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 using EMDR, EFT, & somatic practices.
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 Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) and Kirsten 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), EFT, and mindfulness. This allows me to offer couples a space to slow down, reshape emotional responses, and transform interaction patterns to build stronger, more secure bonds.
As a French-Persian American therapist, I am particularly passionate about working with couples and individuals seeking to create a meaningful life in a new country. 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 quicker 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 how we connect with others. 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 and meaningful relationships. I work with a wide range of adult individuals and provide specific expertise to multicultural expats and third-culture individuals who may feel lost or out of place and are seeking meaningful belonging and community. I sometimes use EMDR in my work with individuals to reprocess patterns that are not serving them or distressing past experiences. Overall, my approach is strengths-based and somatic-oriented, facilitating healing and clarity: https://illuminatherapy.com/therapy-services
-- Therapy for Friendships & Siblings -- Meaningful relationships are not limited to romantic partnerships. Plantonic intimacy can play a central role in our lives and is deserving of our attention and care. I work with a range of dyads, including friendships and 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 EFT and EMDR.
2023 - present - U.S. Licensed Psychotherapist & Owner, Illumina Therapy, Oregon State, U.S., & Europe.
2021 - 2023 - Associate Therapist, North Star Therapy Collective, U.S.
2019 - 2021 - Clinical Intern, North Star Therapy Collective, U.S.
Over the course of 4 years with North Start 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
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
Sliding Scale Individual Session
Individual Session
Couples Session
Insurances
