Meet our Program Directors:

Michele Southworth, JD, LMFT
Director, Post-Graduate Certificate Program

(215) 382-6680 ext. 4113
msouthworth@councilforrelationships.org
Adult Development from a Systems Perspective; Families in Transition

Michele Southworth is the Director of the Post-Graduate Certificate Program in Marriage and Family Therapy and also serves as the Director of Supervision and a member of the senior clinical staff. She has practiced as a marital and family therapist and an attorney. She attended the University of Pennsylvania College for Women for her undergraduate work and began her professional education at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, after which she practiced family law in Philadelphia for eight years. Working with families in the legal system led to an interest in the then-emerging field of divorce mediation, and then to the study of marriage and family therapy at Council for Relationships. She was certified as a marriage, family, and sex therapist by Council for Relationships in 1989. She has practiced in the dual fields of divorce mediation and marriage and family therapy since that time. Ms. Southworth has been a member of the senior clinical staff at Council for Relationships since 1989. Her clinical practice includes working with issues of personal growth, gender-role conflicts, bereavement, depression/anxiety, and with divorcing families in a variety of divorce-related modalities, including divorce mediation. She has also worked in several interdisciplinary settings with legal and/or financial professionals and has pioneered new, cooperative approaches to the dilemmas of divorce.  This work involves the development of innovative models to support the successful adaptation of all family members as they move through the divorce transition and has contributed to such new modalities as Collaborative Family Law, and Parent Coordination for high conflict parents.

Matthew McCrickard
Associate Director, Post-Graduate Certificate Program

mmccrickard@councilforrelationships.org

Matthew McCrickard is a graduate of CFR’s Post Graduate Certificate Program; he came to the program after a 20-year career in higher education administration, most recently as the Director of Advising at Wallace Community College in northern Alabama – giving him the ideal combination of credentials and experience to help with leadership and administration of the program. Mr. McCrickard will be assisting in the transition to hybrid learning (coordinating in-person and virtual options), and will be charged with all things pertaining to COAMFTE accreditation.

Dolores Littleton, DMin, LMFT
Director, Post-Graduate Certificate Program, Clergy Track

(610) 213-6680
dlittleton@councilforrelationships.org

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. She graduated from Eastern University with a BSW. Dee received her M.Div. from The Lutheran Theological Seminary (United) in Philadelphia and was ordained in 1983 as a Lutheran Pastor and has served two congregations in the Philadelphia area. She received her Doctor of Ministry in Marriage and Family Ministry from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Palmer). She completed the Council for Relationships post-graduate clinical training in Marriage, Family, and Sex Therapy. In addition, Dee is a graduate of the ELCA Systems Academy which is a four-year structured engagement with family systems theory, theology, and clinical work. Dee is looking forward to developing a 2 -year Congregational Systems Academy at CFR and is excited about working with clergy of all faiths in understanding the systemic dynamics in their places of ministry.

Dee has had a small private practice for 25 years, providing therapy for individuals, families and couples. Her areas of expertise include pre-marital, marriage education, relationship enrichment, spiritual and faith issues, mid-life transition, abuse, attachment, parenting, remarriage and stepfamilies. Dr. Littleton is a consultant and coach for churches and clergy who are experiencing conflict and are seeking to focus on mission and ministry. She also has experience working with churches that have faced a forced resignation of their pastor.

The Rev. Dr. Dolores E. Littleton is an experienced retreat leader, workshop speaker and trainer for Prepare/Enrich, Healthy Boundary Workshops for Clergy, Congregational and Pastoral Attachment, Congregational Process, and various Relationship Education Programs.

James Wadley, PhD
Director, Post-Graduate Certificate Program, Sex Therapy Program

jwadley@councilforrelationships.org

Dr. James Wadley is Director of the Sex Therapy program at Council for Relationships. As a scholar-practitioner, he is a licensed professional counselor. He is the founding editor of the scholarly, interdisciplinary journal, the Journal of Black Sexuality and Relationships (University of Nebraska Press). He is also the founder and Principal of the Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians and his professional background in human sexuality education, educational leadership, and program development has enabled him to galvanize scholars and practitioners in the field of sexology across the world.

