About
Psychotherapist Hedy Schleifer is an internationally renowned relationship builder and motivational speaker who guides, counsels and teaches couples, partners, business associates, therapists and families about relational maturity. Referred to by colleagues as a “therapist’s therapist,” Hedy has a unique, warm and dedicated approach on relationship building.
“World peace begins with the human family, and can best be achieved by the creation of strong, harmonious, committed, growing, mature connections.”
Who is Hedy?
Hedy Schleifer is psychotherapist who specializes in the “Art of Connection.” A renowned therapist, clinical trainer, workshop presenter, relationship specialist and motivational speaker, Hedy has dedicated her professional life to the exploration of relationship building and the development of relational intelligence and maturity in couples, partnerships and organizations. She has 40 years of professional experience with a BA from UCLA in Psychology and an MA in Clinical and Child Psychology from Tel Aviv University.
ENCOUNTER-CENTERED TRANSFORMATION
Hedy’s work is based on “Encounter-Centered Transformation”: her innovative, integrative and transformational approach to the creation of strong, productive and creative relationships. Using this approach, Hedy has educated couples, mental health professionals, leaders and executives in the power of connection and has also helped them to repair, heal and transform their relationships.
BUILDING A CAREER
Hedy’s early career started in private practice counseling people affected with AIDS during the height of the crisis. She has also focused much of her attention assisting and empowering women to reach their full potential. Through the creation of a chapter of the Foundation for Mid-East Communication, Hedy was given a unique opportunity to work on Muslim-Christian-Jewish relations. Through that experience, Hedy dove deep into teachings about conflict dissolution and relational maturity, which she has brought to all of her work.
GLOBAL CITIZEN
Hedy has released a multitude of videos and is the subject of the award winning documentary film “Hedy and Yumi Crossing the Bridge,” telling the story of her life’s work through the lens of her relationship with her husband and professional partner, Yumi. Hedy was also hand-selected to be one of the featured therapists of the Emmy nominated Israeli TV show “Couples Therapy.”
A global citizen, Hedy speaks 7 languages and has taught and provided her counseling approach in over 39 countries worldwide. Hedy proudly counsels people of all races, religions and sexual orientation. She is a revered motivational speaker and sought-after relationship builder and guide.
In 1996 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and embraced it as an adventure to be “lived” and renamed cancer the “cellular challenge.” In 2016, a new diagnosis of breast cancer prompted Hedy to write the book, “The Diary of an Amazon: Joining the Clan of the One-breasted Women.”
Hedy was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, raised in Antwerp, Belgium, married and lived in Israel and now resides in Washington DC, with her husband of over 50 years. They have two sons and 13 grandchildren.
Hedy’s Approach
“Newly available energy can flow between partners, in the service of forging a relationship of choice, rather than surrendering to relationship of compulsion.”
Encounter-Centered Transformation is an integrative and interdisciplinary model for relationship building. It lies at the intersection of philosophy, clinical theory, organizational methodology, and relational neurobiology and based on four main pillars: the philosophy of Martin Buber, Imago Relationship Theory and Practice, Appreciative Inquiry and the new frontier of Relational Neurobiology and Memory Reconsolidation. It is an approach that promotes transformational change, a visceral, cellular and internal shift, one that is dependable and sustainable. As new empirical studies have shown, good and strong relationships help the brain change and develop in a way that promotes even better relationships.
Hedy guides partners toward this kind of transformation through what she calls the “Art of Connection,” teaching them how to turn their relationship into a living laboratory for the development of relational intelligence: how to fill their partnership with creativity, wisdom and generosity of spirit. Relational intelligence puts partners on the path to relational maturity and is at the core of having successful relationships both personally and professionally.
Services
COUPLES GROUP WORKSHOP
OPEN FOR REGISTRATION: Group sessions for six couples wanting to work on their relationship dynamics. These two-day sessions are small, intimate and safe. The interaction between the other couples brings focus and awareness to your own individual couple, often leading to a deeper understanding of your own relational wants and needs.
COUPLES INTENSIVES
Custom-designed two-day private sessions for one couple. Guided through a thoughtful and deep examination, couples are ultimately brought back to each other after a possible rupture or disconnection.
TRAININGS FOR PROFESSIONALS
Clinical trainings for therapists in Encounter-Centered couples therapy. Trainings in relational skills also offered for managers, HR executives and CEOs.
FAMILIES
Clearing the relational space of families by building a bridge between generations or siblings. Often families need a guide to bring them back to a healthy “familial” environment.
MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES
Empowering audiences to embrace life and the meaning of connection to their fullest. A stadium setting or a company retreat or a business conference? Hedy is available to be the keynote speaker or motivator at a plethora of events and to a wide range of audiences.
CORPORATE SEMINARS
Hedy will lead a corporate retreat day and give an intensive, thought provoking interactive talk on group dynamics. Her goal is getting companies to reach their highest potential by teaching inter-rational intelligence.
BUSINESS PARTNERS
Business partners are in a relationship that needs tending to just like any other relationship. These sessions bring clarity of purpose, discovery and clearing away of unproductive energy to create an environment that leads to greater success.
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Training people to present with boldness, poise and confidence. Clients are taught the ultimate public speaking skills on how to capture and hold the attention of an audience.
RELATIONSHIP WELLNESS RETREATS
Hedy leads a small group of couples at luxurious and romantic resorts worldwide. She works with the couples as a group and individually and uses the surroundings of the destination to help facilitate her mindful approach to relationship wellness.
Hedy’s Ted Talk
WHY HEDY?
Have you ever wished?
Have you ever wished that you could shift from the paradigm of relationships as a problem to be solved to the paradigm of their being as an adventure to be “lived!”?
Have you ever wished to make your business work to its highest potential and bridge conflict into success?
Have you ever wished to have an experience over a few days that could turn your relationship in a positive direction forever?
Have you ever wished for a motivational speaker to address the core principles of relationship building in a warm yet empowering manner?
IT’S TIME TO TURN PROBLEMS
INTO ADVENTURES
Are you ready to dive in, create the space, meet on the bridge and feel what an encounter feels like? Do you want to change your relationship dynamic? Now is the moment.
Please contact our office for any of your questions or needs. We will get back to you within 48 hours. Please use the form below to schedule any of our services or stay connected to Hedy.
RELATIONSHIP COUNSELING
Psychotherapist Hedy Schleifer is an internationally renowned relationship builder and motivational speaker who guides, counsels and teaches couples, partners, business associates, therapists and families about relational maturity.
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FIND HEDY
+1 (305) 604-0010
info@hedyschleifer.com