About Dr. Seniha Avcıl | Respiratory Physiotherapist

In brief

For me, breathing has been the same question for thirty years

I graduated from Hacettepe University's Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation in 1996 and began my career directly in respiratory physiotherapy. The core question has not changed since: where exactly does this person's breathing get stuck, and what can be done about it?

Over twenty-six years at Florence Nightingale Hospital, VKV American Hospital and Memorial Şişli Hospital I worked across a wide spectrum, from intensive care to outpatient follow-up — from the fear of stairs in someone living with COPD, to the anxiety of a patient afraid to cough after surgery, from the helplessness of a family whose baby cannot clear secretions, to the professional worry of a teacher who runs out of breath while speaking.

What those stories had in common was this: breathlessness had usually been accepted as something to be endured. In most cases, however, there was an area that could be worked on, measured and improved. I define my profession as making that area visible.

International Experience

Seeing how the same work is done in different countries

In 2012 I was accepted onto the international fellowship programme of the American Association for Respiratory Care. The programme gave me the opportunity to work at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Rochester; the same year I received the AARC International Fellowship award in New Orleans.

That experience noticeably changed how I see the profession. In Türkiye respiratory physiotherapy was often absorbed into other areas of physiotherapy, while in the United States the “respiratory therapist” was a defined profession with a clear place in the team. On returning I began working as an instructor and coordinator on the AARC's training programmes in Türkiye, taking part in more than twelve international programmes since 2010.

In November 2025 I was a fellow at St. David's North Austin Medical Center, and attended the AARC congress in Phoenix the same year.

October 2012

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

The International Fellowship in Respiratory Care Program — Cincinnati, USA

November 2012

Mayo Clinic, Rochester

The International Fellowship in Respiratory Care Program — Rochester, USA

November 2012

AARC International Fellowship Award

In recognition of completion of the International Fellowship in Respiratory Care Program — New Orleans, LA, USA

November 2025

St. David's North Austin Medical Center

Fellow — Austin, Texas, USA

Clinical Experience

Hospital experience

1996 – 1998

Florence Nightingale Hastanesi

Respiratory Physiotherapist

1998 – 2008

VKV Amerikan Hastanesi

Respiratory Physiotherapist

2008 – 2022

Memorial Şişli Hastanesi

Respiratory Physiotherapist

Academic Background

Education

1996

BSc — Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

Hacettepe University, Faculty of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

2012

MSc — Hospital and Health Institutions Management

Beykent University

2019

PhD — Business Administration

Beykent University (2015–2019)

About the title “Dr.”

The title before my name comes from the PhD in Business Administration I completed at Beykent University. My profession is physiotherapy; I am not a physician and I do not make diagnoses. My work is to carry out respiratory assessments and to plan physiotherapy programmes within the framework of medical referral.

Approach

How I work

Assessment first, exercise second

The most common mistake I see in practice is a list of exercises handed out without an assessment. Giving the same programme to two people who both say “I can't get enough air” is like prescribing the same medicine for two different conditions. Most of the first appointment is therefore spent talking, observing and measuring.

I do not claim to improve what I have not measured

I believe progress should not stop at “I feel better”. Where appropriate I use respiratory muscle strength measurement, breathlessness and fatigue scales, and sit-to-stand and walking-based functional tests. That way we can both see whether the programme is working and keep the intensity at the right point.

An honest frame

I do not promise a definitive result, a timeframe or a “permanent solution”. Respiratory physiotherapy does not remove chronic lung disease, and no technique replaces the treatment your doctor has planned. What I can do is build a measurable programme aimed at helping you do more in daily life with the capacity you have.

People who understand what they are doing keep going

I share assessment findings with the person in front of me: what each result means and why we chose a particular technique. The clearest lesson of thirty years is this — someone who understands the logic of their exercise sustains the programme.

Knowing the limits

If something requiring medical review emerges during assessment — breathlessness at rest, blood in sputum, unexplained weight loss, new chest pain — the programme is postponed and the person is referred. That is not a delay; it is doing things in the right order.

Memberships

Professional and scientific memberships

AARC — American Association for Respiratory Care

Member and Past Fellow (2012)

TÜSAD — Turkish Respiratory Research Society

Member

Turkish Thoracic Society

Member

Turkish Physiotherapy Association

Member

Academic Publications Education and Certifications

Contact

Let us assess your breathing together

Whether your breathing pattern suits you can only be understood through a face-to-face assessment. Get in touch to request an appointment.

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