Where Attachment Deepens Into Honesty, Accountability & Real Growth

The Integrated Growth Approach™ helps therapists bring depth, clarity, and sustainability to their work with couples.
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 If you love the depth of couples work but sometimes find it draining or directionless, you’re not alone. 

Many therapists are drawn to the depth of couples work and still find it draining or directionless. Despite strong training and genuine care, sessions can become circular, exhausting, and overly dependent on the therapist to create movement.

What’s often missing isn’t skill or empathy, but a clear way to orient the work: one that helps therapists stay grounded, discerning, and directional without overfunctioning.

Integrated Growth Approach was created to meet that need.

 

 

My work with the Integrated Growth Approach™ grew out of years spent working almost exclusively with couples and noticing a recurring gap between emotional insight and sustainable change.

Despite strong training in well-established couples therapy models, I saw how often therapists were asked to choose between emotional attunement and personal responsibility, safety and challenge, connection and self-definition. That divide isn’t inherent to the work it’s a limitation of how the models are often held.

The Integrated Growth Approach™ was developed to resolve that tension. It offers a clear, structured framework that integrates attachment-based depth with accountability and differentiation, so therapists can lead couples work with both compassion and direction.

In IGA, the work begins with restoring self-connection — helping individuals align with their values, honesty, and responsibility. From that anchored place, couples are supported in building relationships that can hold difference, truth, and real intimacy without losing the self. This sequence allows growth to happen in a way that is both relationally meaningful and clinically sustainable.

Lesley Alderman, LCSW

(Brooklyn, NY)

"I loved this training! The information was clear, informative and concise. I have done a dozen couples therapy trainings, and this one was the one I got the most from. This is an integrative model, one that combines the most useful ideas from attachment and differentiation and provides a simple roadmap to follow. There was no dogma, like 'you must do it this way,' --which is both annoying and unrealistic. I feel more confident in my approach and now have a framework I can refer to when I feel lost. Ebru's modules were informative and the handouts made the material visually understandable. Highly recommend!"

 

In just a few weeks, you'll be able to...

  • Clearly understand why a couple is stuck and how individual growth supports relational change
  • Work with both attachment and differentiation without privileging one at the expense of the other
  • Recognize when to lead with emotional attunement and when to invite responsibility, challenge, or self-definition
  • Stay grounded and directional in sessions without overfunctioning or pulling back
  • Engage in a learning community with clinicians who value clarity, integrity, and thoughtful integration in couples work

Michael Mondoro, LCSW

Trauma and Trauma-Related Dissociation Specialist
Certified AEDP Therapist, Supervisor, and AEDP Institute Trainer and Presenter

(New York + Connecticut)


"Ebru is a visionary in the field of couples therapy. She has the rare ability to bring together deep emotional attunement with directness and sharp clinical insight, making her work profoundly impactful.

Her Integrated Growth Approach program is a testament to her innovative thinking—seamlessly integrating attachment-based couples therapy with differentiation systems-based models to foster both connection and autonomy in relationships. Ebru has a gift for translating complex clinical concepts into a clear, accessible, and deeply transformative framework.

Beyond her intellectual and clinical brilliance, she brings warmth, clarity, and an unwavering respect for the human experience. Whether as a clinician, client, or collaborator, anyone who has the opportunity to work with Ebru will find themselves challenged, supported, and profoundly enriched by her expertise."

INTRODUCING

The Integrated Growth Approach

A Masterclass in Attachment & Differentiation for Couples Therapy

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Clinical Clarity for Complex Couples Work

This training includes 7 focused, pre-recorded modules and 6 live meetings designed to support integration and application. Two of the live meetings are extended sessions dedicated to working directly with participant cases.

Together, the course provides a clear clinical framework that supports you in:

  • Tracking couples’ relational patterns while also attending to individual growth and responsibility

  • Conceptualizing cases through both attachment and differentiation lenses in a cohesive, organized way

  • Using intake paperwork as part of the assessment process rather than an administrative task

  • Establishing a structured assessment phase that supports discernment and prevents therapist overfunctioning

 

Designed for Therapists Seeking Clarity & Direction in Couples Work

This training is designed for therapists and coaches who work with couples and want greater clarity about how change happens in the room.

