Today, under the influence of modernity, societies and individuals have begun to form new identities. The concepts of secularism and conservatism, which have entered our lives with modernity, serve as ideological concepts as well as identities. This study examines the spiritual turmoil and dilemma experienced by women living in a secular and modern society between religious identities and social norms, specifically in the context of the Istanbul Encyclopedia series. The identity struggles of Zehra, Nesrin, and Aylin, the three main female characters in the series, when confronted with modern and secular values are examined from a psycho-social perspective. The characters’ religious practices, veiling, and symbolic behaviours, psychological defence mechanisms, attachment styles, identity conflicts, and social positions are compared and evaluated not only in terms of faith but also in terms of identity autonomy and social belonging. Our aim is to understand and discuss the connections that women establish between obedience and freedom in the processes of secularisation and conservatism. For some women, conservatism represents conformity to existing traditional structures and submission, while for others it is seen as self-realisation, liberation and individual meaning production. The underlying reasons for these different orientations, psychological motivations, family and community relationships, social pressures, the effects of secular society on women, and how women’s identity is divided and constructed between conservative and secular codes have been examined. As a result, the characters are examined comparatively, and women are portrayed not only as obedient figures playing the roles assigned to them, but also as individuals who are free to make their own choices, question things, and take control of their own lives. Our research aims to examine the individual’s inner world while also revealing the conflict between the inner world and society through the female characters from a psycho-sociological perspective. The individual’s psychological analyses are related to the structure of society, and the individual is interpreted as being in constant interaction with society rather than independent of it.