Marriage & Couples Therapy That Actually Works
Real help for real relationships.
About Shira Hearn, LMFT
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Joplin, Missouri. For over a decade, I’ve worked exclusively with couples—teaching, supervising, and practicing the art and science of relationship therapy.
I’m a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary’s Graduate School of Psychology in Pasadena, California, where I earned my Master of Science in Marital and Family Therapy. Before moving to Joplin, I lived in Los Angeles for 12 years, working with couples from every imaginable background. I’m originally from Jerusalem, Israel, where my family still lives—a place that deeply shaped my perspective on connection, culture, and what it means to belong.
I use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), one of the most researched and effective approaches for couples in distress. Studies show that 70–75 % of couples move from distress to recovery, and around 90 % report significant improvement. Those numbers aren’t marketing fluff—they’re the result of decades of solid research.
If you’re stuck in the same old fights, disconnected, or living like roommates, this is the work that can help you find each other again.
What I Offer
Couples & Marriage Therapy
When communication breaks down, emotions harden. EFT helps couples understand the negative cycles that keep them apart and rebuild the bond underneath. This isn’t about learning better arguments—it’s about learning to reach for each other again.
Relationship Counseling
Not married? No problem. Long-term relationships hit the same walls. We’ll work on repairing trust, deepening emotional intimacy, and creating patterns that last. More about pre-marital therapy here.
Sex Therapy
Sex and intimacy are often the first things to fade when a relationship struggles. I offer focused help for sexual disconnection, low desire, and emotional barriers to physical closeness—all within the safety of couples therapy.
Where I Practice
I see clients in person at Mt Hope Counseling Center in Webb City, MO only. I do not offer any virtual options at this time.
I work with couples from Joplin, Webb City, Carl Junction, Neosho, Carthage, Nevada, Sarcoxie, Diamond and the greater Southwest Missouri area.