Dr. Eliane Herdavi
Retreats in Frankfurt, Germany
Maryland – LCPC # 2164
Texas – LPC # 71840
Florida – LMHC # 18261
South Carolina (TELEHEALTH)
Authorized for teletherapy across 30+ states through Psypact
Clinically Speaking
You want to feel close again. You want to feel heard, understood, and valued. But somewhere along the way, the connection got lost—and you’re not sure how to find your way back.
Maybe you never had good relationship models growing up. Or maybe, like me, you had excellent ones—and still find yourself wondering why this relationship isn’t working.
In my work with couples, I help you develop a new emotional language—one where both of you can finally understand each other. My first career was as a translator, and I still think of therapy as a kind of translation. I help you speak and listen in ways that land with your partner. I bring warmth and structure, but I also teach. Sometimes we need new tools, not just insight. And therapy can offer both.
I work with all kinds of couples:
- Young newlyweds facing early challenges
- Long-married partners feeling disconnected or depleted
- Couples navigating affairs, illness, grief, or major life transitions
- Multicultural couples grappling with deeply different expectations
- Couples preparing to separate with grace and care
I believe every couple can benefit from a science-based, practical, emotionally safe space to examine their relationship. I offer both a grounded presence and a clear process for moving forward.
Before I became a therapist, I taught languages and worked as a professional translator. Words, meaning, and context have always mattered to me.
As a clinician, I’ve worked in diverse settings—from crisis counseling to employee assistance programs, from aviation disaster response to mental health first aid. I provided therapy through the Federal Probation Program, supported families in group homes, and trained staff across systems. I’ve also supervised counselors and served as an aviation disaster specialist.
For the past 11 years, I’ve worked extensively with military couples as a Military Family Life Counselor. That role has taken me to bases in Japan, Germany, Italy, and beyond. I’ve supported service members and their partners through deployment, trauma, reintegration, parenting, and grief.
Languages: Fluent in German and Portuguese. Conversational in Spanish
My Office
My intensives are offered in Frankfurt, Germany, where I currently live and work. Frankfurt is a global city—a hub for international travel, finance, and diplomacy—and a place where cultures converge.
Whether you live in Europe or are traveling in, I welcome you to meet in person. Online sessions are also available when appropriate.
For clients seeking intensive services in the U.S., I also have a comfortable office in Davie, Florida—a peaceful suburb 15 minutes from Fort Lauderdale Airport and 40 minutes from Miami.
I was nervous about opening up to a stranger about the intricacies of our marriage. I was ashamed that we were even in this situation in the first place. Eliane is amazing and we really connected with her. We were able to explore our entire lives, from childhood to present day in a way that was comforting and safe. She was very kind and spoke with compassion for our situation. This allowed us space to be vulnerable with each other. Eliane gave us communication tools to help in the future.
We are more patient with each other. We allow emotions to occur in safe spaces. He recognizes my anger and sadness and helps us work through those times. We talk more about how we are feeling. We listen to what the other has to say before starting our own conversation. We understand our pasts better to help us move into our future
This was a great experience for us.
Personally Speaking
I was born in Brazil to German parents. I grew up with stability, warmth, and the sense that anything was possible if you stayed curious and took care of your health. My parents were married for 33 years until my father’s passing, and they gave me a grounded, united model of what love can look like.
My mother is now 91 and still a powerhouse. She lived through wartime Germany and taught me what real resilience looks like. And my late aunt—our family’s master storyteller—gave me the gift of presence, humor, and thoughtful generosity. She didn’t just give gifts; she made you feel seen.
I’ve lived across three continents and worked in more countries than I can count. I adapt quickly and genuinely enjoy learning about others. I’m direct when needed, gentle when it matters, and always deeply invested in your healing process.
I’m married with two daughters—one biological, one from a previous relationship—and both have very different personalities. One prefers deep, focused in-person time; the other shares openly and often by phone. They’ve taught me a lot about flexibility, presence, and the many ways to love well.
I also know what it’s like to love someone and still not make it work. I’ve been shaped by loss—including the suicide of a man I loved deeply—and I bring that humility into the room. I don’t offer fairy tales. I offer something better: truth, structure, compassion, and growth.
Hobbies & Passions
Before I was a therapist, I was an astrologer—and I still have a devoted following who seek that perspective from time to time. I believe in the layered beauty of the human experience.
When I’m not working, I’m usually learning something new. I read constantly. I travel widely. I practice yoga every day, rain or shine. I crochet in the evenings while watching TV—especially baby blankets I can donate, which turns my guilty pleasure into a gift.
I also love ceramics. It’s where my creativity flows freely. And I enjoy organizing and decorating. I like when spaces feel just right—orderly but cozy, practical but personal.
I’ve lived and learned through love, loss, parenting, marriage, stepfamily life, and international relocation. I’ve worked on military bases, in prisons, in offices, and in homes. What I bring to your intensive is all of that—plus the clinical tools to help you move forward.
I look forward to meeting you in Frankfurt, Germany—or online—to see how I can help. Let’s get started.