His research and publication interests include sexual decision making among young adults, masculinity development and conceptions of fatherhood by non-custodial fathers, and HIV/AIDS prevention. He has written undergraduate and graduate courses and authored 22 courses for the Master of Science in Counseling program for Lincoln University (PA). In addition, he recently co-authored 13 doctoral level courses for the Theological Seminary of Puerto Rico. In 2015, Dr. Wadley earned his NBCC-International Mental Health Facilitator certification after spending time with Rwandan therapists discussing the impact of genocide and trauma in the early 1990’s. In 2016, he helped developed curricula and conducted a sexuality education course at the University of Muhimbili in Tanzania for the nursing and midwifery program. Later that year, he developed and taught an applied research methods course at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2017, Dr. Wadley’s work and advocacy domestically and abroad enabled him to complete his first documentary, Raw to Reel: Race, Drugs, and Sex in Trenton, New Jersey, which captures some of the challenges that emerge in addiction and recovery. Finally, in 2018, Dr. Wadley co-edited The Art of Sex Therapy Supervision (Routledge), which is a book devoted to the clinical experiences of supervisors and supervisees in the field of sex therapy. The book won AASECT’s 2019 Book of the Year Award. His new book, The Handbook of Sexuality Leadership: Inspiring Community Engagement, Social Empowerment, and Transformational Influence (Routledge), carves a new path for sexuality educators, counselors, and therapists in that it serves as an invitation for re-conceptualizing the consultative roles in which sexuality professionals engage.

Dr. Wadley received his Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Educational Leadership and Human Sexuality Education. He earned a Master of Science in Education degree in School Psychology from the University of Kentucky after completing his B.A. in Psychology from Hampton University. He holds a clinical postgraduate certificate from Council for Relationships and is an AASECT-Certified Sex Therapy Supervisor.

Meet our Program Faculty:

Dr. Will G. Barnes, CMFT

Military Families

Will G. Barnes served 23 years in the U.S. Army as a Joint Force Chaplain. He is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor with AAMFT and serves as the “Military Clinical Consultant” for the Council for Relationships. He is a former Associate Professor at Eastern University Palmer School of Theology (Eastern Seminary) and Hood Theological Seminary as well as being a former Adjunct Instructor at Wilmington University, a Guest Instructor at Caribbean Graduate School of Theology and Psychology, and at Universidad Peru Union. Most recently he served as Military Consultant for the Department of Defense with the Defense Suicide Prevention Office. Dr. Barnes is published in the area of “Spiritual Resiliency.” He has served as a Parish Pastor, MFT Therapist in direct clinical services, and as a Clinical Social Worker in Adolescent and Children Services. He is founding chairperson for the Family Care Center of Catawba Valley in Hickory, North Carolina. He presently serves on the Board of Directors for the SECU Family House in Winston Salem, NC.

Carol Blum, M.Ed, CAC, LPC

(215) 382-6680 ext. 4204
cblum@councilforrelationships.org
Psychopathology from a Systems Perspective; Mindfulness in the Therapeutic Encounter

Carol Blum is a Staff Therapist in our University City office.  Carol is an individual, couple, and family therapist who works with mindfulness techniques. These techniques include quieting the mind, calming the body through deep relaxation, and spirituality as a source of strength, if available.  Carol is   recognized for helping families build safety, trust and intimacy through secure attachments and resilience training. Carol has 20+ years experience working with clients who have experienced trauma, grief, health concerns, addiction, depression, anxiety, and serious mental illness.  She employs research in brain-based psychotherapy to help clients reach their potential. Carol Blum is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Addiction Specialist in Pennsylvania.  She received her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Temple University in 1991 and completed Post-Graduate training in Couple and Family Therapy at Council for Relationships.   Carol worked at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia for 17 years before coming to CFR.  Carol supervises therapists and teaches at CFR.  She is married for 20+ years, has two children, and lives in Philadelphia.

