About Hazal Grey

Hazal Grey, MA, MFA, RDT, REAT, RSME/T, is John’s wife and partner at Healing Couples Retreats.

Hazal received a Masters (MA) in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), an internationally-recognized therapy training institution.

She has extensive training in leading-edge methodologies including the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT) and the trauma healing methods of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) and Somatic Experiencing (SE).

Hazal is also a certified therapist in the Neuro-Affective Relational Model (NARM) for healing developmental trauma and unresolved emotional childhood wounds that affect current relationships. She has also been trained in other major approaches to couples therapy, including the Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy, and Relational Life Therapy (RLT).

Hazal’s clinical background includes working at Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, the Center for Empowering Refugees, the Lomi Psychotherapy Clinic, the Jewish Free Clinic, the Mind Therapy Clinic, San Quentin Prison, and the Mindful Heart Center.

Additionally, Hazal received a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in music, movement, and theater. Capitalizing on her diversified background, she earned specialized credentials as a Registered Drama Therapist (RDT), a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT), and a Registered Somatic Movement Educator and Therapist (RSME/T).

Alongside her work with couples, Hazal also excels at working with individuals with relationship issues. Having lived in five different countries on three continents, she is especially adept at working with cross-cultural dynamics and issues.

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Hazal’s Approach

Hazal’s approach is informed by current neuroscience and attachment research as applied to how partners in intimate relationships can function securely and sustain lasting happiness and satisfaction. She brings warmth, embodiment, and playfulness into her work.

Hazal’s approach produces rapid major positive shifts for over 90% of couples. Partners experience renewed good feelings, emotional reconnection, hopefulness, and confidence in moving forward together.

Her work with couples and individuals is based on the principle that we all want to be seen, heard and understood, especially by the ones we love the most. Whether we fight over small things, or big issues — if we become stuck, entangled or estranged from our partner, it impacts our entire quality of life.

With Hazal’s help, many clients discover how within minutes of getting in a fight — or even seconds — that what’s really driving their distress boils down to a some very basic yet unspoken questions, like: “Do I matter to you?” “If I hurt, do you care?” “Do you accept me just as I am?” or “Can I depend on you?”

The tools Hazal gives couples enable them to overcome reactive cycles and resolve issues, both large and small. Instead of escalating into states of emotional upset or shutting down, with her guidance partners learn to repair ruptures, speak from their hearts, and express what they need in effective ways that let them to feel loved, respected and connected.

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Re-Wiring for Sustained Happiness and Love

Partners can struggle with relationships for a long time. Happiness seems almost impossible to sustain long term, as they find themselves reacting more and more over time. Little things turn into big fights, in ways that make no rational sense.

Resulting emotional wounds create walls between partners, as they fall under the spell of primitive parts of their brains that act out increasingly destructive patterns. Couples fall into states of fight, flight or freeze, even blowing up or shutting down.

Such upsets and reactive patterns are operate unconsciously. They get triggered without our permission or understanding, and they originate in our earliest wiring.

Early emotional attachment wiring can distort the way we see, think about, and act in our relationships for the rest of our lives.

The only way to upgrade such limiting patterns is to consciously get aware of how they operate and acquire new tools to overcome them.

You are not doomed to repeat debilitating early attachment patterns throughout your life. You do have the power to transform such old wiring with your partner today, if you know how.

By understanding how our wiring shapes the way we unconsciously interact, we gain the possibility for new growth. Literally, we can create new neural pathways in our brains. This is called neuroplasticity, or the ability of the brain to change its wiring when it receives the right inputs.

With compassionate and skillful guidance from Hazal, you will develop awareness of the underlying mechanics in how you engage in relating so that you can grow a healthy relationship. You will discover new tools for communicating that naturally promotes safety, connection, trust, and freedom. You will learn proven strategies to maximize shared happiness and to quickly repair the bumps in the road all couples encounter.

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