Ladan Alexandra Radafshar
Relational Therapist & EMDR Therapist
I am a U.S. licensed psychotherapist supporting those who are facing challenges in their relationships. I work w/ expats, third-culture individuals, & cross-cultural couples integrating EMDR, IFS, & EFT therapy.
I specialise in:
About me
It is a privilege to witness the transformative power of human connection because just as we can be wounded in relationships, we can also heal in them. My work is influenced by Sue Johnson's attachment-based Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Kristen Neff’s Mindful Self-Compassion. I completed a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and advanced training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and EFT. This allows me to offer individuals and couples a space to slow down, reshape emotional responses, and transform interaction patterns to build stronger, more secure bonds.
Growing up as a first-generation American in a cross-cultural French-Persian home taught me how deeply culture shapes the way we relate and communicate. This lived experience informs my work, and I invite clients to explore how cultural dynamics show up in their own relationships.
I'm particularly passionate about working with couples and individuals seeking to create a meaningful life in a new country, having navigated that experience myself. These could include (but are not limited to) adjustment-related stressors around Berlin/German assimilation, housing, and navigating new personal and professional relationships.
Please visit my practice website for more information:
https://illuminatherapy.com/couples-therapy
I speak:
Location:
Media Gallery
Approach
-- Psychotherapy for Couples --
I offer a space to explore where you're feeling stuck in your relationship. Together, we will bring awareness to triggers and identify the negative relational cycle unique to every couple. This awareness will help us understand and resolve negative patterns, explore intercultural dynamics, process emotional responses, and create a positive shift in interpersonal interactions. This shift aims to move you and your partner toward a secure bond of trust and intimacy and deepen the quality of your communication and connection: https://illuminatherapy.com/couples-therapy
-- Workshops for Couples --
These are offered in extended session times, including half-day, full-day, and two-day time frames. This is a focused and immersive approach designed to rapidly address issues in your relationship. This format allows couples more time to delve deeper into their relationship dynamics without the schedule constraints of traditional therapy. Couples progress faster in understanding and reshaping their negative cycle: https: illuminatherapy.com/couples-workshop
-- Psychotherapy for Individuals --
So much of our lives are shaped by how we connect with ourselves and those we care about. This is why a relational lens is also at the heart of my work with individual clients. I support individuals in cultivating self-worth, healing past experiences, exploring their values and purpose, and creating safe & meaningful relationships. I work with a wide range of adult individuals & provide specific expertise to multicultural expats and third-culture individuals who are seeking meaningful wellbeing and belonging. I often use IFS to help clients understand inner ambivalence and conflict, and EMDR to reprocess distressing past experiences and patterns that are no longer serving them. My approach is strengths-based and somatic-oriented, fostering healing and clarity: https://illuminatherapy.com/therapy-services
-- Relational Therapy for Friendships & Siblings --
Meaningful relationships are not limited to romantic partnerships. Platonic intimacy can play a central role in our lives and is equally deserving of our attention & care. I work with a range of dyads, including friendships & siblings: https://illuminatherapy.com/friends-siblings
I offer online and in-person sessions. In-person sessions are located at my office in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, DE.
Experience
I believe that being a therapist requires a lifelong learning process, as the depth and complexity of this work means there is always more to understand. In my commitment to maintaining a high quality of care for my clients, I actively participate in 3 monthly clinical supervision groups, focusing on my specializations in IFS, EFT, & EMDR.
2023 - present - U.S. Licensed Psychotherapist & Owner, Illumina Therapy, Oregon State, U.S., & Europe.
2021 - 2023 - Associate Therapist, North Star Therapy Collective, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
2019 - 2021 - Clinical Intern, North Star Therapy Collective, Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Over the course of 4 years with North Star Therapy Collective, I gained experience in women’s issues, life transitions, couples issues, relational beginnings + endings, adult ADHD, anxiety, grief + loss, burnout, trauma, and first-generation American issues.
Education
2026 - Internal Family Systems (IFS) - Level 1 Training - IFS Akademie, Bavaria, Germany.
2024 - Emotionally Focused Therapy Core Skills Advanced Training - The Ackerman Institute, U.S.
2024 - Integrating Sex and Intimacy in Emotionally-Focused Therapy, EFT Québec, Canada
2023 - EMDR FLASH Training, The Trauma Institute & Child Trauma Institute, U.S.
2022 - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Basic Training, The Center for Excellence in EMDR Training, U.S.
2021 - Emotion-Focused Therapy Externship, New York Center For Emotionally Focused Therapy, U.S.
2019 - Mindful Self-Compassion Training, Portland Center for Self-Compassion, U.S.
2019 - Master of Arts, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Northwestern University, U.S.
2012 - Bachelor of Science, Psychology, Portland State University, U.S.
Services
Intro Call
Solidarity Pricing
Individual Session
Couples Session
Insurances