Alexis W. V. Bové, MS, JD, MFT

(215) 382-6680 ext. 4441
above@councilforrelationships.org
Ethics

Alexis Bové is a staff therapist at Council for Relationships. Alexis attended Georgetown University for her undergraduate studies, received her M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Drexel University, and her law degree from Villanova University School of Law. She completed her Post-Graduate Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from Council for Relationships in 2019. Alexis is a compassionate, empathic, and engaging therapist whose approach is collaborative and supportive while challenging clients to meet their therapeutic goals. She believes in the importance of fostering a safe, secure environment in which clients feel comfortable sharing their vulnerabilities. Alexis takes a systemic approach to her work with individuals, couples, and families, addressing the complexities that arise in families of origin and other intimate relationships, in order to nurture clients’ change and growth as individuals and within their relationships. In her clinical practice, Alexis uses an integrative approach, meeting clients where they are and employing tremendous creativity to address the different issues that each client presents.

Dolores Littleton, DMin, LMFT

(610) 213-6680
dlittleton@councilforrelationships.org
The Intersystem Approach to Relationship Therapy

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. She graduated from Eastern University with a BSW. Dee received her M.Div. from The Lutheran Theological Seminary (United) in Philadelphia and was ordained in 1983 as a Lutheran Pastor and has served two congregations in the Philadelphia area. She received her Doctor of Ministry in Marriage and Family Ministry from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Palmer). She completed the Council for Relationships post-graduate clinical training in Marriage, Family, and Sex Therapy. In addition, Dee is a graduate of the ELCA Systems Academy which is a four-year structured engagement with family systems theory, theology, and clinical work. Dee is looking forward to developing a 2 -year Congregational Systems Academy at CFR and is excited about working with clergy of all faiths in understanding the systemic dynamics in their places of ministry.

Dee has had a small private practice for 25 years, providing therapy for individuals, families and couples. Her areas of expertise include pre-marital, marriage education, relationship enrichment, spiritual and faith issues, mid-life transition, abuse, attachment, parenting, remarriage and stepfamilies. Dr. Littleton is a consultant and coach for churches and clergy who are experiencing conflict and are seeking to focus on mission and ministry. She also has experience working with churches that have faced a forced resignation of their pastor.

The Rev. Dr. Dolores E. Littleton is an experienced retreat leader, workshop speaker and trainer for Prepare/Enrich, Healthy Boundary Workshops for Clergy, Congregational and Pastoral Attachment, Congregational Process, and various Relationship Education Programs.

Rabbi Julie Greenberg, LMFT

Systems Theory and Couples Therapy; Diversity, Social Justice, and the Practice of Family Therapy

Rabbi Julie Greenberg, LMFT, is a 2003 graduate of the Council for Relationships Post Graduate Certificate Program. Since then she has worked at the intersection of spirituality and psychotherapy, leading a local congregation, seeing people in private practice, consulting with organizations in transition and working with the multi-faith, multi-racial social justice organization POWER. Julie is mother to five children, author of Just Parenting: Building the World One Family at a Time, in addition to numerous articles, chapters, sermons and on-line resources. More information is available at www.leyvhair.org.

Bea Hollander-Goldfein, PhD, LMFT

(215) 382-6680 ext. 3118
bhollander@councilforrelationships.org
Foundations of Systemic Theory

Bea Hollander-Goldfein is the Director Emeritus of the Council for Relationships’ Post Graduate Certificate Program in Marriage and Family Therapy. She also serves as Co-Director of Research. Since 1991, Bea has been the Director of the Transcending Trauma Project which is a large-scale research program investigating coping and adaptation after extreme trauma. Bea is licensed as a Clinical Psychologist and as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and is an AAMFT-approved supervisor. She is also a member of the American Family Therapy Association. Bea received her doctorate in psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University and subsequently expanded her training to include certification in Marriage and Family Therapy. Systemic theory has guided her clinical practice and research activities for over 25 years. She has presented broadly on the topic of trauma and the importance of an integrated model of coping and adaptation. She has also published in the fields of Marriage and Family Therapy and Trauma studies.

