About Elvan and Praxis
My enthusiasm and curiosity to understand how couples overcome betrayal, rebuild trust, and reconnect emotionally led me to pursue advanced training in the United States. I was honored to receive a scholarship to attend Drexel University, where I earned my Master’s degree in Family Therapy. Shortly after graduating, I began building my career supporting adult individuals and couples navigating relationship challenges. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working in a variety of clinical settings, including nonprofit outpatient agencies in Center City and South Philadelphia, a substance use treatment facility in Northeast Philadelphia, and private practices in the Main Line area. These experiences allowed me to work with individuals and couples from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and life backgrounds, and shaped my commitment to providing thoughtful, culturally responsive, and compassionate care.
In 2016, I found myself on a 13-hour flight, moving over 5,000 miles across the world, leaving behind my family, friends, and the only life I had known for twenty-three years. I came to Philadelphia with a dream: to become a marriage and family therapist and one day build a practice of my own.
But that dream truly began years earlier, in Istanbul, Türkiye.
I was a double major student in Psychology and Sociology at Koç University where I developed a deep curiosity about human behavior, relationships, and the social and cultural forces that shape our lives. One summer, I enrolled in an elective course on Intimate Relationships taught by a visiting professor and a licensed therapist from California. That class changed everything for me. For the first time, I was not only learning why relationships struggle, but also how they heal, repair, and grow. By the end of that summer, I knew with certainty that this was the work I was meant to do.
Today, I am a proud dual citizen of Türkiye and the United States, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with advanced training in the Gottman Method, one of the most research-supported approaches to couples therapy. My mission is to help individuals and couples move through pain, betrayal, and disconnection toward healing, clarity, and deeper connection. I believe relationships have the power to wound us, but they also have the power to heal us. Through culturally attuned, evidence-based therapy, I support my clients in understanding themselves more deeply and creating relationships that feel secure, intentional, and aligned with who they are becoming.
My approach is warm, collaborative, and deeply human. I strive to create a space where you feel safe enough to be fully yourself, not judged, not rushed, and not alone in what you are carrying. Being trusted with someone’s story is something I hold with great care and respect.
Outside of the therapy room, I am a wife, dog mom to two rescues, coffee lover, and travel enthusiast who finds joy in exploring new places and cultures. I love supporting art and artists and believe deeply in the power of self-expression. I also appreciate humor, comedy, and music, and I am often “that one friend” who doesn’t say much but offers a well-timed one-liner.
A decade after that flight that changed my life, I still carry the same curiosity, passion and courage that first began in that classroom in Istanbul. Today, I feel honored to do work that is deeply meaningful to me and to walk alongside my clients as they heal, grow, and reconnect.
I’m glad you’re here.
Core Values of Praxis
1. Compassion
I believe healing begins when you feel deeply seen, heard, and understood. I approach every client with empathy, warmth, kindness, and respect, creating a space where you can show up fully as yourself.
2. Integrity
Trust is the foundation of therapy. I am committed to honesty, transparency, and ethical practice in every interaction, and to creating a therapeutic relationship where you feel safe.
3. Growth
I believe people are capable of meaningful change at any stage of life. My role is to help you move toward the version of yourself and your relationships that feel most aligned, connected, and fulfilling. As a lifelong learner, I am committed to my own professional growth through continued education and staying up to date with the latest research, so I can offer you the highest quality care.
5. Collaboration
Therapy is not something done to you, but something we build together. I work alongside you as an active partner in your healing and growth. With your permission and written consent, I also collaborate with your care team, including your psychiatrist, primary care physician, gynecologist, and other providers to support an integrated approach to your wellbeing.
4. Cultural Humility & Inclusivity
As a bilingual therapist and dual citizen with an immigrant background and training in sociology, I deeply value diversity. I welcome individuals and couples from all cultures, identities, and relationship structures, and I honor the unique experiences you bring.
Education & Professional Trainings:
Master of Family Therapy — Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA
Bachelor of Arts, Double Major in Psychology and Sociology —
Koç University, Istanbul, Türkiye
Licensure & Certifications: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Pennsylvania. #MF001531
Gottman Method Couples Therapy Trained
Gottman Method Affair Recovery Trained
Prepare/Enrich Premarital Counseling Certified Facilitator
Certified Personality Disorders Treatment Provider
Certified Adult ADHD Specialist