My passion lies in helping people uncover the greatness that already exists within them. This journey of self-discovery is deeply personal and lifelong, and it’s one of my greatest honors to walk alongside the courageous, committed individuals who choose to step into that journey.
At heart, I’m an educator. I’ve always loved teaching, guiding, and illuminating complex ideas in ways that make them feel accessible and empowering. I love watching how much education, if taught in the right way, can bring so much inspiration and change to a person’s life.
After a formative post-high school year in seminary, I pursued a degree in education and simultaneously completed Moreshet, an advanced Jewish outreach and leadership program. There, I had the privilege of learning from some of the world’s leading educators — mentors who modeled how to communicate meaningfully and connect deeply.
Since 2003, I’ve taught in multiple seminaries and a high school, served as a guidance counselor, and gradually found myself drawn to teaching about relationships. It became clear to me that while we prepare for many areas of life, we often step into marriage — one of our most important relationships — without the clarity and tools we need to truly thrive. That realization led me to train as a kallah teacher in 2006 with Rebbetzin Yonina Gruner in Yerushalayim, and it’s where my journey in guiding women into the world of marriage began.
Over the years, I’ve created and led many initiatives focused on relationships, including group programs (beginning in 2008); the Refresh Your Marriage teleconference series (launched in 2012 together with my husband, Rabbi Yitzchak Lurie); and, in 2014, we jointly launched Connections – The Jewish Marriage Institute. Since 2016, I’ve also developed intensive six-month kallah teacher training programs, which continue to grow and expand today.
Building on this foundation, In 2019, I launched the Connections Relationship Coach Training — a comprehensive and deeply supportive program designed to equip women with the insight and practical tools needed to guide others in building healthy, fulfilling relationships.
As my coaching practice deepened, so did my commitment to personal and professional development. While I’ve participated in many impactful trainings, the world expert whose training I’ve learned the most from is Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, whose trauma research and somatic wisdom have profoundly shaped my approach. I’ve also trained in approaches developed by John Gottman, Terry Real, Laura Doyle, and Toni Herbine-Blank, whose insights have taught me how much our stories and background can interfere in getting us the deep connecting relationships we all long for. And still, my greatest learning has come from the courageous clients I’ve worked with and the ongoing process of my own work.
My training spans modalities such as the art of coaching, Internal Family Systems (IFS), inner child work, somatic experiencing, yoga therapy, and grief work. I’ve participated in all of these as both practitioner and client — and that dual perspective continues to shape the compassionate, integrated approach I bring to everything I do.
Over the years, I’ve been blessed with many incredible mentors who have shaped both my personal and professional journey in ways I could never fully capture in words. A few who continue to inspire my approach are Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld, Rabbi Yosef Brown, Dr. Gary Quinn, and Madeleine Warren. Their depth, presence, and guidance have left an enduring impact on both my inner work and the work I do with others.
Whether I’m teaching, coaching, or mentoring, my aim is always the same: to help people connect more deeply to themselves and to others.
Hi, I’m Yehudis. Supporting individuals as they navigate life’s challenges — and find their way back to themselves and each other — is my life’s work and a true privilege. As an IFS therapist, I believe each of us holds a deep well of wisdom and resilience, even when it feels hidden beneath layers of pain or disconnection. My role is to help you reconnect to that inner strength so you can live and love with more clarity, compassion, and ease.
My path into this work began in education, where I spent years working closely with students and families. It was there I saw how much we all long to feel seen and supported — and how our emotional worlds shape every part of our lives. Over time, I found myself increasingly drawn to the deeper stories and tender places that lie beneath the surface. That pull led me to step fully into the world of therapy — a step that has brought me so much meaning and growth.
Today, I draw on both of these worlds — the practical, grounded skills I developed in education and the transformative tools I use as a therapist — to meet each person where they are. My work is rooted in Internal Family Systems (IFS), a gentle, insightful approach that helps you understand the different parts of yourself with curiosity and compassion. I also integrate somatic practices, mindfulness, and elements of DBT, knowing that real healing honors the mind, body, and soul.