It is especially well-suited for clinicians who have strong training in one or more models and are seeking a cohesive way to integrate emotional depth with responsibility, structure, and direction.

Rather than offering more techniques, the Integrated Growth Approach™ focuses on therapist stance, discernment, and a clear theory of change so the work can feel both effective and sustainable over time.

I'm in!

Lee Golden, LMHC

(Katonah, NY)

"It’s right there in the name. The Integrated Growth Approach is about growth and personal development. Mine, each partner’s and the couple’s. And in my experience, clients are rising to the occasion. There’s something about clearly naming the challenge and identifying the courage they’re being asked to muster that inspires clients to show up as their best selves, to be accountable and to commit to doing the work. The process is laid out clearly while Ebru expertly builds cohesion and curiosity within the cohort. The IGA training has forever changed my approach to couples therapy. I whole heartedly recommend it! 

Carolyn Bayly, LCSW

(Darien, CT)

"IGA is not simply about integrating two therapeutic approaches; rather, it is designed to hold space for all the implicit and explicit elements present in the room—the therapist, each client, and the relationship dynamics. This approach heightens the intentionality and accountability for everyone involved, fostering a more engaged therapeutic environment."

 

What's Included In

The Integrated Growth Approach Masterclass

MODULE 1

Objectives & Considerations

Orient to the purpose and scope of the training, and establish key foundations for couples work

  • Clarify the objectives of IGA
  • Examine socio-cultural & its impact
  • Strengthen self-of-therapist awareness & regulation
  • Identify the limits of couples therapy
MODULE 2

The Road to The Integrated Growth Approach

Develop a clear working understanding of attachment and differentiation as the theoretical foundations of IGA

  • Review attachment & differentiation theories as they apply to couples therapy
  • Understand how they converge & diverge
  • Learn how to think about theoretical integration without collapsing into technique-drive work
MODULE 3

The Integrated Growth Approach

Ground into the core principles, theory of change, and structure of IGA

  • Clarify the foundational principles that guide the model
  • Understand the IGA theory of change & how growth is organized
  • Define the therapist stance & how it evolves across the work
  • Learn the 4 phases of IGA & how they provide clinical direction
MODULE 4

Questionnaire & Case Conceptualization

Use assessment material to orient the work before the first session

  • Review the anatomy of a strong questionnaire
  • Conceptualize your cases through attachment & differentiation lenses
  • Work through 3 case examples to clarify early hypotheses and direction
  • Establish a working vision for how attachment & differentiation will be leveraged in sessions 
MODULE 5

Phase 1: Assessment Sessions

Lay a clear foundation for the work through a structured assessment phase

  • Learn the structure & focus of early assessment sessions
  • Clarify assessment objectives that support long-term growth
  • Support client mobilization toward individual responsibility & shared goals
  • Establish collaboration & direction without overfunctioning
MODULE 6

Phases 2-3: Turning Insight Into Action

Translate understanding into practice at key moments in the work

  • Tracking the couple's conditioned loop while maintaining attention to individual growth
  • Support differentiation capacities necessary for clear communication & self-definition 
  • Identify & use strategic moments where attachment & differentiation are integrated
  • Stay oriented towards growth even when couples are emotionally activated
MODULE 7

Phase 4: Consolidation & What's Next

Support integration, autonomy, and continuation beyond therapy

  • Facilitate reflection and support autonomous of learnings
  • Support couples in practicing autonomous, intentional communication after therapy
  • End the therapy process with clarity & intention
  • Learn about Level 2 consultation group & other learning options
NICE TO MEET YOU

I'm Ebru Halper, 

I’m a licensed psychotherapist, educator, and founder of the Integrated Growth Approach™ (IGA), a framework designed to bring clarity and direction to couples therapy especially when the work feels emotionally rich but clinically stuck.

