ÜSTÜN DÖKMEN
Biography
Prof. Dr. Üstün Dökmen was born in 1954 in Istanbul, Turkey. Though his mother hailed from Istanbul and his father from Erzurum, Dökmen himself identifies with Ankara. Completing his primary and secondary education in Erzurum, he later graduated from Ankara Cumhuriyet High School in 1971. Initially enrolled in the Physics Department of Hacettepe University, Dökmen later shifted his academic trajectory, restarting and eventually completing his bachelor’s from Hacettepe University’s Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Psychology. Following this, he pursued a master’s degree in applied psychology in the same department. He then furthered his studies by earning a PhD in Psychological Counseling and Guidance from the Faculty of Educational Sciences at Ankara University in 1986.
In 1988, Dökmen was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor and by 1995, he had risen to the position of Professor. Throughout his academic journey, he served as a faculty member at Ankara University’s Faculty of Educational Sciences.
Between 2002 and 2005, Dökmen created and hosted a television program titled “Küçük Şeyler” on TRT. He later reprised this program in 2012 for Star TV. Alongside opera artist Murat Akar, Dökmen co-presented a radio program on TRT Radio 3 named “Biz Kim Opera Kim,” aiming to instill a love for opera in younger generations.
Dökmen’s academic repertoire is vast, encompassing numerous scientific books, articles, poetry collections, and theatrical plays. He has generously given lectures in several European countries and Australia, offering his knowledge without financial compensation. His work “Küçük Şeyler” was recognized with the 2008 Essay Award by the Turkish Writers’ Union.
Prof. Dr. Dökmen stands as the Founding Partner and Chairman of the Board of “Üstün Dökmen Life Academy.” Moreover, in 2006, together with Specialist Psychologist Süleyman Hecebil, he established “Küçük Şeyler Preschool,” which expanded its influence with 24 branches in 15 cities.
On a personal note, Üstün Dökmen is married to psychologist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zehra Yaşın Dökmen, and they are proud parents of two daughters, Selcan and Tuğcan.