Dr Remziye Kunelaki

I am from the island of Kos, in Greece and belong to the Muslim minority of Greece. I grew up with a deep sense of being a minority within a minority.

In the final year of my bachelor’s degree in psychology in Ankara, one of my professors taught about psychosexual dysfunctions and shared his experience of working with gay men in California. That hour in the four years of my psychology degree defined my career path, and I am very grateful for that.

I arrived in London on a cold February day in 1998 with two suitcases (and very little money) to specialise in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy. Finding my feet in a new country and establishing a career had its challenges. I completed the three-year speciality at the Whittington Hospital and learned a lot.

My first job in the NHS was as a sexual health adviser at one of the busiest sexual health and HIV clinics in the country. My career of almost 20 years in three teaching hospitals defined my professional identity. I set up and managed busy psychosexual departments and supervised trainee psychosexual therapists. I enjoyed the multidisciplinary aspect of working in major hospitals and learning from collaborating with colleagues.

At my final employment, I observed gay religious patients who were referred with a sexual dysfunction. Yet, they were struggling to accept their sexuality because of their religious belief system. This observation led to my PhD research. I collaborated with the Church of England and cofacilitated workshops for gay Christian men who struggled between the two identities. I graduated with a PhD in 2024 at Anglia Ruskin University.

Since 2020, I have worked in private practice online and in person in London. I enjoy teaching at Tavistock Relationships integrative psychosexual diploma. I am actively involved in presenting at national and international conferences. I provide therapy in English, Greek, and Turkish.

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