00-17:30 | Panel 3: Space, Collective Trauma, and Social Repair: From Care to Memory, From Justice to HealingModerator:Clinical Psychologist Burcu BeşiroğluSpeakers:Prof. Hatice AYATAÇ Prof. Bertil Emrah ODER Asst. Prof. Mustafa AVCI Workshop 3: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy in Psychosocial WorkWorkshop Facilitator:Clinical Psychologist Didem DOĞAN |
| 17:30-18:00 | Closing |
Symposium Registration Fees
| Registration Period | Dates | Student**/ Humanitarian Aid Worker | General Participation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Registration* | 1–31 July 2026 | ₺750*** | ₺1,000*** |
| Regular Registration | 1 August–1 October 2026 | ₺1,000 | ₺1,250 |
| Late Registration | 2–8 October 2026 | ₺1,250 | ₺1,500 |
Important Notes
* Early registration places are limited. If the quota is reached, the early registration period may end before the scheduled date.
** Koç University students may register free of charge upon uploading a valid student certificate.
*** For Koç University faculty members, the early registration fee applies regardless of registration date. Faculty members with student status pay ₺750; faculty members without student status pay ₺1,000.
**** All participants presenting posters are subject to the registration fee, regardless of their university affiliation.
Information & Contact
academaya@mayavakfi.org