She received her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) from Purdue University. Dr. Karakurt's research focuses on interpersonal dynamics in close relationships and their effect on conflict and the well-being of couples and families. Dr. Karakurt has experience in conducting therapy with couples, particularly utilizing evidence based Emotionally Focused Therapy and she is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist to practice in the State of Ohio. She has also worked extensively with survivors of domestic violence and co-facilitated self-esteem and parenting groups. Her teaching and clinical experience also extends to supervision. As a KL2 scholar, she will investigate the effectiveness of couple therapy treatment for intimate partner violence using neuropyshiological markers.