Özgün Ünver, Ph.D.
I am a certified life, stress and burnout coach working with academics around wellbeing, mindset, and burnout prevention/recovery.
I have a PhD in social policy, a strong interest in psychosocial wellbeing in the workplace, and a passion for normalising mental health-related conversations in every aspect of our lives.
If you're looking for a trauma-informed and 'mental health literate' coach who is trained in stress physiology and psychology, contact me!
My Story
Hi, thanks for stopping by!
My name Özgün means 'original', 'unique', and 'authentic' in Turkish. I try to live up to my name.
Originally from Istanbul, I've been living in Belgium since 2008. I'm a recovering academic.
I have been a learner all my life and my hunger for knowledge brought me to the academic world. I have had the privilege of earning my Ph.D. from the University of Leuven in Belgium while working for an academic research institute, doing social policy research, publishing and presenting my work.
Even though I was happy in the academic world, where I felt home, my mental and physical health and wellbeing deteriorated more and more over the years. Despite constant overwork, I was neither confident nor productive. I overidentified with my job at the expense of my wellbeing. As a result, I crashed and burned (out).
In order to recover, I had to do a lot of soul-searching, discover who I was, and start giving my body and my heart the same value that I had given to my mind.
Now that I have eventually nurtured myself back to wellbeing with the help of many people (friends, family, coaches, physicians, and colleagues), it is now my mission to inspire and support academics on their quest to find true and lasting balance, energy, and fulfilment in their work and life.
My Big "WHY", My Motto & My Mission
My WHY is to wear our vulnerability as a badge of honour so that we can all be our authentic selves.
My MOTTO is "feel your feelings, manage your mind, increase your capacity". I live it, I teach it, I coach it.
My MISSION is to help academics (and everyone else) to prioritize self-care, work-life balance, and mental (as well as physical) health.
My Values
-> INTEGRITY
To me, integrity encompasses Honesty, Fairness, and Respect - toward myself and others. The question I ask myself: "Do I have a clear conscience?"
-> AUTHENTICITY
To me, authenticity entails Sincerity, Vulnerability, and Courage. The question I ask myself: "Am I expanding or contracting?"
-> CARE
To me, being caring means Empathy, Compassion, and Service. The question I ask myself: "How can I really help?"