Outside my practice, you’ll usually find me exploring nature trails with my husband and our children. We love the outdoors — it grounds me and brings a sense of calm and joy that I try to bring into my work as well. Healing isn’t just about working through pain; it’s about creating space for what nourishes you, too.
Yehudis, LMSW, earned her Master’s in Curriculum Design from California State University, Bakersfield, and her Master of Social Work from Wurzweiler School of Social Work. She is a certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioner, integrates DBT, Somatic Experiencing, and mindfulness into her work, and is also a registered yoga instructor through Yoga Alliance.
Hi, my name is Adina and I am passionate about the power of coaching to truly improve your life—both in the day-to-day struggles and in the big picture of living according to your values and vision. Most of us were never taught how to understand our feelings, how our physical and emotional systems interact, or how to express authentic emotion in a way that brings us closer to others. Without a roadmap to navigate uncomfortable feelings like fear, shame and anger, we develop protective instincts that eventually work against us, preventing us from feeling calm, whole and fully connected.
I am constantly growing and working on myself, and coaching has been a freeing, invaluable vehicle for shedding emotional patterns that were no longer helpful and for living a more productive, rewarding life. It isn’t easy to roll up your sleeves and face the work of self-exploration, but I have seen that the results are more than worth the investment.
I am devoted to supporting my clients through that effort: helping them achieve inner harmony, guiding them to more fulfilling relationships, and celebrating with them as they discover they can rise above whatever was weighing them down. I draw from the full array of my life experiences and trainings, never forget the value of humor and creativity, and sincerely respect each of my clients for who they are. Having worked with women of all ages for over 15 years, I understand that life sends all of us challenges, and I would consider it an honor to support you in whatever you’re facing.
When not involved in coaching and education, I enjoy running, painting, getting out in nature, and spending relaxed time with my husband and children.
Adina is a relationship and parenting coach. She has a bachelor’s from Yale, coaching certification from Connections, and years of training in relationships, trauma and personal growth. She has worked in a variety of healing frameworks, including drama for incarcerated teens and retreats for young adults. In addition to her individual clients, she leads parenting workshops endorsed by Rebbetzin Sima Spetner.
Hi! My name is Daphna. I live in Israel and I am a coach and therapist. After I became a therapist, I chose to also train as a coach because of the impact coaching has had on my personal life. I find a lot of meaning in merging the strengths of both modalities. As a family systems therapist – the deep understanding of how our pasts interact with our present; and as a coach – helping clients discover their vision, goals, and internal skills needed to effectuate change. I feel passionate about my work and I love joining clients in deepening their self understanding and creating more meaningful relationships with themselves and others.
Working with clients is like a dance – and I do my best to meet a client where she is. Practically, that will mean integrating different tools, energies, and skills depending on what the client needs. I love incorporating body work, IFS language, and inner child work.
Every person has a story, and self-work has been a crucial part of my own journey. Sitting with a client in her story from a humble place of empathy and understanding of our humanness is an integral part of my work. It is an honor to join a client on her journey, and I look forward to joining you on yours.
Daphna received her Masters in Social Work degree from UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work. After completing her LSW, she trained for 3 years as a family therapist at the Family Institute in Jerusalem with a specialty in psychotherapy and trauma work. Daphna has completed Julie Lurie’s relationship coach training program and is practicing as a coach.
Parenting stretches us like nothing else. It shows us who we are, who we want to be, and where we still struggle. It reveals both our greatest strengths and our hidden struggles. It’s a role that brings both joy and heartbreak, clarity and confusion. And most of all, it asks us to keep showing up.
This five-part series is a chance to pause and take a clear, compassionate look at how we parent.
We’ll ask honest questions like:
Each class offers space to learn, reflect, and gently shift. You’ll leave, not with more rules, but with more clarity—with a deeper sense of where you are, where you want to go, and a sense of how to get there.