What Sets Us Apart
Clients often tell us that therapy at Philadelphia Couples Therapy feels different than other therapy experiences. They feel themselves growing, getting better, and thriving in ways they haven’t experienced before. Here are some reasons why:
A doctoral specialty practice
We are a doctorally-trained couples therapy-specific practice, which means all of our clinicians have 5-6 years of rigorous pre-doctoral training & supervision before even graduating. This training consists of clinical, didactic, research, and personality and cognitive assessment.
Before graduating, every clinician has thousands of hours of supervised clinical experience with an intense focus on treatment, diagnosis, theory, ethics, supervision and intervention, among myriad other clinical foci.
Every doctor earns a master’s degree during year 3 or 4 of our 5-6 year doctoral training. Additionally, doctoral candidates are required to pass comprehensive exams, final clinical oral exams, and write and defend a dissertation before graduation. Many of our programs include 4-5 years of clinical practical experience in a variety of mental health sites such as inpatient programs, college counseling centers, community mental health clinics, eating disorder centers, and child and adolescent treatment programs.
The culmination of our doctoral training is postdoctoral clinical hours and the board exams, which we take to be licensed as clinical psychologists. We renew our licenses with continuing education seminars every two years in order to continue to independently practice.
This extensive training gives us the expertise to treat complex mental illnesses, unique dynamics, high conflict couples, and a plethora of presenting issues. And part of our expertise is the knowledge to recognize what we can’t treat, and to know when to send patients to other specialists. These strengths allow us to provide the most comprehensive care to our clients.
Doctoral couples specialists are a rare breed
Clinical psychologists who specialize in couples and dynamic systems are few and far between.
Couples work is hard and meaningful work, with high stakes. Marriages are on the line, families could fall apart, hearts are often breaking. This necessitates the highest standards of care and is why we built a team of clinical psychologists with the highest level of clinical and couples training and experience.
Being a team of couples specialists means that we each get expert level support, insight, and advice for difficult cases, and hold each other to the highest clinical standards.
Care every step of the way
Our phenomenal practice manager and intake coordinator, Elisabeth Wester, is the one who will greet you at the ‘door’ of our practice. She takes all the time you need to talk through what brings you in, which psychologist might fit best for you, and how to walk through the process.
Clients have told us countless times that Elisabeth is a calming and warm presence, someone that is able to care for people in some of their darkest hours even before the formal therapy has begun. She is the glue that holds our practice together and is an inspiration to all of us for care, competence, and warmth.
It’s deeply important to us that you feel seen and held every step of the way, and Elisabeth will be your first experience of our excellent care.
