Blog » Woman-Founded in 1932

Woman-Founded in 1932

March 7, 2019
March is Women’s History Month and Council for Relationships (CFR) is celebrating 90 years of Marriage & Family Therapy, the legacy of Dr. Emily Mudd, and honoring all the women (trans and cis and nonbinary folks) who show up as clients, practitioners, donors, students, board members, and administrators to make our work possible. Every year, thousands of women come to CFR for mental health care services, and hundreds of them are seen at low or no-fee.

Dr. Emily Mudd and Dr. Helen O. Dickens at University of Pennsylvania Medical School

Did you know…

  • Council for Relationships was founded in 1932 by a woman named Dr. Emily Mudd. Dr. Mudd was a pioneer in the field of couple and family therapy, becoming the first full-time woman professor at University of Pennsylvania Medical School where she introduced the country’s first course on family, marriage, and sex counseling.
  • Depression and anxiety are more commonly diagnosed in women than in men, and women are twice as likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in their lifetime.
  • Women are more likely to experience poverty, discrimination, and socioeconomic disadvantage, which are all risk factors for mental health disorders. 

We recognize that women experience unique mental health challenges and we offer specialized support to cope with those challenges. Our experienced therapists and psychiatrists of the Women’s Psychological Health Services Program are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to women facing mental and emotional difficulties related, or not, to reproductive and hormonal health conditions.

“I believe that health care designed for the varied and unique needs of women should be available to all women. The impact of this personalized attention is great. By listening to what a woman wants for herself, a therapist can design a unique and specific treatment plan providing specialized care. This allows the client to achieve her personal goals and participate fully in her life.”– Staff Therapist and Bryn Mawr and Wynnewood Office Director Laurel Roe, MS CHR, LMFT 

By supporting Council for Relationships, you are supporting women’s mental health. Thank you.

To learn more about Women’s Psychological Health Services at CFR, visit this page.