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Toxic Positivity: It’s Ok to Not Be Ok All of The Time
“Good vibes only.” “Never give up.” “Just keep smiling.” “Look on the bright side.” We’ve heard these phrases time and time again. In times of difficulty, we may be told to “stay positive” and to “count our blessings.” We may tell ourselves that, comparatively, “others have it worse” and that “everything happens for a reason.”…
Read MoreI Have No Excuse to Feel This Bad!
How many times over the past year have you heard (or uttered to yourself) something along the lines of “I know other people have it so much worse than me, so I really have no excuse to feel this bad?” Or maybe you’ve thought, “I’ve been so lucky, but I still can’t deal with this. What would I do…
Read MoreShifting 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 this time when we are living through the COVID-19 pandemic. At times, it feels as if we are living someone else’s life – in someone…
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 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…
Read MoreHow Stigma Impacts People Experiencing Depression
Staff Therapist Ryan McMillian, MDiv, MFT is a dynamic speaker and a compassionate Marriage and Family Therapist. He specializes in helping clients identify strengths to cope with past traumas, guiding clients through transitions and personal losses including, and assisting clients experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Ryan is trained in Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT). The day begins…
Read MoreFinding meaningful connection with social media friends
Martha Rinehart, MA, LAC, MFT, NCC, our Featured Therapist for April 2018, employs mindfulness-based approach in her practice. If you are interested in therapy with Martha, request an appointment today at our Oxford Valley or Lawrenceville offices. There is considerable push back sweeping the country with the “Me Too” anti-sexual harassment movement, the “Never Again,” anti-gun violence movement, Black Lives…
Read MoreNeed a vacation? Take a social media break!
Laurel Roe, MS CHR, MFT has a background in education and particularly enjoys working with families with members who have special needs, parenting issues, childhood developmental concerns, and anxiety in children, teens, and adults. Taking a break from social media can provide many of the same health benefits as a traditional vacation. Whether we like…
Read MoreHow Setting a Kinder New Year’s Resolution May Increase Your Chances of Success
Former Staff Therapist Sarah Bauer, MS, MFT is a couple and family therapist. Specializing in domestic violence, trauma, grief and loss, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, Sarah uses a systemic approach to assist clients in reaching their goals. New Year’s is a time to remember the last year’s events and choices, and to consider the…
Read MoreSix Reasons You Should Go to Therapy This Year
Staff Therapist Ryan McMillian, DMin, MFT specializes in moving individuals and couples out of “stuck points.” Read on for his advice on how to have your best year yet. The New Year is here, so it’s time for the annual review. Any goals left incomplete from last year, habits you wanted to develop or relationships…
Read MoreHow to Find Joy, the Lasting Happiness
Wanda Sevey, MDiv, LMFT helps individuals, couples, and families with communication and relationship skill building. She is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy and highly skilled at coping with stress, anxiety, and depression. Years ago, a wise friend advised me, “Don’t let anyone take away your joy.” I was in a rough place, experiencing some struggles as a…
Read MoreHow to Deal with “Smonday” Stress
Do you ever have a great weekend only to end up feeling super low on Sunday evening? This experience is so common that it’s become an unofficial syndrome, the “Sunday Saddies” or “Sunday Scaries.” Recently when someone on Facebook asked, “Does anyone else hate the end of the weekend?” a friend of mine suggested that…
Read MoreWays to Practice Gratitude Without a Gratitude Journal
Are you feeling more worried lately? Have you experienced a drop in the number of pleasurable experiences you have? Are you feeling all around less positive than last year? You’re not alone. A recent Gallup Poll indicates that in the past year many Americans have experienced a decline in their sense of well-being. Fortunately, research…
Read MoreWhen is it Time to See a Therapist?
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 seeing a therapist? The answer to that question will vary for each individual. In this blog post, I explore a few common reasons clients book…
Read MoreWhat an Eclipse and Therapy Have in Common
A commentator said of Monday’s eclipse, “Everyone was just a person with something in common at that moment.” At Council for Relationships, we know that the need for therapy is something that everyone has in common – either at certain points in life or on an ongoing basis. CFR therapists see more than 5,000 people…
Read MoreOvercoming Emotional Distance from Your Lover
By Sammi Nguyen When your relationship settles into a long-term routine, you might find that a queasy feeling of distance has grown up between you and your lover when you weren’t looking, or that trivial disagreement over washing the dishes escalates in no time flat to fights with shouting and tears. The easiest thing in…
Read MoreEmpowering Minds Globally
By Tracey Tanenbaum Last year Council for Relationships kicked off what will hopefully be a lasting annual tradition. We inaugurated an award in honor of CFR’s founder. Dr. Emily Hartshorne Mudd was a feminist and change agent, committed to bettering the lives of couples and families. In her spirit, the award is given to an…
Read MoreVideo: The Greater Philadelphia Conference on Veteran’s Mental Health
The Greater Philadelphia Conference on Veteran’s Mental Health will take place May 5, 2017. This full-day event features some of the nation’s leading experts in military and Veteran behavioral health. Veterans, military families, Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), and mental health professionals are all welcome. For more information or to register, click here.
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Know Your Self: Self-Care
You are the instrument of your own success. No matter your goal, you cannot achieve it, and you definitely cannot enjoy it, if you are burnt out. Burnout comes in many forms, but signs include fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, overwhelm, hopelessness, lack of desire for pleasure, and irritability. Children can experience similar symptoms if they are…
Read MoreFostering an Open-Hearted Relationship
The heart is an amazing organ. Whether you are a cardiac surgeon fascinated by its physiology or an athlete dedicated to expanding its capacity, a poet writing to capture its mystery or just an average person loving another person, the heart has long been considered more than just muscle pumping oxygen to the cells of…
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How to extend your vacation feeling after coming home
Wanda Sevey, MDiv, LMFT, is a staff therapist and office director of our Lawrenceville and Voorhees, New Jersey offices. She is an ordained minister in the progressive United Church of Christ and is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy and Relationship Enhancement Therapy. Every summer I wish I could make it last just a little longer….
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