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Emotional Regulation: Everything You Need to Know to Improve Your Relationships
Many of us struggle with regulating (or managing) emotions. Looking inward and taking stock of our emotional regulation skills is critical to maintaining healthy adult relationships. Often, the source of conflict and struggle in relationships can be traced back to poor regulation of emotions by those in the relationship. Improving your relationships, though, takes more…
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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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5 Bully Prevention Tips for Parents and Schools That Work
Schools should be a safe place for everyone to come, as they are, and learn skills for their future. Bullying makes schools unsafe. Ending bullying is not solely the responsibility of parents or schools, but it does require both to work together to help create good humans and future leaders. Read on for 5 bully…
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New Parents, Social Media & Pregnancy: What You Need to Know
From over-the-top pregnancy reveals to momfluencers with hundreds of thousands of followers, social media might lead new parents to believe pregnancy is relatively easy. It is not. Pregnancy is complicated. The pregnancy reality for new parents is often more complicated than social media wants you to believe. At best, pregnancy is a joyful time for…
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Five Things Virginia Satir Would Tell You About the Therapeutic Process
Council for Relationships is known for couples and family therapy since 1932. But who discovered and developed Family Therapy? Virgina Satir is considered the Mother of Family Therapy. Her findings and therapeutic process remain highly influential for therapists. Read on the learn more about Virginia Satir and the five things she would tell you about…
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Going “Home” for the Holidays
For some of us, including me, the phrase “going home for the holidays” invites anxiety, dread, and avoidance. Every year I struggle to decide what to do for Thanksgiving. The “holiday” has a lot of difficult subjects wrapped up in it. This is especially true for many queer and trans people, Indigenous Americans, and sometimes…
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“I Don’t See Color”: White Caregivers Raising BIPOC Children
In previous generations, the phrase “I don’t see color” was a mark of being progressive. Parents would use the phrase to explain why the differences of another person were not important when cultivating relationships. By telling children the color of a person does not matter, it also allows for parents and caregivers to avoid having…
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Teach Your Children Well
The 2020-2021 school year has officially ended at schools across the country, and we are heading into another season of mixed thoughts and emotions. Just as has been the case in the past year of the COVID pandemic, that will mean different things to different people and families. While we are eager to put the…
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One for the Yearbooks: A Time to Process the End of Another School Year in a Pandemic
We have arrived at the end of another school year in a pandemic. Many of the meaningful traditions we look forward to this time each year may once again not be possible. As many schools move to re-create significant events like graduations and proms in order to follow safety guidelines, they may look and feel…
Read MoreHelp for Young Adults with Autism and Their Families
Having been around autistic young people since my youngest son was born with the disorder nearly 20 years ago, I recently began conducting small social groups for young men with autism. Our goals are simple: to provide a safe space for young adults with social emotional deficits to gather weekly with each other, practice listening…
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How to Talk to Loved Ones with Differing Political Opinions
As the 2020 presidential election draws near, and during a time when the world seems more divided than ever, families may experience an uptick in challenging and stressful conversations. Often, when families gather together, politics become a topic many shy away from. This, in part, may result from the uncomfortable emotional toll these conversations can…
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The Transition Back to School
September brings with it the realization that we are still living within the confines of COVID-19 restrictions. As families transition into this new school year, it’s a reminder of how challenging this “new normal” can be for children and parents. It’s a parent’s role to help children manage their stress; This can be especially difficult…
Read MoreWhen Your Loved One is a First Responder
As the daughter of an emergency room nurse, I write this with an empathic heart to all families and individuals dealing with the current COVID-19 epidemic. It’s especially stressful for those who have family members who are first responders; medical personnel, police officers, rescuers, military officials, and other related professionals. Let’s not forget individuals still…
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How to Handle Thanksgiving Among Family Members with Different Political Views
Amy Jones, MSW, MFT, LSW, works with individuals, couples, and families at our University City and Paoli offices. Read on to learn her approach and tips for dealing with family members with different political views during Thanksgiving. Amy Jones also provided her professional opinion on KYW Newsradio. Click here to listen to the radio segment…
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Maintaining Recovery During the Holidays: Tips to Prevent a Relapse
For many people the holiday season is a joyous and festive time of year. Family gatherings, parties, and other seasonal activities call for us to eat, drink, and be merry. However, for people in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction, the holidays aren’t always so jolly. Being surrounded by drinking, partying, and the usual hustle…
Read MoreBack to School on the Right Foot
Lynne Raju, MS, LMFT works with parents and children in Exton, Pennsylvania. Read on to learn how to prepare your children for a prosperous school year. Children will be back to school soon. This can be a stressful time for them because it means new teachers, classmates, schedules, and routines. These changes can trigger anxiety…
Read MoreHow to Cope with Mental Illness as a Family
Earlier this month, my family participated in the second annual Move for Mental Health Charity Bike Ride and Walk at Laurel Acres Park in Mt. Laurel, NJ. Move for Mental Health is a nonprofit organization focused on reducing the stigma of mental illness and helping community members in need of mental health services. Sami Sorid,…
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What We Can Learn From Bruce Springsteen
William Coffey is a staff therapist at Council for Relationships’ Center City and Voorhees, NJ offices. I first saw Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss, in October 1974 in the gymnasium of West Chester College, now West Chester University. This was a full year before he exploded nationally when he released Born to Run and was…
Read MoreMichelle and Barack: The Perfect Imperfect Love Story
Dr. Michele Marsh is a licensed psychologist and certified sex therapist at Council for Relationships’ Center City Office. Dr. Marsh is also the Director of the Sex Therapy Track in the Master’s in Family Therapy Program in partnership with Thomas Jefferson University. Pictures of President Obama and Michelle Obama glow with energy and broad smiles,…
Read MoreWhat is the Intersystem Approach to Therapy?
Dr. Rita DeMaria is a staff therapist, office director, and director of Healthy Relationships and Wellness Programs at Council for Relationships. The Intersystem Approach is an integrative and dialectical meta-framework, which explores how individuals, couples, family systems and communities are functioning in their relationships with self and others. These four domains constitute a comprehensive approach…
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My Message to Women: You do not have to suffer in silence
Elyse Stein Batoff, Psychologist, LMFT has years of experience working in the area of Women’s Psychological Health Services. She has offered the emotional support that has been needed by many women as they go through physical changes and issues ranging from infertility, pregnancy, postpartum depression, sexual concerns, and menopause. Collaboration with physicians such as OB/GYN’s…
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