Shereen El Gazzar, MFT

Certifications:

Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), The Family Institute at Northwestern University
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), The Family Institute at Northwestern University
Level 1: Certification in Emotion- Focused Therapy (EFT)
Facilitator PREPARE/ENRICH, a premarital counseling course

Area of Focus:

Couples therapy: By utilizing attachment theory and the latest research in neuroscience, I help couples work through relational distress by using compassionate communication. I teach them to listen to each other better and help them deescalate tension by promoting effective communication.

Individual therapy for anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, shame, inner critic:I help individuals by using mindfulness, self-compassion, and inner-child work.

Premarital Counseling: I help couples explore their relational values and hopes for the future. And also, work on their communication skills and conflict management.

Education:

M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy, Northwestern University
B.A., Journalism and Mass Communication, The American University in Cairo (AUC)

Shereen’s Recent Articles

Premarital Counseling: How It Works & What to Expect

Professional Background

Shereen El Gazzar is a bilingual individual and couples’ therapist. She trained in The Family Institute at Northwestern University, one of top Marriage and Family Therapy programs in the United States. Shereen also practices Dialectic Behavior Therapy, DBT, an evidence-based treatment for complex, multi-problem, difficult-to-treat populations.

Shereen is passionate about couples therapy and has experience in different clinical issues such as: intercultural relationships, premarital counselling, discernment therapy, and high conflict couples. She also enjoys working with individuals with anxiety, depression, ADHD, women issues, life transitions, separation, trauma and adjustment disorder. As an immigrant and a woman of color herself, Shereen enjoys working with minority groups, as she practices culture humility in treatment.

Prior to becoming a therapist, Shereen was a political and financial journalist. Her career included a lot of travel, as she was writing for the Wall Street Journal in the Middle East. She also covered the Arab uprising and the war in Iraq. Additionally, Shereen lived and worked in Dubai, Cairo, Chicago, and Thailand –where she encountered different populations and ethnic groups.