My name is Özlem (pronounced Ers_lem)
As a wellbeing scientist, educator, and practitioner, I specialize in providing evidence-based, tailored coaching and positive psychology interventions to multicultural women living in Western countries. My focus is on helping multicultural women pursue their potential, prevent burnout, and flourish (feel and function well) in their careers and lives. I also design research-based wellbeing programs for organizations seeking to support diverse talent.
Growing up as the eldest daughter of immigrants, I navigated the complexities of living between two worlds, which gave me valuable lived experience but also presented unique challenges, including chronic burnout from identity complexity and a lack of belonging. After spending over 15 years working in Accounting, Finance, and Business Transformation Projects, I became increasingly interested in wellbeing and sought solutions for my burnout. However, I struggled to find resources that addressed the needs of multicultural women like myself. This experience motivated me to pursue a Master's degree in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne's Centre for Wellbeing Science, where I gained knowledge and skills to help address the pursuit of wellbeing.
My vision, values, and approach are holistic and systemic, addressing internal factors such as the body-mind-spirit connection and sense of self and belonging, as well as external factors such as organizational policies and social systems to ensure multicultural women can flourish.
My mission is to amplify multicultural women's voices, address their unique needs and create relevant resources for their wellbeing.
Thank you for your interest in my work. Helping multicultural women flourish and giving back to the communities I have come from is the privilege and honour of my lifetime.
Wellbeing Literacy
A FEW DEFINITIONS
My approach to wellbeing is rooted in the inside-out perspective, which emphasizes the importance of nurturing one's inner world to make empowered choices and show up as one's authentic self.
Through my work, I support multicultural women in cultivating a sense of flourishing because it's difficult to achieve meaningful goals and succeed when languishing, feeling empty or disconnected from oneself or trying to fit into an inauthentic mould.
Definitions are based on teachings from the Centre for Wellbeing Science, University of Melbourne
Wellbeing
/ verb
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A positive state of being and life satisfaction
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Feeling and functioning well
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Growing inward such as having a sense of self, belonging, self-acceptance, meaning and purpose in life; and
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Growing outward such as engaging in life, positive relationships, and accomplishing goals
Flourishing
/ verb
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The peak of wellbeing
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Fulfilling your potential, living true to yourself and feeling happiness in life
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Growing inward to have a strong sense of self, belonging, self-acceptance, meaning and purpose
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The prerequisite to growing outward and engaging with the world around you
Languishing
/ verb
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Low wellbeing
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The space between flourishing and depression
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That 'blah' feeling of emptiness, quiet despair
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A risk factor and an early warning sign of mental health issues
WHAT I DO
Areas of Expertise
Researcher - Wellbeing Scientist
As a wellbeing scientist, I research, write and analyse empirical studies to extract findings relevant to multicultural women. Unfortunately, most wellbeing research studies centre on mono-cultural populations; hence findings may not always directly apply to bicultural and multicultural women. As a future PhD candidate, I hope to address this gap in the research literature.
Designer & Educator - Wellbeing Programs
As an experienced learning designer and educator, I draw on the latest research to create evidence-based educational programs to help make wellbeing accessible and applicable for multicultural women. These programs are culturally sensitive and tailored to personal and professional settings to ensure maximum impact and relevance.
In addition, I am commissioned to design bespoke wellbeing programs for inclusive organisations with a diverse talent pool, helping them to support their employees' wellbeing and create a more positive and inclusive workplace culture.
Positive Psychology Practitioner
As a practitioner, I offer private one-to-one sessions to multicultural women, providing tailored positive psychology interventions to support their personal and professional development and help them achieve flourishing lives.
QUALIFICATIONS & ACCREDITATIONS:
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Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP), University of Melbourne​
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Graduated with First Class Honours
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Registered Positive Psychology Practitioner, Positive Psychology Guild Global
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Coaching Accreditation, Institute of Executive Coaching & Leadership (IECL)
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Bachelor of Business, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS)
​“If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive.”
― Audre Lorde
Writer. Activist. Daughter of an Immigrant.
Official Bio
RESEARCHER. DESIGNER. EDUCATOR. PRACTITIONER
Özlem (she/her) is a women’s wellbeing specialist with over 15 years of corporate experience across multiple disciplines and has worked cross-culturally on secondments in India, Dubai and the UK. As the founder of Spirit of WomanKind, a wellbeing company for multicultural women, Özlem empowers culturally and linguistically diverse women to prevent burnout, fulfil their potential, and flourish.
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Özlem graduated with First-Class Honours in the Master in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Melbourne and was awarded for her academic excellence with a place on the Dean's Honours List - only awarded to the top 3% of students in their year. She holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), and is an IECL-accredited coach and registered positive psychology practitioner.
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Özlem is also part of the academic teaching team at the University of NSW. She complements her vocation by volunteering with Step into Work, a career development program for underprivileged women, including refugee and immigrant women.
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With a holistic approach, Özlem strives to create ripples of positive impact that benefit individuals (self), society, and systems.
Get in Touch
Get in touch to learn more or explore collaboration opportunities.