Philadelphia Therapist Accepting New Patients: Sarafina Kietzman-Nicklin

Finding a Philadelphia therapist or Paoli, PA, therapist accepting new patients can be difficult. CFR is proud to have Staff Therapist Sarafina Kietzman-Nicklin, MFT, as a member of our organization. Sarafina sees patients virtually and at CFR’s University City Philadelphia office and Paoli, PA, office. She is currently accepting new patients.

Continue reading to learn more about Sarafina, her therapeutic approaches, goals, and training.


Portrait of CFR Staff Therapist, Sarafina Kietzman-Nicklin, who is accepting new clients.

Staff Therapist Sarafina Kietzman-Nicklin, MFT

Sarafina’s journey to becoming a therapist

Born and raised in West Philadelphia by Quaker parents, I have always been aware of the power of community and connection. My parents were open about their own experiences in therapy and how helpful it was. They even attended a couple of sessions at CFR in the late 1980s! As I explored my values and what I wanted to spend my life doing, it became clear that therapy was the right career for me and that CFR’s larger values aligned with my own, making it a perfect fit.

A unique human. A unique therapist.

I have a never-ending desire to learn and understand the world around me. Whether it is discovering how to make a new cocktail or doing a deep dive into a new poet, I love to get lost in any type of learning. As a therapist, I have a boundless joy in connecting with people. There is something healing in just sitting with someone and letting them feel seen. I love to bring humor into my sessions (when appropriate) to disarm people and let them know we are here to enjoy connection just as much as “work on” things.

What a new therapy patient can expect in their first session with Sarafina

I find that individuals have often been on an arduous journey to actually get themselves into a therapist’s office, so I let them lead the first session. I give them space to flesh out what has brought them into therapy and how they understand it.

Goals for new patients

The goal of therapy is to feel more connected, knowing, and accepting of the self. We all have work to do but lasting change comes from wanting to take care of oneself and continue to grow, not from self-judgment and criticism.

Of course, this varies greatly depending on the client’s needs, but one of my favorite things to do is to identify the values a person has and wants to live by. This allows me to “call them in” when they do something that misaligns with their own values. In grounding them in their own values the work stays centered around them and their decision to live a life within these values.

Struggling with the decision to book a therapy appointment?

There is great power in deciding to face yourself (or yourself and others, like a partner or a parent) in therapy. There is no right time or wrong time, only a space where you can discover that you have more to learn about yourself and your abilities than you could ever have imagined.


CFR therapists are accepting new patients. Ready to book an appointment with a psychiatrist or therapist? Questions about session costs?

Sarafina Kietzman-Nicklin is a Philadelphia and Paoli, PA, therapist accepting new patients. Click here to book an appointment.

You may reach Sarafina at skietzman-nicklin@councilforrelationships.org or 215-770-2334 ext 4351.

See our Therapist & Psychologist Directory to find a different CFR therapist or psychiatrist near you.