Maisy Hughes, LMFT

(215) 382-6680 ext. 4423
mhughes@councilforrelationships.org
Research in Couple and Family Therapy

Maisy Hughes, LMFT is a staff therapist at Council for Relationships where she works with individuals, couples, and families to resolve a wide range of presenting challenges. She also works at the Joseph J. Peters Institute, where she provides trauma-focused therapy for individuals with a history of trauma who are also impacted by systemic racism and oppression. Maisy is a Doctoral Candidate at Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, where she studies the impact of whiteness and white supremacist ideology on the therapeutic process in community mental health settings. Other research interests include questioning the efficacy and feasibility of current evidence-based treatments of PTSD when applied with individuals with complex trauma, and with those who are dealing with the psychological and emotional sequelae of oppression. Maisy is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) as well as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). While her approach is eclectic, she draws largely from emotion-focused and Internal Family Systems (IFS) approaches.

Nancy Isserman, MSW, PhD

(215) 382-6680 ext. 3133
nisserman@councilforrelationships.org
Military Families

Nancy Isserman is the Director of Operation Home and Healing: Services for Veterans and Families (OHH); and Co-Director of Transcending Trauma Project (TTP) both part of Council for Relationships (CFR.)  In her role as the Director of OHH, Dr. Isserman has developed and run trainings in military culture for clinicians, clergy, and others.

She co-teaches a course on military culture and treatment for CFR’s interns and clinicians with Dr. Will Barnes, CFR’s military clinical consultant, and he is an adjunct lecturer at Gratz College, teaching a course on the Psychosocial Impact of the Holocaust on survivor families. Dr. Isserman is also currently serving as Vice Chair of the Delaware Valley Veterans Consortium.

She is one of the authors of Transcending Trauma: Survival, Resilience, and Clinical Implications in Survivor Families (Routledge, 2012) and has published articles and book reviews, co-edited books, and lectured on topics relating to trauma and Holocaust survivors, military culture and the transmission of trauma in military families, marriage and family relationship education, and on resilience and tolerance in survivors. Dr. Isserman’s PhD from the Graduate Center, City University of New York, “I Harbor No Hate: Tolerance and Intolerance in Holocaust Survivors” received the 2004-2005 Randolph Braham Dissertation Award.

Alishia Kalos, PsyD, CST

(215) 382-6680 ext. 4203
akalos@councilforrelationships.org
Sexual Attitude Reassessment (SAR) I and II

Dr. Alishia Kalos a staff therapist at Council for Relationships. She additionally conducts comprehensive psychosexual evaluations with the Joseph J. Peters Institute for individuals convicted of sexual offense and relational violence related offenses. Dr. Kalos is a Pennsylvania licensed clinical psychologist and sex therapist certified by the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT). She provides mental health services and conducts workshops/presentations in English and Spanish. Areas of clinical focus include sexual and relational concerns, sexual offense and domestic violence, perinatal and postpartum depression and anxiety, as well as cancer and chronic illness related sexuality concerns. Dr. Kalos has in-depth training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Schema Therapy, Mindfulness-based, Strengths Based and Intersystems approaches to therapy. She also has experience utilizing Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Problem-Solving Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment, Duluth, and the Good Lives models.

Marjorie Nightingale, JD, LMFT

Systemic Sex Therapy I and Sex Therapy 3

Marjorie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Washington, D.C., with a specialty practice in couples and sex therapy.  She received her MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from LaSalle University. Currently, she is completing a doctorate in Couple and Family Therapy at Drexel University where her research focuses on developing racially sensitive interventions for African American couples. Marjorie has extensive training and experience with Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. She completed her post-graduate sex therapy training at Council for Relationships and is working towards AASECT-Certification in Sex Therapy.  In addition, Ms. Nightingale spent several years as a family law and child welfare attorney in Baltimore, MD where she worked with marginalized populations. As a scholar-practitioner, she has a special interest in addressing the intersection of sex and race in therapy for people of color. She teaches as an adjunct faculty in Virginia Tech’s Marriage and Family Therapy program in Falls Church, VA.

