Gottman Referral Network

About

You're tired of the same fights. Maybe there's been a betrayal and you're not sure anything can feel safe again. Maybe nothing dramatic happened and you've just drifted, and now you feel more like roommates than partners. You're here because you don't want to give up yet, but you're also not sure this can be fixed.

I help couples work through hard conflict, rebuild trust after it's been broken, and get clear on what comes next. Sometimes that means finding your way back to each other. Sometimes it means getting clear, together, on whether you can.

Here's how I work. We start with a thorough assessment: a session together, a session with each of you alone, and the Gottman relationship questionnaire. That way I understand what's actually going on, not just what the last fight was about. Then the work gets practical. We slow the arguments down so you can hear each other. We rebuild trust in steps you can both see. And when one of you shuts down or reacts in a way that's bigger than the moment, we get curious about why. Often an old wound is driving it, and Internal Family Systems gives us a kind way to work with that part of you instead of against it.

My style is direct and warm. I'll give you honest feedback and ask hard questions when that's what helps, and I'll slow down and make room when that's what you need. I won't pretend the hurt didn't happen, and I won't promise a particular outcome. What I can promise is someone steady beside you while you sort it out.

I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor with Gottman Method Level 3 and IFS Level 1 training. I was born in Iraq, lived in Sweden, and now call St. Louis home, so I'm at ease with couples whose families, cultures, or faiths pull in different directions. Sessions are available in English, Swedish, and Kurdish (Sorani), in person or online in Missouri and Georgia.

Not sure if couples therapy is right for you? Send me a message and I'll tell you what I think.

Special populations

Affair recovery, high-conflict couples, trauma, immigrant/cross-cultural couples; Swedish, Kurdish