About Us
Dr. Elif Duygu Cındık Herbrüggen
A German psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and public health specialist of Turkish origin.
Between 2009 and 2013, Dr. Cındık served as vice president of the Turkish communities in Germany and Bavaria, and she continues her work as chief physician.
Dr. Elif Duygu Cındık was born in 1970 in Istanbul. She spent her childhood in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and currently lives in Munich with her family.
Academic Career
After completing her medical education in Frankfurt and New York, Elif Duygu Cındık pursued her doctoral thesis and public health specialization at Harvard University and Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. She also contributed to fostering German-American dialogue as a board member of the Munich Harvard Club for a period. Following her doctoral studies, she participated in the “Clinical Effectiveness” program jointly conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Harvard School of Public Health.
Upon returning from the U.S., she worked for a period as an assistant physician at Ludwig-Maximilian University Hospital in Munich. As part of her psychiatry specialty training, she worked at Isar Amper Klinikum, one of Germany’s largest psychiatric and neurological hospitals. Following this, she received approximately three years of clinical training in neurology at Schön Klinik, a private hospital.
Dr. Cındık completed her psychiatry and psychotherapy specialization during this time and served as chief physician of a team implementing intercultural treatment practices at Klinik am schönen Moos.
Social Activities
In 2012, Dr. Cındık was elected to the Bavarian Integration Council, where she contributed to the German government’s national integration plan by providing recommendations to improve immigrants’ access to healthcare services and developing related projects. Within the Bavarian Medical Association, she has offered training to colleagues on intercultural treatment methods, migration, and health, and continues to provide consultancy in this field.
Dr. Cındık began engaging in politics during her university years and was elected to the student parliament. She publishes articles on the German healthcare system, migration and integration, coaching, and personal development, advocating for improvements in treatment services. In 2013, she was a candidate for the Bavarian Parliament.
Demonstrating her commitment to a multicultural society through both academic and social work, Dr. Cındık was invited during the COVID-19 period to programs by various media outlets in Germany and Turkey, including CNN Türk, Haber Global, Medyascope, and Voice of America. In these appearances, she assessed the current situation in Germany and provided recommendations for preserving the mental and psychological well-being of the community.
Dr. Elif Duygu Cındık continues to offer free, voluntary seminars to young academics, sharing informative content on psychiatry and psychotherapy through social media and other platforms. She also supports many newly arrived immigrants in Germany with employment and internship opportunities.