Our Team

Meet our team of therapists

Sinead Smyth, LMFT #36400

After training in many models of couples and family therapy, I found my real passion when hearing Dr. John Gottman talk about his research and approach to couples therapy in the early 2000s. After becoming certified in the approach in 2011 and using it with success with hundreds of couples, I have great trust and confidence in it. I enjoy seeing couples use some of the research-based, powerful tools to improve their relationships. I particularly like the fact that the approach is practical and feels accessible to people who have either little or a lot of experience with therapy.

As a designated Master Trainer with the Gottman Institute, I have taught Levels 1, 2 and 3 Gottman Method to therapists in the U.S., Ireland and the Netherlands. I co-present The Art and Science of Love Gottman Couples Workshop several times a year in the Bay Area and Chicago. I am a Consultant to therapists worldwide working towards certification in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. I am also a presenter on the Gottman Institute’s Speaker’s Bureau.

I enjoy presenting trainings, seminars, and workshops on a variety of topics. Over the years these have included communication and leadership development to tech companies, self-care for educators and Grand Rounds at Stanford University’s Department of Psychiatry. I have been interviewed by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Woman’s Day and The Huffington Post on relationship topics. I have been a featured presenter on the BBC regarding the impact on COVID on couple relationships.

I bring humor and compassion into my therapy sessions, which helps me connect well with my clients.. I draw from a variety of therapeutic approaches but the ones most dear to my heart are the scientifically proven methods of relationship counseling developed by Drs. John and Julie Gottman and Dr. Sue Johnson. These theories help couples concentrate on solutions instead of problems, acceptance and change instead of fault finding, and using what is within their control to make changes in their lives.

I hold a Bachelor of Civil Law, and a M.S in Counseling Psychology. My professional experience includes working for several years as a family law attorney, then later as a child custody evaluator in divorce cases. This experience led me to believe that many troubled relationships could have been saved with better communication skills and understanding of relationship dynamics. Other areas of professional interest include career issues, workplace stress and leadership training.

On a personal note, I have been married for over 20 years and have two young adult sons. We spend as much time as we can enjoying the outdoors and the beauty of  Northern California with our dog, Watson. I love to travel and have adventures in new places.

Liliana Goldschmidt, LMFT 115138

My background in international development and volunteer management allowed me to develop skills to find points of connection, appreciation and team work to build successful partnerships between communities and individuals from diverse backgrounds.

I found that the skill sets that make for strong community partners and leaders are also the skill sets used in my work with couples; listening, validating and looking for opportunities for connection.

I work with individuals, couples, families, children and adolescents who are working through trying times and need support to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. I have a passion for working with couples and families who come from cross-cultural and multi cultural backgrounds.

I am trained in mindfulness techniques and have facilitated trainings about how to utilize mindfulness in therapy. I am certified in Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) and I have completed Level 1, 2 and 3 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. I apply Triple P, Gottman Method Couples Therapy, mindfulness techniques, talk therapy, art therapy and play therapy in my work. I incorporate a unique combination of these skills for each client, depending on their needs.

I am Liliana Goldschmidt. I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist and I work under Sinead Smyth, LMFT at the East Bay Relationship Center. Give me a call so that we can talk about how I can best support you.

Megan Hagerty, LMFT 112849

I love helping people learn more about who they are and how to enjoy their life. I enjoy watching people learn how to advocate for themselves. I think having the chance to build a relationship with someone who is reaching out during a challenging time is a gift. I look forward to the times when my clients become empowered and grow throughout the process. I am privileged to hear
every person’s life story and their experiences. I enjoy exploring how each client would like to change or add to their story.

I love to help couples reconnect and find balance within their relationship. I aim to advocate for each partner to feel heard and understood by one another. Through redefining communication, roles and routines I believe we can create a stronger foundation for your relationship.
Processing past and current events can be helpful yet when you step into my room my focus is not solely on conflict, it’s also how we can recreate or build a new friendship between partners. How can we better fulfill each other’s dreams while honoring our own? Can I move past an affair or emotional injury? How can I communicate to my partner without getting into an argument again? Why is it difficult for us to connect and find time for each other right now? I answer these and many more questions when I sit with a couple.  


I have completed Level 3 training in the Gottman Method and utilize Gottman Method Couples therapy in my work with couples. 

I believe I am an integrative therapist which means I draw from different types of modalities depending on the needs and goals of each client. The modalities I most often utilize in my practice are as follows:

  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
  • Person-Centered
  • Mindfulness
  • Narrative
  • Solution Focused
  • Play Therapy
  • Gottman Method

Specializations include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Couples Counseling
  • Identity
  • LGBTQ plus 
  • Relationships
  • Self-esteem
  • Body Image
  • Behavioral issues
  • Parenting support
  • Divorce
  • Life transitions
  • Trauma

I have obtained my BA in Psychology from the University of the Pacific in 2012. I also hold an MA in Counseling from Saint Mary’s College of California in 2015. 

I have completed Level 3 training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy

Garni Zimmerman, LMFT 98418

After years spent working in the world of business as at a management and executive level, I made the decision to augment my education and experience by pursuing my degree in Counseling Psychology. It will come as little surprise to most who know me that I chose to focus my specializations in the areas of teens and couples. I find that the Gottman Method of Couple Counseling resonates strongly for me because of its base in well-founded research and because of the success that I see in the room.

I will share with my couples that I will not be likely to teach them anything they do not already know, but our work will be to put those skills to use at the times when it is hardest (and when they are most needed). I have completed my Level 3 training in the Gottman Method and am currently pursuing certification. I utilize Gottman Method Couples therapy in my work. I have also completed training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and in Discernment Counseling (for couples where one partner is ambivalent [leaning out] and one is interested in doing couples therapy). I primarily work in Gottman Method but draw on these modalities along with others to support my work.

In addition to my work with couples, I co-create and facilitate workshops on a variety of topics. I have an extensive background in the building of visions, communication of strategy and management of corporate objectives. I facilitate leadership development workshops designed for every level of an organization and work to closely align those with the culture of an organization in order to deliver next level results.

I also enjoy supporting senior leaders and executives through executive and leadership coaching designed to support them in gaining clarity and alignment within their holistic approach and extending that clarity and alignment to their leadership team to support the vision and strategy of their organization.

I bring a direct approach along with humility, curiosity and humor into all of my work.

I hold an M.S in Counseling Psychology and an MBA.  My professional experience includes working at senior levels within the corporate environment to drive initiatives, consulting and organizational change leadership.  This experience combined with my experience with clients in therapy has led me to deeply understand the universal nature of humanity and the fundamental need for effective communication.

On a personal note, I am married to an amazing woman who supports my life dreams and with whom I am creating a personal Sound Relationship House. My lived experience includes aspects of diversity (especially around the experiences of interracial relationships and blackness in America), military or veteran status, and LGBTQIA+ experiences. I have two adult children who are building their own lives and live with my partner in Northern California where we enjoy riding our horses, spending time with our animal menagerie, and traveling (especially to Costa Rica).

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