Processing Emotions and Connecting with Community After a Mass Shooting

May 25, 2022

I personally have never experienced trauma related to gun violence. But, the emotion I feel each time this happens is hopelessness. Our society has adopted a certain performance mechanism to…

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It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year – Unless, of Course, It’s Not

December 16, 2021

The holiday season often injects pressure into our world. Sometimes the holiday season forces family time on us when we may not want or be ready for those interactions. Other…

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“My Name is Tiger”: Navigating the Road to Recovery After Acute Injury

Tiger Woods’ road to recovery is just beginning. For many people who have experienced devastating injuries, the stabilization and mitigation of acute injuries is just the beginning. A car accident…

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5 Ways to Say Goodbye to 2020

December 24, 2020

When Twitter recently asked folks to describe 2020 in one word, the responses flooded in. Here are some of the words that stood out to me: Restless. Pain. Sourdough. Masks….

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Shifting Perspectives: Confusion as The New Norm Part I – Tragic Optimism, Post-Traumatic Growth, and Grief

In conversations with clients, friends, and colleagues, and in the materials I have read from numerous mental health sources, the word “surreal” is often used to describe the feeling of…

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Grieving a Loss from COVID-19

Grieving a loss from COVID-19 requires courage and an openness to converse about one’s emotions. The unique ability of the virus to level everyone and create an international community is…

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Loss, Acceptance and Action During COVID-19

March 31, 2020

As I’ve been talking with patients, family and friends online over the past 2 weeks, I’ve come to realize we are all experiencing loss of some kind, both individually and…

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The World Mourns

January 28, 2020

On Sunday afternoon Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna along with seven others were killed in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles. They were on their way to Gianna’s…

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Understanding Post-Partum Depression

July 30, 2019

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’…

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Saying 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…

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Spring: a time to be vigilant about suicide prevention

April 17, 2019

Many people believe that suicide rates peak during the winter months. Intuitively, this makes sense given the existence of seasonal affective disorder and the tendency to associate depression with winter. Some also believe that the holidays amplify…

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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…

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Hope and Healing After Loss by Suicide

June 25, 2018

Staff Therapist Sarah Bauer, MS, MFT specializes in helping clients who are experiencing domestic violence, trauma, grief and loss, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse. Sarah uses a systemic approach to help…

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Why I joined a group of clinicians devoted to Women’s Psychological Health Services

Staff Therapist Laurel Roe, MS CHR, MFT is one of over 20 clinicians in the Women’s Psychological Health Services program at Council for Relationships. Read on to find out more about…

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An Empty Seat at the Table: Grief at the Holidays

December 19, 2017

Dr. Michele Marsh is a licensed psychologist and certified sex therapist at our Center City location. Dr. Marsh’s specialty areas include trauma, sexuality throughout the life cycle, sexual abuse, affairs,…

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How to Talk to Your Children about Public Catastrophes

November 17, 2017

This post was written by Kenneth Covelman, Ph.D., Director of Masters in Family Therapy Program, Council for Relationships and Thomas Jefferson University. It was originally published on the TJU blog…

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When is it Time to See a Therapist?

November 2, 2017

Tracey Tanenbaum is a Marriage and Family Therapist and Staff Therapist at Council for Relationships. She also serves as the Community Partnership Initiative Clinical Specialist.  When is it time to start…

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I Have A Message for You: Holocaust Survivors Recount Messages from their Parents

October 16, 2017

In the video, “I Have A Message for You,” Klara, who survived the Holocaust as a young French woman hidden in Belgium, narrates a powerful story about her father and…

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Coping with the Las Vegas Shooting: How to Talk to Your Kids

What About the Children? Ben King and Laurel Roe, staff therapists at CFR, share their insights below on how to talk to your kids about the shooting in Las Vegas…

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Coping with the Las Vegas Shooting: How to Respond When We Feel Powerless

October 3, 2017

It was the first thing we heard yesterday when we woke up here in Eastern Standard Time.  There had been another mass shooting, this time in Las Vegas at an outdoor…

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Practicing Everyday Self-Care in the Wake of Tragedy

October 3, 2017

Once again, we are in shock at the capacity of a human being to damage and kill other people—and there is nothing comprehensible about such carnage. The many feelings you…

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