The MERCI Counseling Center, established by the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality in Tarsus, southern Türkiye, provides assistance to students struggling in their academic pursuits and supports them in overcoming challenges in their daily and social lives.
Operating under the auspices of the Social Services Department Presidency, the MERCI Counseling Center is located within the premises of the Tarsus Education and Training Support Center. The center operates five days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers guidance and psychological support services led by expert professionals. Additionally, play therapy support is available for younger age groups.
Through the center, students receive support in areas where they struggle academically, as well as strategies for overcoming challenges in their daily and social lives. This includes increasing school and exam success rates, developing problem-solving techniques, fostering multidimensional thinking skills and providing motivation.
Additionally, guidance is offered on issues such as anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity disorder, and family and peer bullying. Situated centrally, the center is highly preferred by students, offering guidance and counseling services for all exams conducted by the Ministry of National Education and the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM). Appointments can be made through the Alo 185 application or by calling the fixed line at 0324 622 00 66.
Psychologist Kerem Eraydın, working at the Tarsus MERCI Counseling Center, stated that the center was established to provide psychological and guidance services to students living in Tarsus, and has been in operation since December 2023. Eraydın noted that over 300 students have received services from the center so far, saying, "We provide counseling services on various issues including exam anxiety, as well as academic, social and personal problems that students face. Additionally, we offer play therapy services for our younger students. Our center is staffed with three psychologists and one guidance counselor. Students ranging from kindergarten to university, and even graduates, come to us and benefit from our services. In short, we serve students of all ages.”
Eraydın also mentioned that they receive very positive feedback from students and have received intense demand, stating: "This shows that we are meeting the needs of students in Tarsus, which makes us happy. The Metropolitan Municipality of Mersin continues to support our students in providing psychological support and addressing issues encountered during the education process, as it does in all areas.”
Verda Altuğ, a guidance counselor at the Tarsus MERCI Counseling Center, stated that they support students' academic lives through guidance services and assist students in all exams conducted by the Ministry of National Education and the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) during this process.
Altuğ expressed that they provide services on topics such as self-awareness, time management, stress management, exam analysis, guidance and vocational counseling, as well as motivation. She said: "We aim to provide a healthier service through academic tests applied on topics such as the ability to retain information in memory for a long time, internal and external motivation in students, and indecisiveness in the decision-making process. We provide services through an appointment system, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Within this scope, appointments are given to students on the nearest and most suitable date. Whatever problem our student comes to us with, we conduct work related to that problem."
