UMUT KARAGÖZ

Umut Karagöz is a clinical psychologist, educator, and researcher working in the field of clinical psychology. He is the founder and Academic Coordinator of the MEDMINDIST Institute of Education and Research. His professional and research interests include clinical psychology, psychological assessment, projective testing, child and adolescent mental health, psychometrics, and clinical education.

He began his professional career with a clinical orientation grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and completed training in psychotherapy, supervision, and hypnosis within this framework. He gained clinical experience particularly in the areas of addiction, impulse control, and behavioral change, later expanding his work to include child and adolescent mental health, developmental assessment, attention processes, and family systems. For many years, he worked in child and adolescent outpatient settings alongside psychiatrists and pediatric neurologists, developing extensive interdisciplinary experience in clinical assessment.

Psychological testing and assessment have played a significant role in his academic and professional work. He provides training in WISC-IV administration, interpretation, and report writing and works to promote more rigorous, ethical, and comprehensive approaches to psychological assessment. He has served as an instructor in WISC-IV training programs conducted across Türkiye, contributing to the training and supervision of psychologists from different regions of the country.

Karagöz’s work in clinical psychology extends beyond the administration of psychological tests to the clinical reasoning underlying assessment and interpretation. His areas of particular interest therefore include psychological report writing, clinical observation, psychodynamic assessment, the theoretical foundations of projective testing, and clinical interviewing skills. Through works such as “WISC-IV Report Writing and Interpretation Handbook,” “The Fundamental Logic of Projective Tests,” “The Importance of Listening in Clinical Psychology,” and “How to Establish a Therapeutic Relationship with Patients in Clinical Psychology,” he aims to contribute to clinical psychology through both educational and theoretical work.

In the field of theoretical development, Karagöz is working on an original conceptual model called Physiopsychology. In his work “Physiopsychology: Character Particles and Fundamental Elements,” he explores human character through the relationship between mental structure and patterns of life experience. Within this framework, character is understood not merely as a collection of personality traits, but as a deeper structure involved in shaping how individuals think, feel, form relationships, and orient themselves within life.

Another major area of Karagöz’s research is the development of original psychological assessment instruments. Within this scope, he is conducting research on the MAPS Test while also developing a new projective assessment instrument for potential use in clinical psychology. These studies seek to develop approaches for gaining a deeper understanding of individuals’ inner experiences, perceptual patterns, relational styles, and psychological organization in the face of ambiguity.

Under the leadership of Dr. Umut Karagöz, the MEDMINDIST Institute of Education and Research has been established as an institute dedicated to clinical psychology, psychological assessment, education, research, and the development of original assessment instruments. Its central aim is to create a scientifically grounded, ethically responsible, intellectually rigorous, and innovative environment for research, education, and professional development in clinical psychology.

EDUCATION

2018–2024 — University of Health Sciences, Ph.D. in Addiction and Addiction Studies
2014–2016 — Beykent University, M.A. in Clinical Psychology
2005–2009 — Dicle University, B.A. in Psychology