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What is ADHD Masking?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, better known as ADHD, is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, ADHD does not impact children only. ADHD is a lifelong disorder that goes underreported and underdiagnosed in adults. Many adults with ADHD hide or “mask” their symptoms due to…
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Therapy That Can Teach You Forgiveness
We all know that the ability to forgive someone is a valued human trait. But dang is it hard to do. If you’re a human, then you’ve experienced a situation where you’ve been wronged by someone else (and vice versa). Most people want to be known as “forgiving,” but there are few manuals on how…
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3 Alarming Takeaways for Parents of Teens in Age Discrepant Relationships
Age-discrepant relationships are relationships where partners have a sizeable gap between the ages of those in the relationship. While there is no hard and fast number to define what is considered “sizeable,” when it comes to relationships between teenagers and adults, laws define the age of consent. Mainstream pop stars like Demi Lovato are driving…
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Taylor Swift Songs about Mental Health: The Self-Titled Edition
At Council for Relationships, we’re all about making mental health care more accessible, and we know that getting folks to talk about mental health is one of the first steps in getting people the help they need. This is why we’re proponents of efforts, whether implicit or explicit, top open up avenues for mental health…
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10 Facts about Suicide
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Here are 6 alarming statistics on suicide and 4 truths on suicide risk factors, suicide warning signs, and hope (yes, hope) for a total of 10 facts about suicide you need to know about right now. 6 Facts about Suicide in the United States in 2023 According to the…
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How to Breathe Correctly
If you are reading this, there is a chance you are also holding your breath or your breath is shallow. You are not unique, unfortunately. Most of us are not breathing correctly, especially when we are looking at a screen. CFR Staff Therapist and CPI Specialist Mike Butera discusses the following in this article: Reflections…
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Working for a Nonprofit: Why I Work for a Nonprofit Organization
August 17 is National Nonprofit Day, and having been a nonprofit organization since 1932, we feel as if every day is National Nonprofit Day (spoiler alert: every day is, in fact, not National Nonprofit Day). To recognize the importance of nonprofits in our communities, we asked Council for Relationships (CFR) Administrative Specialist, Anusha Ramdeen, about…
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TBI: Meaning, Importance, and Hope
The Philadelphia Phillies‘ partnership with Team Foster and Warrior Canine Connection to bring a new service pup to the Phillies for training reminds us of the importance of learning about and addressing treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) in Veterans. TBI was the signature war wound of the Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan (OEF) and Operation…
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Neurodivergent: Navigating the Mental Health Issues
What it means to be neurodivergent is often misunderstood. The term describes individuals whose brain processes, learns, or behaves differently from what is typical. This term covers many conditions, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Tourette’s Syndrome. Although the term is becoming more common, many people still misunderstand…
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Caring for an Aging Parent: 3 Tips to Keep You from Losing Yourself
Caring for an aging parent can feel daunting, frustrating, isolating, and sad. But it does not have to be this way. Read on to the learn more about the following tips to help keep you from losing yourself as you care for your parent. Tip #1: Take it slow. Caring for an elderly parent is…
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In My Feelings: Experiencing & Understanding Emotions
Raise your hand if you have ever been in your feelings. Have you ever stopped and thought about what being “in my feelings” really means? Experiencing our emotions, and understanding what those feelings mean, is a critical aspect of any mental health journey. Read on for answers to the following questions: What are emotions? Where…
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Philadelphia Therapist Accepting New Clients: Amy Leonard, MSW
Finding a Philadelphia therapist accepting new clients can be difficult. CFR is proud to have Staff Therapist Amy Leonard, MSW, as a member of our organization. Amy sees patients virtually or in person and is currently accepting new clients. Continue reading to learn more about Amy’s therapeutic approaches, goals, and training. Amy’s journey to becoming…
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Juneteenth at Longwood Gardens
On Friday, June 16, 2023, Longwood Gardens hosted Fashioning Freedom, a event honoring the power of fashion in the struggle for freedom. It promised to be an evening for celebrating African American fashion and its critical relationship to the work of freedom. After spending her day seeing clients and working towards her doctorate, CFR Staff…
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Notes from the 2023 Drexel MCH Symposium
On June 1, 2023, Drexel University held the 2023 Drexel Maternal and Child Health Symposium: Gun Violence: Impacts & Solutions from an MCH Perspective. The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) conference, “highlight[ed] the work of communities and programs seeking to reduce the impact of gun violence on maternal and child health populations, including women, children,…
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Black Joy
While the events that led to the ultimate creation of the national holiday known as Juneteenth may be over 160 years in the past, there is no time like the present to embrace Black joy. But what is Black joy and why is Juneteenth a time for us to embrace it? And what does it…
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How to Support LGBTQ+ Youth in 2023
Americans live in a time of growing societal rifts. One such yawning divide is on how we treat and view members of the LGBTQ+ community. The people who are most harmed by the backlash against the queer and transgender community are, predictably, children. Already disproportionally impacted by discriminatory practices and laws, LGBTQ+ youth are enduring…
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Racial Justice Through Tragic Optimism
The time between the conclusion of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI Heritage Month) and the celebration of Juneteenth is a great opportunity to reflect on the complexities of racial justice. CFR Staff Psychiatrist Dr. Maura Dunfey shares how her experience raising biracial children, having a grandfather who fought the Japanese in World…
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Supporting the Mental Health of Veterans’ Families
Memorial Day this year is Monday, May 29, 2023. Unlike Veterans Day in November when we honor all who have served, Memorial Day honors all who have died for our country, particularly in battle or from wounds they suffered in battle. So many are impacted by the loss of a loved one who served the United States….
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Relationship Responsibility
Too often our relationships with our loved ones are unbalanced. Many people feel as if they are being asked to do too much…or perhaps they feel as if they are not carrying equal weight. When it comes to our relationships, we should strive for balance and to identify evidence that things may have gotten lopsided….
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Using Spirituality to Improve Mental Health
Spirituality can complement and improve your mental health. As American writer and journalist Elizabeth Gilbert has said, “God dwells within you; as you. God dwells within me; as me.” You can use spiritualty to help address your mental health concerns. But how? Read on to learn more about using spirituality to improve mental health. Spirituality…
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
COVID-19 remains, for me, a unique experience. When the pandemic struck, it was a sudden, global, isolating, traumatic, and life-changing experience. We went into lockdown mode and the loss was huge. It disproportionately affected people of color. The grief and the recovery work are far from being over. I accepted the pandemic for what it…
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