When an interior designer partnered with a mental health therapist 17 years ago Design Therapy was born. Aref and Erin fell in love while working alongside each other designing a home in Cleveland, OH in 2005. Erin was working towards gaining her Master’s Degree in clinical mental health, while working as a design assistant for Aref Shafik (lead designer and CEO of The Design Firm). “When we fell in love so did psychology and design”, Erin says, as she smiles and winks. “Erin opened my eyes to how design is deeper than just aesthetics. It has a major impact on my client’s overall happiness”, Aref said.