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Growing Closer – How Couples Become Their Own Counselors
Of all the ways partners can grow closer to one another, the most important one is to speak and listen to one another from their hearts. One sure sign of this kind of communication is when I hear a husband say “I could see that my wife was angry but I suspected that she was…
Read MoreThe Unique Needs of Clergy and Their Families
In my work with clergy I’ve seen the effects of the unique pressures and stressors on the leaders of their communities of faith and their relationships with their partners and families. These include: Flexible Relationship Boundaries: Unlike most helping professions a clergy person is invited and expected to relate to congregants in homes, hospital rooms,…
Read MoreWhat Therapists Wish Their Clients Knew
Before clients commit to therapy, they may want to talk to the clinician prior to coming in to ask a few questions. They may ask, “What kind of therapy do you do?”, “Have you dealt with this problem before?”, or “Can I reach you in an emergency?” All of these questions are important, and they…
Read MoreThe Wilderness
I am afraid to leave my apartment everyday of my life. I am not afraid of the people; for me, the city of Philadelphia is truly the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods. A welcoming place where people go about their day, and get the business of living…
Read MoreKids and Abuse
Given recent reports of events on college campuses, sexually inappropriate behavior is at the forefront of many minds. As a psychologist who specializes in problematic and abusive sexual behavior, I work with both perpetrators and survivors, as well as their families. The damage done to survivors of sexual crimes is not limited to their sexual…
Read MoreAdvice for You if Your Loved One is an Addict
Does your spouse, partner, or loved one suffer from an addiction? If so it is imperative that they receive proper professional help from an experienced health care provider with expertise in treating addictions. However, this article is not about your loved one; it is about you. If your family member is an alcoholic, a drug…
Read MoreBreaking Up Is Hard to Do
When my adult daughter introduced us happily to her significant other, it was practically love at first sight. The two seemed a natural match, not only for one another, but also to my husband and myself. While the two navigated the ups and downs of their budding relationship, we became more and more attached to…
Read MoreFilling Our Time With What Matters Most
One of my clients recently came in and expressed his feelings of overwhelm. He felt overcommitted at work, stressed at home, and generally confused. He said that he didn’t feel that there was any time left for him. I reminded him that to stay in balance, we can only give from the overflow. And I…
Read MoreComing of Age
There is a time in our children’s lives when their separation from us is not only inevitable, but also sanctioned by society. The coming of age rituals observed by many cultures and religious groups are a public acknowledgement of the emotional differentiation that our children have been working towards throughout their childhood and of their…
Read MoreIncorporating EMDR into my therapy practice
A Personal History of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing at Council for Relationships by Senior Staff Therapist Michael D’Antonio. From ancient times, Europeans searched for a specific missing ingredient for their cuisine: an acidic base for sauces. They tried pomegranates, then cranberries: with mixed success. Finally, the New World yielded up the tomato. We all…
Read MoreScreen Time
People often see their psychiatrist for advice. Mostly people ask me, “What should I do about my depression?” “How can I lessen my anxiety?” I listen. I gather information. We talk. We sometimes try medications. We talk some more. Inevitably, we explore ways to self soothe. Any way to get in a walk? Listen to…
Read MorePain and the Practitioner
Before I crushed a nerve in my leg, my career plan had been to become an attorney. However, I found that the fatigue and pain worsened by activity did not lend itself to actively practicing law. Instead, I found that Psychotherapy, was a great field for people with chronic illnesses because it does not require…
Read MoreThe Challenge and Hope of Reunification Therapy
Priscilla Singleton, MSW, LMFT, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and a marriage and family therapist. Ms. Singleton’s areas of expertise are separating and divorcing families, adoption, promotion of child and adolescent connection in their families, children of divorce, and co-parent counseling. Ms. Singleton has been in practice for over 25 years. Sometimes a parent can…
Read MoreTrue Courage: Coming to Therapy
I often say to my patients, particularly to those who feel embarrassed seeking help, “Only the strong people come to therapy.” And I mean that. These people are brave enough to look at themselves and their roles in relationships. This kind of introspection, coupled with sharing innermost thoughts and feelings and intimate family details, with…
Read MoreHow to Improve Your Relationship When You Feel Negatively About Each Other
Staff Therapist Dr. Michele Marsh‘s specialty areas include trauma, sexuality throughout the life cycle, sexual abuse, affairs, depression, and anxiety; parenting issues, and loss and grief. I confess, I love Bruce Springsteen. He’s the Boss, my favorite rocker who seems to nail the mysteries of life and the realities of love in many a…
Read MoreLessons from a Baby: Essence v. Behavior
Isn’t it interesting that when a new baby is born we all see how precious and lovable that child is. But as soon as they grow up, we tend not to see the magnificent essence of that being? I was talking to a client about her two-year-old daughter and how she would sit in her…
Read MoreEmotion Coaching: An Adoptive Family Finds Their Way From Loss to Attachment
Priscilla Singleton, MSW, LMFT, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and a marriage and family therapist. Ms. Singleton’s areas of expertise are separating and divorcing families, adoption, promotion of child and adolescent connection in their families, children of divorce, and co-parent counseling. Ms. Singleton has been in practice for over 25 years. Leslie Greenberg’s work on…
Read MoreIt’s Not Always a White Christmas. Complicated Families: Complicated Holidays
Family holidays used to be simpler, at least that is the myth. When family members look more alike, have similar ideas of how the holidays are celebrated, and have common expectations of behavior, food and customs, life seems easier. Today many more families are intercultural, interracial, and inter-religious, especially in big cities. Blended families are…
Read MoreTakeaways from an Early Fall Vacation
I recently returned from a week’s vacation on Martha’s Vineyard and my mind can easily wonder back to my leisurely time there, even as I resign myself to the usual hustle and bustle that comes with the fall season for most of us. A longtime friend, Terry, had bid on the rental in a silent…
Read MoreParenting and the Teenage Years: A Parent’s Survival Guide
As parents, we try hard to understand our teenagers, but oftentimes we seem at a loss and it can be very stressful. Parenting is a difficult job in the best of circumstances. If you add to that a child who is experiencing some extra problems, you might feel especially helpless and hopeless. We try to…
Read MoreRelationships and Banking
You’ve probably heard this analogy before – relationships are like bank accounts. Couples therapists often use this explanation to help people conceptualize what they do (and don’t do) in relationships, in a way that’s easily understood. Often an “aha” is heard as one partner (or both) finally get it, finally understand. We all make deposits,…
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