Bestegul Tungandame - Co-Founder – Adult Clinical Team Manager

Bestegul is one of the co-founders of ADS and she oversees the adult clinical team. She is a nationally registered psychologist and has over 30 years’ experience in psychology, which is a testament to the wisdom that she brings to ADS.

Bestegul’s lifetime commitment and passion for human rights has shaped her vision to establish a client-centred service with the aim of fostering a fulfilling life for some of the most economically and socially disadvantaged people with special needs. Bestegul has dedicated her career working with the most vulnerable clientele including refugees, victims of violence and people with chronic mental illnesses, who all come from a wide range of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Bestegul has worked for government and non-government organisations including Transcultural Mental Health, Multicultural Gambling Service of NSW, Family Planning and Barnardos. She has an extensive network and knowledge of varying services that she continually and effectively applies for the benefit of her clientele.

Bestegul is also an authorised supervisor and she has given provisional psychologists an opportunity to share in the knowledge and expertise of other psychologists in the field, while working with actual clients.

Bestegul believes that her passion to provide the best possible client-centred and holistic services to her disadvantaged clients is contagious and she is delighted to see the same passion in her whole team. Bestegul has a well-deserved reputation within the Turkish-speaking community through her countless voluntary work endeavours in capacity building and fighting against the stigmas attached to mental illnesses and all kinds of discrimination.

Bestegul is also a behaviour support practitioner and has restrictive behaviours authorization that enables her to work with extremely challenging clients.

Bestegul loves all living creatures including animals and it is not unusual to see a rescued pet in her room.  Bestegul considers life as a process of learning and she lives by the mantra “I am still learning” – Michaelangelo.