Mental health & family relationships
Understand what lies beneath. Build change that lasts.
I’m Dr. Rama Hijjawi, PhD — a mental health and family relationships consultant. I help individuals, couples and families understand the patterns beneath what they feel, and make practical changes that hold — on Zoom or in person in Irvine, California.
Background
The expertise behind every session
Further training
Trauma-informed approachesFamily systemsPositive psychologyEmotional regulationPCC coursework, ICFAreas of focus
What people bring to me
I work with individuals, couples and families — often at a moment when the same feelings, arguments or doubts keep coming back. These are the areas I focus on:
Anxiety, overthinking & self-worth
Emotional overwhelm, a mind that won’t switch off, low self-confidence — and the personal boundaries that help you feel steady again.
Marriage, relationships & family
Marriage and relationship challenges, parenting, and clearer, kinder communication within the family.
Difficult experiences & trauma awareness
Emotional recovery after hard experiences, and understanding how the past still shapes your reactions today.
Identity, belonging & life transitions
Immigration, identity and big life changes, the patterns that keep repeating, and building resilience and inner balance.
How I work
The RAMA METHOD™
Four steps from understanding to lasting change — at your pace, and with respect for your story and your values.
Recognize
Notice the patterns in your emotions, thoughts, reactions and relationships that keep repeating.
Analyze
Understand where those patterns come from, and how they affect your life and relationships today.
Modify
Change unhelpful thoughts and responses, using practical tools drawn from CBT.
Anchor
Anchor healthier habits, boundaries and emotional tools, so the change holds in daily life.
My approach is empathetic, insightful and practical. I draw on techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), in which I trained through the Beck Institute, and from trauma-focused approaches, together with family-systems perspectives.
Free workbook
The RAMA METHOD™ workbook
Twenty pages to try the four steps at your own pace: a two-minute self-check, exercises, and a seven-day plan. Free, in English or Arabic.
My story
I started my own education when my children started school.
I married at 18 and became a mother of three. When my children went to school, I went back to school too — and earned a bachelor’s, a master’s in educational leadership and a PhD in the foundations of education, with distinction.
That path took me to lecture at the University of Jordan, to work with international organisations including UNRWA and the National Democratic Institute, and to found Isma’ni (“Listen to Me”), a youth leadership initiative. Over the years I have designed and delivered lectures, workshops and awareness programs on emotional wellbeing, resilience and family connection.
My studies span psychology, sociology, anthropology and human behavior, and I trained in CBT through the Beck Institute. It all comes back to one belief: lasting change begins when you understand what lies beneath your emotions, reactions and relationship patterns.
Sessions
Sessions and programs
Every session is one-to-one and 60 minutes — online via Zoom or in person in Irvine, California, at the same price. Start with a free 20-minute session, then choose a single session or a program.
Free introductory session
Free
A short, no-commitment conversation about what brings you here and how working together would look.
Book free sessionIndividual session
$150
One focused hour on what matters most right now — a relationship, a pattern or a decision.
BookThree-session program
$375
Time to understand one pattern, work on it, and review together what has shifted.
Book your first session here; the program is paid at that booking and the remaining sessions are then scheduled with Dr. Rama.
Book your first sessionComprehensive program
$700
A deeper process for bigger changes, with time between sessions to practise new tools.
Book your first session here; the program is paid at that booking and the remaining sessions are then scheduled with Dr. Rama.
Book your first sessionGood to know
Where we meetOnline via Zoom, or in person in Irvine, California.
PaymentSessions are paid in advance to secure your booking.
ReschedulingMove a session with at least 3 days’ notice.
RefundsSessions you cancel or miss are not refunded. If I need to cancel, you choose a new time or a full refund.
Your wellbeingMy consultations do not replace medical, psychiatric or emergency care.
Full details: Refund & Cancellation Policy.
Your next step
Start with a free conversation.
Twenty minutes, no commitment. Tell me what’s on your mind, and we’ll look together at the right next step for you.
