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Category » Relationships
What Taylor Swift’s Songs About Mental Health Teach Us: 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Taylor Swift’s songs about mental health have long resonated with listeners, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is no exception. This rerelease was part of Taylor’s mission to reclaim ownership of her original music. After losing the rights to her first six albums, she began rerecording each one, starting with Fearless. Now, fans can enjoy a refreshed…
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Divorcing a Narcissist: What is Coercive Control?
Divorcing a narcissist is more than just a challenging breakup; it’s a battle against deep psychological manipulation and control. In this guest blog, Philadelphia-area psychologist Dr. Lauren Napolitano explores the intense struggles faced by those entangled with narcissistic partners. From the grip of coercive control to the dangers of post-separation abuse, this blog sheds light…
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Holocaust Remembrance Day 2024 – Yom HaShoah
Holocaust Remembrance Day 2024 calls us to reflect deeply on the echoes of the past and the reverberations they cause in our present world. This year, the day takes on a poignant significance, juxtaposed against the October 7th attack, the largest on Jewish lives since World War II. This convergence of historical and recent events…
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One Two Three Time: A Time Prioritization Strategy for Adults
In the hustle of modern life, understanding and managing personal time is critical to enhancing well-being. In fact, a recent survey found that when rating on a scale of 1-10, where 10 signifies a great deal of stress, a quarter of all Americans reported their average stress level as between 8 and 10. The concept…
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CFR Staff Therapist Meghan Rydzewski Featured in The Wildest
April 17, 2024 | CFR Staff Therapist Meghan Rydzewski, MFT, was featured in The Wildest. Meghan spoke with journalist Maggie Langer for Maggie’s article, “So, You and Your Partner Want to Live Together—But Your Pets Don’t.” We encourage you to read and share the article. To request an appointment with Meghan Rydzewski, visit her biography….
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Queerplatonic Relationships & Questioning Romantic Hierarchy
This blog discusses the overlapping of different types of relationships, particularly in queerplatonic bonds. It also explores the complexities of human connections. Queerplatonic relationships go beyond labels and involve people who identify as asexual, aromantic, or sexual and romantic feelings. They show deep emotional intimacy. Queerplatonic partners display characteristics commonly linked to romantic partnerships, yet…
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Signs of Teen Dating Violence
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month when we focus on recognizing and understanding signs of teen dating violence. Teen dating abuse is a massive problem. It can manifest in different ways, like hurting someone emotionally or physically, controlling them, or harassing them online. Friends and family are pivotal in identifying warning signs, offering support,…
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What Does it Mean to Set Boundaries in a Relationship?
Healthy boundaries are essential to thriving relationships. But what does it mean to set boundaries in a relationship? What makes a healthy boundary? How are boundaries in romantic relationships different from non-romantic relationships? The types of boundaries you set vary because the kinds of relationships we create and maintain vary. Our boundaries with people on…
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How to Manage Stress During the Holidays
Ask any AI chatbot about how to manage stress during the holidays, and you’re bound to find out that there is a lot of stress management advice out there. Council for Relationships is here to clear a path through the clutter. We asked Matthew McCrickard, the Associate Director of CFR’s Postgraduate Certificate Program, for his top…
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Guilt-Free Holidays: A Parents’ Guide to the Holiday Season
Parenting during the holiday season is not easy. Stress, guilt, and fear can arise from various sources during this time. But do not fret, parents! Guilt-free holidays are within your grasp. Lia Pezzato is a therapist who specializes in helping marriages and families. She has a plan to help you manage guilt and stress during…
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Mental Health Lessons from Hallmark Holiday Movies
Hallmark is popular during the holidays for its stories of love, tradition, and family. It also provides us with plenty of valuable mental health lessons. Hallmark’s holiday films teach us to be ourselves, be courageous, and find help during tough times. However, certain lessons should remain confined to fictional towns like Candy Cane Town or…
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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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How To Support a Partner with ADHD: 3 Tips
Does your partner have ADHD, and you are at a loss for how to support them best? Perhaps your relationship is suffering because, well, it can be frustrating when you can not be there for your loved one. Read on to learn the ADHD basics, tips for supporting a partner with ADHD, and where you…
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Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2023
Many believe that the effects of domestic violence are limited to the abuser and the victim, but as the U.S. Department of Justice’s own Office on Violence Against Women states, “domestic violence not only affects those who are abused, but also has a substantial effect on family members, friends, co-workers, other witnesses, and the community…
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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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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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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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