I run a private practice in Connecticut and New York and consult with therapists across the country. Much of my work centers on helping clinicians move beyond insight alone and develop a clear orientation to how growth actually happens in couples work.

IGA emerged from years of practicing and teaching attachment-based therapy (I'm certified in EFT) while feeling the strain of overfunctioning—working harder than my clients, holding too much responsibility for change, and watching couples repeat familiar patterns despite deep emotional work. Integrating principles from differentiation-based models clarified something essential: empathy without structure is not enough, and challenge without safety doesn’t hold.

The Integrated Growth Approach™ is not a blend of models, but a cohesive framework that helps therapists stay grounded, discerning, and directional. It emphasizes therapist stance, responsibility without control, and a clear theory of change so couples can practice growth under real emotional pressure, and therapists can do this work sustainably.

Through IGA, I support therapists and coaches in leading couples work with greater clarity, integrity, and confidence—without losing depth, compassion, or themselves in the process.

Mi Seon Kang, LCAT, ATR-BC

(New York)

"Although working with couples is deeply rewarding, I at times felt burned out—working harder than my clients and feeling frustrated when they weren’t taking enough responsibility for improving their relationship. Through Ebru’s Integrated Growth Approach training, I realized that what was missing was a strong framework for accountability. I learned how to guide each partner in taking ownership of their personal growth while also collaborating openly toward shared goals and a meaningful vision for their relationship. This shift has made me feel more confident, energized, and effective in my work with couples."

 

Cheryl Pearlman, LCSW

(Manhattan & Brooklyn, New York)

"As an experienced EFT therapist I found the IGA course to both deepen my work with couples and build my confidence. Being introduced to Differentiation Theory and its application was particularly helpful. The pre-recorded modules and live meetings were very stimulating. I definitely have grown in my work and feel more skilled. I highly recommend this course."

 

Karen Michelson, LPC

(Boulder, CO)

"I have known Ebru for 15 years and it was clear to me from the beginning that she is an exceptional therapist. Having been in supervision groups and peer consultation groups with her over the years, and in regular individual consultation on various cases, I so appreciate her warmth, wisdom, and encouragement. I learn something from her in every interaction we have. She has keen intuition, an ability to get to the heart of the matter, seeing opportunities for developing a client’s insight, vulnerability, and growth, and suggests strategies to get there. At the same time, Ebru is humble and curious, open to other peoples’ perspectives, as she is always wanting to learn and grow. I am so excited for this training she has developed and I am confident that it will provide therapists a wealth of knowledge and strategies to strengthen their work with couples."

 

Eve Hornstein, LMFT

(Florida + Connecticut)

"For over ten years, Ebru and I have been collaborating on shared cases together, which has been invaluable to my growth and development as a therapist. She’s sharp, thoughtful, and always pushing herself to learn more—never settling for easy answers when a case calls for deeper thinking. Her ability to integrate attachment and differentiation keeps our conversations dynamic, always leading to fresh insights and actionable steps. But beyond her clinical skill, what stands out most is how much she truly cares—about the work, about growth, and most of all, about providing the highest quality care."

 

What makes IGA distinct

Most couples therapy trainings offer concepts, techniques, or model-specific interventions. Fewer help therapists develop judgment, the ability to decide what matters most in complex, emotionally charged moments.

Rather than staying at the level of theory, the training focuses on clinical application. It helps you recognize when to lead with attunement, when to invite challenge or self-definition, and how to stay grounded and clear without carrying the emotional burden of the work.

The course is structured as a combination of focused, pre-recorded modules and live meetings, allowing time for reflection, integration, and application to real cases. This pacing supports deeper assimilation of the framework rather than quick consumption of ideas.

This training is designed for clinicians who value clarity, discernment, and responsibility and who want a structured way to lead couples work that is both effective and sustainable.

Join the Waitlist for March 2026

Join the next cohort of therapists redefining what it means to work with couples with confidence, clarity, and heart.

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