Council for Relationships in Philly avoids closure to continue 94-year legacy of therapy and counseling services

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The Council for Relationships, a staple for therapy and clinical training in Philadelphia for over 90 years, was headed toward closure last month. Mounting financial challenges and pressures had made it unsustainable to continue operations, leaders said.

But the nonprofit avoided that fate by forming a new partnership with the Lancaster-based behavioral health organization Sun Point Foundation, which will lead the Philly center into a new chapter of providing counseling services.

An early goal of the new collaboration is to get Council for Relationships back onto firm ground, said Neal Holmes, the organization’s new CEO.

“There’s just been a lot of change, a lot of uncertainty, so we want to make sure that we do our best to stabilize right now and provide a really strong foundation for support to be here for people and be open and transparent about next steps,” he said.

The Philly nonprofit, which offers therapy and psychiatric programs for individuals, couples, and families, will keep its name and branding. There are no immediate changes to therapy and counseling services offered to clients, said Holmes, a licensed professional counselor and former director of clinical services at Sun Point.

“We’re talking about 94 years of clinical excellence and training and supervisory foundational skills that have been built through this organization,” he said. “We would not dare touch that, because there’s so much buy-in and trust in what this organization stands for.”

Going forward, he hopes to expand access to services at the practice by taking insurance like Medicaid, which is a safety net program for people with low incomes. Historically, Council for Relationships did not take any insurance. Clients paid out of pocket on a sliding fee scale, which was calculated based on someone’s income and other factors.

“With the Medicaid piece, we’re delighted to open up access to mental health services, specifically for marginalized or disadvantaged populations and groups who might not otherwise have those services,” Holmes said.

The nonprofit will continue to offer services on a sliding fee scale to people who are underinsured or uninsured, leaders confirmed.

Preserving behavioral health services in Philadelphia

The Council for Relationships was established in 1932 as the Marriage Council of Philadelphia. Its founder, Emily Hartshorne Mudd, was an early pioneer in marriage and family counseling.

Her goal in launching the practice in Philly was to help couples build healthier relationships and provide women with information on birth control, according to the center’s website. A clinical training program was created in 1948 for budding therapists, as well as chaplains and health care providers in the military.

The nonprofit has grown, evolved and expanded over the last several decades. It now offers accreditation, internship and certificate training programs for bachelor’s and master’s-level degree therapists and counselors.

As of May, Council for Relationships employed more than 60 behavioral health providers who saw clients at eight locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as through telehealth.

Sun Point Foundation, which launched about three years ago, is the nonprofit arm of Sun Point Wellness Center, a for-profit company based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that offers individual, couples and family therapy services.

The foundation’s creator, Laura Morse, was already familiar with Council for Relationship’s mission and work, as she had once studied sex therapy there. She jumped at the chance to form a new partnership with the nonprofit.

The Council for Relationship’s Board of Directors announced the deal on May 18. Some board members will stay on to serve on an advisory council to provide guidance through the transition. Jason Anhorn, the most recent former CEO, has moved into the role of chief transition officer.

Sara J. Corse, a clinical psychologist of more than 30 years, will continue in her role as chief clinical officer at Council for Relationships.

“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to preserving relationship-centered care and ensuring continuity for clients, therapists, and trainees,” Corse said in a statement. “We are focused on maintaining the clinical integrity and mission that have defined CFR for generations.”

As behavioral health organizations around the country face financial, administrative and workforce challenges, Holmes said practices need to think creatively about how to meet patient demand and cover the costs of providing care and supporting staff.

“And I think we’ll have to continue to do that as the health care landscape continues to change,” he said. “But I’m so impressed that we as a team, for Sun Point and CFR, have been able to do this together in a very creative and entrepreneurial way.”

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misspelled a name. It is Neal Holmes, not Neil.