Frani Pollack PhD, LCSW

Theory and Practice of Family Therapy

Dr. Frani Pollack is a registered dietician, licensed social worker, and licensed psychologist. She has worked in multiple inpatient and outpatient settings and presently is in private practice at Bala Child and Family Associates. Frani also teaches at the Bryn Mawr School of Social Work. Her areas of specialty include working with teens, women and families. Frani received her MSW from New York University and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Toronto

Florda Priftanji, LMFT

(215) 382-6680 ext. 3135
fpriftanji@councilforrelationships.org
Child/Adolescent Development and Psychopathology

Florda Priftanji is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and certified Foundational Theraplay Practitioner. She received her Master’s degree in Couple and Family Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University.

Florda is currently a staff therapist at Council for Relationships. Previously, she worked at the Devereux Foundation as a mobile therapist providing treatment to children and their families. Florda is passionate about treating mood and anxiety related conditions and helping individuals transform unhealthy thought processes to more productive outlooks on life. In addition to her clinical work, she enjoys teaching essential counseling skills to therapists-in-training and contributing to research in mental health.

Matthew CP Purinton, MSW

(215) 382-6680 ext. 4228
mpurinton@councilforrelationships.org
Live Supervision

Matthew Purinton, a staff therapist at Council for Relationships,  is a  social worker and member of the National Association of Social Workers. His experience and areas of interest include: depression, anxiety, children who have lost a loved one, and palliative care as a model of medicine to improve quality of life. Matthew is especially passionate about working with adults and children who are dealing with pain and/or disability. He is trained in clinical hypnosis as well as guided imagery and relaxation techniques. Matthew employs an eclectic array of therapeutic interventions to work with clients dealing with a variety of challenging issues. He helps individuals, children & adolescents, couples, and families to build on their strengths and to develope effective coping strategies to deal with the adversities of life. Matthew received his Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice. He is a consultant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he advises multiple departments on the experience of being a patient. He helps CHOP develop ways that they can better target their procedures and environment to reduce stress on patients and improve healthcare outcomes. He gives lectures on a wide range of topics and consults with a variety of nonprofit and for-profit entities on issues involving the inclusion of people with disabilities, and increasing productivity.

Priscilla Singleton, LMFT, LCSW

(215) 382-6680 ext. 7045
psingleton@councilforrelationships.org
Families in Transition

Priscilla Singleton is the Director of Clinical Standards at CFR. She teaches courses in Psychopathology and in Child and Adolescent Development in our post-graduate training program, and is also teaching Foundations of Systemic Practice and Families in Transition in our joint Masters in Family Therapy program with Jefferson University. Priscilla is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), a clinical member of AAMFT, and an AAMFT- approved supervisor. She received her MSW from Temple University in 1982, and completed her post-graduate training in marriage and family therapy at Council for Relationships (formerly Marriage Council of Philadelphia) in 1989. Priscilla has completed additional training and certifications in EMDR, Sandtray therapy, and co-parent counseling/parent coordination. Priscilla has been in practice for over twenty-five years. Before coming to the Council in 1994, Priscilla worked with children, youth and families in the child welfare system, with women in a crime victim center, with families of children with developmental differences, and with individuals and families in her private practice. Her areas of special interests are separating and divorcing families, adoption, and promotion of child and adolescent connection in their families.

Anneliese E. Sorrentino, MSS, LMFT

(215) 382-6680 ext. 4402
asorrentino@councilforrelationships.org
Capstone Project

Ms. Sorrentino is a therapist and social scientist with a background in social work, qualitative and mixed-methods research, and clinical work with individuals, couples, and families. She holds a Master of Social Service from the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work & Social Research, pursued post-graduate training in clinical work with children and adolescents at the Yale Child Study Center and, most recently, completed the Post Graduate Certificate Program in Couple and Family Therapy at Council for Relationships. In addition to her work at Council, Ms. Sorrentino is a project manager at the VA Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP) in Philadelphia, where she contributes to ongoing research on social determinants of health among women Veterans.

For more information, contact the Academic Administrator by email or call 215-382-6680.