Research & Resources

Part of Council for Relationships’ mission is to conduct research and provide resources for the general public and mental health professionals. The following programs incorporate research into their methodology:

Community Partnerships Initiative | Council for Relationships Staff Therapists provide onsite group and individual therapy at community organizations as part of the Community Partnerships Initiative (CPI). CPI also has a strong research component. The Thomas Jefferson University Dean’s Research Award for research on the development of multicultural therapy competence continues. The purpose of this study is to explore the nature and development of multicultural therapy competence in working with marginalized and under-served populations. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from the graduating cohort of Masters students, and pre-post data collection efforts into the summer and fall quarters will focus on the clients seen at the partnerships sites.

Operation Home and Healing | “Understanding Military Culture and Behavioral Health Treatment for Veterans and Family Members,” taught by OHH Director Nancy Isserman, was approved as a research study by the Bryn Mawr School of Social Work’s Institutional Review Board for a three year study in 2017. The research project intended to examine the success of graduate level instructional activities, focused on promoting participants’ military and Veteran-connected cultural competency in the context of preparation for clinical practice. A paper on the impact of the research project and on related CFR military culture competency training projects, co-written by Dr. Isserman and Dr. James Martin, has been accepted for publication in a special issue of the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship.

Transcending Trauma Project | Established in 1991, the Transcending Trauma Project (TTP) studies the lives of Holocaust survivors and their families in order to learn about the human response to extreme trauma. This research contributes to the field of mental health by providing essential knowledge for treating trauma victims.

Council for Relationships also offers resources for the public on a variety of mental health topics. Click here to view a selection of published books written by our clinicians. Also, visit our blog to read helpful articles from our experienced clinical staff.