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A Q&A About Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy? Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an approach to therapy that treats the psyche as a unique system of parts that influence each other and the external world. It was developed by Richard Schwartz, a family therapist who observed patients describing themselves in terms of conflicting “parts,” and then…
Read MoreAn Ode to CFR’s Post Graduate Certificate Program
There is a part of my life in which I am very fortunate: I have a job that I love and, even beyond that, a job that feels like a calling. I am the Director of Council for Relationships’ Post Graduate Certificate Program in Marriage and Family Therapy. As is relatively obvious from the name of the program, our training prepares master’s-level students for…
Read MoreHonoring Our Veterans in 2020
Veterans Day is observed annually on November 11th. It is a day set aside to honor all those who have served our country in any of its wars. Unlike Memorial Day, which is a time to remember those who gave their lives for our country, Veterans Day is, “a celebration to honor America’s veterans for…
Read MoreHelping Couples Thrive During COVID-19: How Affection and Desire Eases Fear
The pandemic is creating unique challenges for couples, even those with happy relationships. What does it mean to thrive during difficult and fearful times? With so much uncertainty as we watch and hear about the numbers of people whose lives are at stake, and many others who have been lost to COVID-19, fear is expressed…
Read MoreClergy Leadership Training: A Timely Opportunity
The Rev. Dr. Dolores E. Littleton (Dee) is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Pennsylvania. Dr. Littleton is the Director of the Post-Graduate Certificate Program, Clergy Track. Here’s how post graduate family systems training may enhance your…
Read MoreFeatured Therapist for May, Nina Fortuna
Every month, Council for Relationships features one of our staff therapists. This month’s Featured Therapist is Nina Fortuna, LMFT who joined the staff in 2019. Learn more about her in the interview below! Tell us a little about what makes you unique as a therapist and person. As a resident and native of the great…
Read MoreHolocaust Memorial Day
Submitted by Bea Hollander-Goldfein Ph.D. LMFT – Director, Transcending Trauma Project and Nancy Isserman – Co-Director. Transcending Trauma Project Holocaust Memorial Day will be commemorated this year on April 21. It was established by the State of Israel in 1951 to commemorate the more than 6 million Jewish lives that were destroyed by the Nazi…
Read MoreImpact Spotlight: Operation Home and Healing
Council for Relationships’ Operation Home and Healing provides counseling and services for veterans, active service members, and their families. CFR’s specially trained therapists help veterans and their families to heal and become better partners, parents, and family members. CFR has been involved in training and counseling veterans since post-WWII. At that time, the Navy became…
Read MoreImpact Spotlight: Community Partnerships Initiative
The Community Partnerships Initiative (CPI) aims to provide counseling services to underserved communities in the Greater Philadelphia Area. CPI increases access and eliminates barriers underserved communities face by offering free on-site counseling services in convenient locations throughout the community. Through CPI, Council for Relationships has been able to offer mental health services where the need…
Read MoreSeptember 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day
Today we are reminded that we all have a role to play in suicide prevention. #BeThe1To make a difference; stepping forward and reaching out can help save lives. If you think someone might be considering suicide, there are 5 steps that you can take: 1. Ask – If you think someone might be considering suicide, take…
Read MoreThis Month’s Featured Therapist, Lynne Raju
Every month, Council for Relationships features one of our staff therapists on the blog. This month’s Featured Therapist Lynne Raju, MS, LMFT, joined our staff in early 2019. Get to know more about Lynne in the interview below! Tell us a little about what makes you unique as a therapist and person. What makes me…
Read MoreUnderstanding Post-Partum Depression
Dr. Jane Summers is the Medical Director at Council for Relationships, and founding Director of Women’s Psychological Health Services. Having specialized in women’s behavioral health throughout her career, Dr. Summers’ approach prioritizes understanding the unique issues that effect the emotional health of women such as reproductive health and hormonal changes over the lifespan and challenges…
Read MoreSaying Goodbye to Game of Thrones: Dealing with Disappointment and Endings
Michele Southworth, JD, LMFT is a senior staff therapist at Council for Relationships University City. Image Credit: Macall B. Polay/HBO Sunday night, after eight seasons and 73 episodes, we said our goodbyes to the surviving Stark siblings and other survivors of the Battle of Kings Landing, along with what remained of the armies of the…
Read MoreMeet Courtney Bradis, May’s Featured Therapist
Every month, Council for Relationships features one of our staff therapists on the blog. This month’s Featured Therapist Courtney Bradis, MFT, joined our staff in 2018. Get to know more about Courtney in the interview below! Why did you decide to become a therapist/what drew you to counseling as a career? Since I first started…
Read MorePsychology and Spirituality Can Go Hand-in-Hand When Addressing Mental Health
Ryan McMillian is a Staff Therapist and alum of our Post Graduate Certificate Program for members of the clergy. Here, Ryan responds to the philly.com article “Her religion made her mental illness worse. Then it saved her.” The stigma surrounding mental health concerns has a destructive presence that peeks its head in every aspect of…
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Introducing Featured Therapist Alexander Coleman
Every month, Council for Relationships features one of our staff therapists on the blog. This month’s Featured Therapist Alexander Coleman is a graduate of our Post-Graduate Certificate Program. Get to know more about Alexander in the interview below! What makes you unique as a therapist and person? I grew up in Liverpool, England, and…
Read MoreWhat They Don’t Tell You About Growing Up
Lisa Handler, PhD, MFT joined Council for Relationships in 2018 after completing the Post-Graduate Certificate Program in Marriage and Family Therapy. Read on for her reflections on what they don’t tell you about growing up. What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven, you’re also ten, and…
Read MoreWhat We Learned at CFR’s On the Table Philly Conversation: “Relating in a Divided World”
What do a white male UCC pastor, a black female sex educator, and a white female cultural consultant have in common? Though this sounds like the beginning of a tasteless joke, it is actually the setup for Council For Relationships’ On The Table Philly event last night, Relating in a Divided World. On The Table…
Read MoreNovember Featured Therapist, Lisa Handler
Lisa Handler, PhD, MFT joined Council for Relationships in 2018 after completing the Post-Graduate Certificate Program. Learn more about Lisa’s background and approach in the intro below. Tell us a little about what makes you unique as a therapist and person. I grew up in Southern Illinois, and though technically a Midwesterner, I come from coastal…
Read MoreSurvivors of Sexual Violence, We Believe You.
Kristine Seitz, MEd, MSW, LSW is a staff therapist at Council for Relationships Voorhees. She is a sexuality educator and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Human Sexuality Studies at Widener University. CW: descriptions of sexual violence I believe survivors. Period. End of Sentence. End of paragraph. This should be the end of the story. …
Read MoreEnoughness: How will you know when you are enough?
Sarah Epstein, MFT is a staff therapist at Council for Relationships Center City. This blog was originally posted on her website and is republished here with her permission. Pick a metric. Academic success, thinness, dating prowess, job prestige, marriageability, fertility, athleticism… the list goes on and on. As we move through life, the goalposts indicating…
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