ANXIETY THERAPIST HOUSTON, TX
Decide for yourself what comes next.
Therapy for women working through family estrangement, mother–daughter conflict, and complex family dynamics. Available in person in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood, or online anywhere in Texas or California.
If it feels like too much, it’s because it is…
It’s a lot, right?
The pressure to keep the peace. The way one conversation can derail your whole week. And you've been managing it—for years.
Maybe you've told yourself it's not that bad. Other people have messier relationships. Worse family dynamics. You should be "over it" by now.
But deep down, you know this isn't just anxiety—it's the weight of relationships at a breaking point, and the expectations that make it even harder to know what you want, let alone ask for it.
You don’t have to carry this alone. Therapy can help you find clarity and steadiness, so you can finally breathe in your own life.
You’re not trying to blow up your whole life—you just want to feel less anxious and more like you.
Dream it
Dream it
COMPLEX FEELINGS WELCOME
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COMPLEX FEELINGS WELCOME ⚬
Kissu Taffere, LCSW
Most women I see are carrying complex, layered relationships with their mothers and family. They've learned how to stay connected (even when it hurts) and how to hide what it costs them. We start by telling the truth about that.
My approach draws on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), psychodynamic, and culturally-informed frameworks to help us understand what you’ve been carrying and how your emotions show up in relationships — not to blame anyone, but to notice patterns and respond in new ways.
As a first-generation Ethiopian-born Eritrean American from a large family, I bring cultural context into the room. I know what it means to navigate layers—roles, languages, expectations—and how much can go unspoken in the name of loyalty or survival. If your story doesn’t fit neatly into categories, you’re in the right place.
Before private practice, I spent a decade in the humanitarian field — in refugee camps, global institutions, and everything in between. It taught me how to sit with grief, contradiction, and complexity without rushing past it.
Outside of sessions, I write about hard things and doodle silly things. I also dabble in improv, which probably tells you most of what you need to know: I take this work seriously. I don’t take myself too seriously.
Ready to go deeper?
Therapy for Women
$200—50 min
For women who are tired of carrying guilt, anxiety, and pressure alone — and want a space to figure out what actually feels right for them.
Mother-Daughter Therapy
Coming Soon
For mothers and adult daughters who are ready to face the hard stuff together — with honesty, care, and space to move at your own pace.
How it works
Step 01
Book a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if we’re a good fit.
Step 02
If it feels right, we’ll schedule your first session and I’ll send the intake forms.
Step 03
From there, we begin — at your pace, with care and clarity.
If you feel the pull, let’s talk.
You don’t need to have all the words yet. If something in you is ready to slow down, get clear, and move differently — we can start there. The first step is a free 15-minute call to see if it feels like a good fit.
FAQ
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I’m a private-pay provider in California and Texas. If you have out-of-network benefits in either state, I use a service called Thrizer that makes reimbursement easier — often you’ll only pay your copay upfront. Therapy sessions are also eligible expenses under most HSA and FSA plans, which may provide tax savings.
If you're not using insurance, you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of what your therapy sessions will cost — before you start or anytime during care. If a bill is ever $400 or more above that estimate, you can dispute it. To learn more about your rights, just ask — or click here.
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Being at a point where estrangement feels necessary—or is already happening—often means the emotional strain of staying connected has become unsustainable. You may feel worn down by repeating the same patterns, unsure how much more you can give, or torn between protecting yourself and feeling the weight of guilt or grief.
In my work with clients, this can show up as questioning whether to set firmer boundaries, take space, or step back entirely. It can also mean navigating the aftermath of a family rupture—processing what went wrong, managing the cultural or familial pressure to reconcile, and figuring out what healing looks like when the relationship can't continue as it was.
Estrangement doesn't always mean a relationship must end forever, but it does signal that something important needs attention. This is a space to explore those experiences—whether you're considering distance, actively estranged, or trying to understand if repair is possible
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Yes. I work with women from multicultural, immigrant, and expat backgrounds who are navigating complex family or romantic relationships. Growing up between cultures or balancing multiple cultural values can create unique pressures, unspoken expectations, and intergenerational patterns that affect how you relate to others and yourself. I provide culturally responsive therapy to help you untangle these dynamics, set healthy boundaries, and gain clarity in high-stakes relationships — honoring what you can of your culture while prioritizing your needs.
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Yes. While my primary focus is highly sensitive women who tend to over-function in relationships and family, I also work with men who experience anxiety, over-responsibility, and burnout in their relationships.
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Many of the women I work with are navigating complex, layered relationships with their mothers, partners, or families. They often arrive at a tipping point, trying to make sense of whether repair is possible, how to set meaningful boundaries, or whether distance or estrangement is the most protective option.
I work best with thoughtful, curious, and highly sensitive people who are open to relational work and seeking more than short-term symptom relief. My approach focuses on understanding long-standing relational and attachment patterns, with an emphasis on emotional safety, clarity, and creating meaningful, lasting change in relationships. When reconciliation is not possible or healthy, therapy supports making those decisions with greater confidence and self-trust. If you’re unsure, we can discuss it during a consult.
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Not only. While we often explore family and relationship dynamics, we also focus on how over-functioning, scanning for danger, and taking on others’ emotions impact your life, work, and well-being. Therapy helps you feel grounded, make decisions with clarity, and stop burning out trying to fix what isn’t yours to fix.
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These are just some of the tools I might bring in, depending on what you need.
EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) helps us tune into what’s happening underneath the surface—especially how emotions show up in relationships and affect patterns with others.Relational Psychodynamic Therapy looks at how past relationships shape current patterns, helping you understand what you’ve been carrying and shift what’s no longer working.
Mind-body practices support noticing how emotions show up physically—through breath, grounding, or bodily sensations—to help you connect with and process what you’re feeling.
None of this is one-size-fits-all. I’ll explain things as we go, and we’ll use what actually feels supportive for you.
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◦ Licensed Clinical Social Worker — Texas (#112859) and California (#120785)
◦ Master of Social Work — University of Texas at Austin, 2014
◦ Intensive training in relational psychodynamic therapy and Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
◦ Ongoing consultation to support relational and culturally responsive care
◦ Steering committee member and guest faculty, Coalition for Clinical Social Work, San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis
◦ Member, California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists (CAMFT)