Generosity and Kindness: Key Ingredients of a Long Lasting Relationship

At CCAF, we are committed to bring research about relationships and family life to the public.  In this spirit, I share the article, “Masters of Love” from this month’s Atlantic Magazine. The article traces the 30 year history of research on marriage; the work of John and Julie Gottman of The Gottman Institute is featured.  Their work is noteworthy for their capacity to  predict, with up to 94% certainty, which couples will be broken up, together and unhappy, or together and

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Welcome to our new CCAF Clinical Faculty Member, Michelle Jackson, MSS, LCSW

The Center for Couples and Adult Families extends a warm welcome to Michelle Jackson, a seasoned Couple and Family therapist who joined our Clinical Faculty last month. There are many reasons I’m thrilled to have Ms. Jackson aboard, not the least of which is our ability to serve more couples and families at CCAF. Her arrival is evidence of our growth; clearly the word is out that there is couple and family therapy available at Penn. Ms. Jackson’s sensitivity to

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New Research: Family Psychoeducation Crucial in the Treatment of Schizophrenia

A landmark, government funded study finds that schizophrenic patients who received a combination of drugs, talk therapy and family support made greater strides in the first 2 years of treatment than patients who just received drug therapy. Featured on the front page of yesterday’s NY Times, the report made clear that  family involvement and “talk therapy” are vital in the treatment of schizophrenia, and this combined approach provided more symptom relief to patients (and thus families) and capacity for higher functioning

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Research shows what Family Therapists Know: Memories can Pass between Generations

Research findings from a team at Emory University Medical School provide evidence of “transgenerational epigenetic inheritance” – that environment can affect an individual’s genetics and then be passed on. As a family therapist I have intuited this often in my consulting room. There are times when a young adult with severe sadness sits with me, and I can sense that the sorrow is somehow lager that she is; it is too big a sorrow for someone that age.  When together

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The Family Life Cycle: Gear Shifts and Spirals, with Dr. Geri Fox

Last month, CCAF faculty, residents and fellows were treated to a wonderful lecture by family psychiatrist Dr. Geri Fox.   “Gear Shifts and Spirals”  was an interactive discussion of video taken by Dr. Fox of her own family filmed over 25 years.   Dr. Fox began her filming long before the now ubiquitous culture of self documentation.  She is a pioneer ethnographer, recording the turning points and challenges of everyday family life through the lens of her video camera. She

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NAMI Awards Dr. Ellen Berman ‘Exemplary Psychiatrist, 2015’

The National Association for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) has awarded Dr. Ellen Berman,  CCAF Founder and Director of Training, with a 2015 Exemplary Psychiatrist Award.  The clinical and training faculty at CCAF extend our warmest congratulations for this well deserved recognition. The recipients of this award have demonstrated their commitment to work along with NAMI members for access to care, research, funding, and other NAMI priorities. As a Board Member of NAMI Pa., Main Line, Dr. Berman has worked to

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About Me

About Me

Dr. Hudak is dedicated to bringing research about the family into public discourses, weaving together the private stories that portray the often hidden cultural landscapes of our time. She is a popular speaker with both professional and lay audiences, addressing topics pertaining to relationships and the family life cycle.