Rate Dr. Sahar Khoshakhlagh

MY SPECIALIZATION AND SUPPORT:

Over the past two decades as a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in New York, I've witnessed countless stories of resilience, transformation, and hope—experiences that continue to inform how I show up for each person I work with. I've discovered that my heart truly lies in working with individuals, couples, and families who are navigating some of life's most challenging moments.

Whether you're wrestling with anxiety that feels overwhelming, depression that's stealing your joy, conflicts that seem impossible to resolve, trauma that's left deep marks, or major life transitions that have turned your world upside down—I see all of these through what I call an attachment-focused lens.

What this means is that I'm always curious about how your earliest experiences of love, safety, and connection have shaped the way you move through the world today. I bring both warmth and the clinical expertise I've gathered over two decades to create a space where we can work together as true collaborators in your healing journey.

TAKING THE FIRST STEP:

When we begin, I take time to really understand your story through a thorough assessment. This isn't just about symptoms or problems—it's about understanding you as a whole person. From there, we'll set goals that feel meaningful and achievable to you, not just what some textbook says should happen.

In our sessions, I weave together different approaches that I've found most effective over the years: systems therapy to understand your relationships, emotionally focused therapy to help you connect more deeply with yourself and others, cognitive behavioral techniques when we need practical tools, mindfulness practices to ground you in the present, and honestly, whatever other approaches feel right for your unique situation.

WHAT OUR WORK TOGETHER MIGHT OFFER:

While I can't promise specific outcomes—because every person's journey is beautifully unique—I can share what I've witnessed over the years. Many of my clients find that symptoms begin to feel more manageable, communication starts flowing with greater authenticity, boundaries become clearer and more sustainable, self-awareness grows in surprising ways, and coping strategies begin to feel like reliable tools rather than desperate attempts.

What touches my heart most deeply are the moments when clients tell me they feel a renewed sense of agency in their relationships, or that emotions no longer feel quite so overwhelming, or that they've begun to reconnect with parts of themselves that trauma or depression had made feel unreachable. These aren't guarantees I can make—they're possibilities I hold space for, knowing that your path will unfold in its own timing and in ways that are uniquely yours.

Each person brings their own resilience, their own capacity for growth, and their own readiness for change. My role is to walk alongside you with curiosity and hope, creating conditions where healing becomes possible while honoring that the work of transformation ultimately happens within you, at your own pace, in your own way.

MY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION:

My journey to becoming the therapist I am today began with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton, where I also studied Peace Studies—something that deeply influenced how I approach conflict resolution. I then earned my Master of Arts in Applied Psychology from New York University, which gave me a solid foundation in understanding human behavior and therapeutic interventions.

My doctoral work was where everything truly came together. I completed my Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Couples and Family Therapy from the California School of Professional Psychology, where I dove deep into relational systems theory, adult attachment patterns, and sexual intimacy dynamics. That research wasn't just academic for me—it became the lens through which I understand how we connect, disconnect, and reconnect with the people who matter most to us.

Every piece of this educational journey, combined with over 20 years of sitting with people in their most vulnerable moments, has shaped how I show up for you in our therapeutic relationship. I bring not just knowledge, but wisdom earned through years of witnessing human resilience and transformation.