Sara J. Corse, PhD

Chief Clinical Officer

(215) 382-6680 ext. 3117

Dr. Sara Corse is a licensed clinical psychologist and longtime leader at Council for Relationships. Since joining CFR in 2006, Dr. Corse has worn many hats—clinician, supervisor, teacher, mentor, and leader. She founded and continues to direct the Community Partnerships Initiative, which brings trauma-informed, culturally responsive mental health services into schools and partner agencies across Philadelphia. In addition to guiding the CPI team, she provides executive leadership for CFR’s clinical services and education and training programs. Dr. Corse also serves as a Staff Therapist. She is trained in EMDR and has developed expertise in working with couples and families, grief, trauma, first responders, and veterans.

At the start of her career, Dr. Corse served as a research professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Psychiatry, where she conducted NIMH-funded research on intensive case management for individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorders, as well as treatment for pregnant and parenting mothers. She has also published work on grief and caregiving, including the book Cradled All the While: The Unexpected Gifts of a Mother’s Death.

Dr. Corse holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Community Psychology from the University of Maryland and completed her APA-approved clinical internship at Temple University Hospital. Widely respected for her collaborative spirit, strategic thinking, and deep commitment to equity and access, Dr. Corse embodies CFR’s mission to build healthy relationships as the foundation of a stronger community.