Elvan Kama Kurtz

LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Founder | Praxis Relationship Therapy, LLC

About Me:

Hi there, I'm the founder of Praxis Relationship Therapy, and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Pennsylvania. I'm so glad you are here!

In 2016, I found myself on a 13-hour flight, traveling 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.

After a decade of experience in non-profit organizations and group private practice settings, today, I’m honored to show up with that same curiosity, passion, and courage in my work; creating a space where healing, growth, and meaningful change can begin.

I specialize in helping adult individuals and couples navigate relationship challenges, including communication breakdowns, affair recovery and betrayal trauma, emotional and sexual disconnection, and the lasting impact of emotionally immature or narcissistic family systems; helping you rebuild trust, deepen connection, and feel more secure in your relationships.

I am a proud dual citizen of Türkiye and the United States, 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.

I feel honored to do work that is deeply meaningful to me and to walk alongside my clients as they heal, grow, and reconnect. To learn more about me and my services, please visit my website, www.praxisrelationshiptherapy.com. I invite you to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation to see if working together feels like the right fit.

Education & 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

Services:

At Praxis Relationship Therapy, we don’t just talk about your relationships. We work on them.

I offer individual therapy, couples therapy, sex therapy and premarital counseling for adults who want to improve their relationships, heal from betrayal, strengthen communication, and build deeper emotional and physical connection.

1. Individual Therapy:

Individual therapy is a space to explore your inner world, understand your relationship patterns, and support meaningful personal growth. I work with adult individuals who want to better understand themselves and the ways their past experiences shape their relationships today.

In addition to relationship concerns, I support adult individuals who may be experiencing:

· Anxiety and depression

· Adult children of emotionally immature or narcissistic parents

· Grief and loss

· Self-worth and self-esteem challenges

· Shame and guilt

· Self-sabotaging behaviors

· Perfectionism and people-pleasing patterns

· Loss of motivation, meaning, or direction in life

· Stress management, burnout prevention, and burnout recovery

· Adjustment issues, and major life transitions

· Adult ADHD

· Immigrant & cross-cultural mental health

· Affirming therapy for LGBTQIA+ individuals

2. Couples Therapy

Every relationship goes through difficult seasons. Relationships are complex, and even the strongest couples can feel stuck at times. Seeking support is not a sign of failure, but a commitment to growth and understanding. Couples therapy can help you break painful patterns, heal from resentment and hurt, rebuild trust, and create a relationship that feels more secure, connected and fulfilling. Through structured, compassionate, and evidence based therapy including the Gottman Method , I help couples better understand each other, repair trust and build stronger emotional connection.

Couples seek therapy for many different reasons. I commonly support partners who are navigating:

· Communication breakdowns and recurring conflict

· Affair recovery and betrayal trauma

· Emotional and sexual disconnection or feeling like “roommates”

· Differences in commitment, marriage, or family planning

· Major life transitions

· In-law relationships and extended family dynamics

· Divorce and separation support

· Differences in values, expectations, or life goals

· Couples therapy for stressed out and burned out partners

· Grieving partners

· Intercultural or interethnic relationship dynamics

· Affirming therapy for LGBTQIA+ couples and diverse relationship structures

3. Sex Therapy

Sexual concerns are a common and important part of many individuals’ and couples’ lives, yet they are often difficult to talk about. In therapy, I provide a supportive and non-judgmental space where you can explore your sexual health, sexual expectations and needs, intimacy goals and sexual communication openly.

I strongly believe that what happens outside the bedroom impacts what happens inside the bedroom, and vice versa. Emotional connection, trust, communication, and sexual intimacy are deeply interconnected.

I approach conversations about sex and sexuality with openness, curiosity, and clinical sensitivity, recognizing that sexual health is an important part of overall relational and emotional well-being.

I work with adult individuals and couples experiencing:

· Pelvic pain disorders including vaginismus and endometriosis

· Sexual shame, guilt, and body image concerns

· Sexual communication challenges between partners

· Differences in sexual desire or mismatched libido

· Difficulty initiating intimacy or talking openly about sex

· Sexual self-confidence concerns

· Rebuilding intimacy and sexual trust after betrayal

· Adult sexual trauma and it’s impact on romantic relationships

· Women’s and men’s sexual health concerns

· Intimacy challenges during menopause

· Sexual concerns related to trying to conceive

4. Premarital Counseling

Premarital counseling helps couples build a strong, intentional foundation before marriage. As a certified facilitator, I use the Prepare/Enrich assessment, a research-based tool designed to help couples explore relationship strengths and areas for growth.

Couples often seek premarital counseling when they want to:

· Strengthen communication before marriage

· Learn healthy conflict resolution skills

· Align expectations about finances, family, and future goals

· Understand each other’s personality styles and habits

· Build stronger emotional foundation before a major life commitment

The Prepare/Enrich assessment explores topics such as:

· Communication patterns and conflict resolution

· Financial management

· Leisure and shared activities

· Family and social relationships

· Personality traits