Clinical Psychologist, EMDR Europe Accredited Therapist, and PhD Candidate

Therapy: The Starfish Effect

Once, an old man was walking along an endless stretch of shore. As the tide receded, he saw thousands of starfish stranded on the sand—fragile bodies glistening, reaching for the sea, yet unable to return without a hand to guide them. From afar, he noticed a child. The child bent down, lifted a starfish with care, and with a gentle motion cast it back into the waves. Then another. And another. The old man, half curious and half amused, approached and asked:
“What are you doing, child?” Without hesitation, the child answered while releasing another starfish into the sea: “I’m helping them find their way back to the water.” The old man shook his head with a smile: “But look around—there are thousands here. You cannot possibly make a difference.” The child picked up one more starfish, brushed the grains of sand from its body, and sent it soaring into the water. “But I made a difference for this one.” Likewise, when a therapist truly touches one life, a transformation begins. From within, change expands outward—like the circles born of a single drop upon still water. And when you step into the therapy room, the journey turns inward, guiding you gently home—to yourself.

Derin Kubilay is a Clinical Psychologist and EMDR Europe Accredited Therapist based in the Netherlands (Amsterdam/Utrecht area). She offers therapy sessions in both Turkish and English. Her expertise includes trauma, anxiety, depression, and migrant mental health. Sessions are available both online and in person.