Student Profile
Interview with Ugur Kocataskin

Name: Ugur Kocataskin
Age: 36
Hometown: Istanbul, Turkey
# of semesters at Naropa: 5
Organizations: International Students Association

Off-campus activities/hobbies/interests: Swimming, Biking, Music, Traveling.

Past experiences in mental health field and/or meditation: None before coming to Naropa.

How was your experience of Maitri retreats? Maitri retreats were/are the most amazing experiences in my life. They provide an opportunity in getting to know ones-self in a deep way. The community aspect and the location add to that.

What do you wish you had known about Naropa and MACP dept. before arriving here?   Not much really. I came with an open mind and found more than what I had hoped for.

What is challenging about going to Naropa and the MACP dept? The experiential part, the personal process can be very challenging. While being engaged in a deep personal process, having to do academic work is a difficult balance.

What is rewarding about going to Naropa and the MACP dept? It is a program that teaches one how to be a human being. One learns how to be in a healthy relationship with one’s self and others in an authentic way. And this informs the learned skills as a therapist.

What have you learned about yourself by going to Naropa and the MACP dept? I have learned how to relax into who I am. I have learned about my patterns in relating to others. I have learned how to be in touch with my compassion.

Complete this sentence: Contemplative psychotherapy is . . . a way of being that emphasizes the client’s inherent sanity as experienced in the therapeutic relationship. It is informed by the therapist’s self awareness and utilizes compassion and mindfulness as tools. Contemplative Psychotherapy draws from Buddhist teachings without dogmatization.

Life at Naropa and the MACP dept is… Rich, full, challenging, and life changing.

Do you feel that you are being well prepared to work in a clinical setting? I feel I am getting a very solid base to build upon. This training allows me to have an open mind and curiosity for every setting and situation.

How did you find Naropa? A place that is in constant change.