# The Institute for Family Services > Institute For Family Services --- ## Pages - [About](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/about/) - [Conference Program](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/conference-program/) - [Liberation Based Healing Hub](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/liberation-based-healing-hub/): “Liberation-Based Healing: Transforming Personal Healing Into Collective Liberation” Pioneered by Dr. Rhea V. Almeida and the Institute for Family Services... - [What is a Liberation Based Healing Conference?](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/what-is-a-liberation-based-healing-conference/): Intersection of Healing and Liberatory Praxis LBHC stands out as one of the only conferences focused almost solely on the... - [Couples Therapy](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/couples-therapy/) - [Culturally Responsive Therapy for Families](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/culturally-responsive-therapy/) - [Trauma Therapy for Families](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/trauma-therapy-for-families/) - [Immigrant Family Counseling](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/immigrant-family-counseling/) - [Systemic Family Therapy](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/systemic-family-therapy/) - [Conference Program](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/lbhc-2023-conference-program/) - [LBHC Speakers 2023](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/lbhc-speakers-2023/): Speakers & Performers Meet the speakers and performers for the 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference, to be held November... - [Blog](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/blog/) - [Past LBHC Conferences](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/past-events/) - [Publications](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/publications/): Manuals for critical consciousness Announcing new manuals in english & spanish Introducing new manuals with a step-by-step guide to building... - [Shop](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/shop/) - [Our team](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/about-old/our-team/): Meet our team We draw the clinical practice from the growing research regarding the benefits of integrating native English speakers... - [Terms of Use](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/terms-of-use/) - [Shipping Policy](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/shipping-policy/): Purchases are final sale and can not be returned. All items are non-refundable. - [Testimonials](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/) - [Resources](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/resources/) - [Services](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/services/) - [Events](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/events/) - [Products](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/products/) - [Contact](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/contact/) - [Home](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/) --- ## Posts - [Healing in a Time of Uncertainty](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/healing-in-a-time-of-uncertainty/): In today’s political and social climate, many individuals, families, and communities are carrying heightened stress, fear, grief, and uncertainty. Rapid... - [Are We in a Friendship Recession? How to Build Real Connection in a Digital Age](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/are-we-in-a-friendship-recession-how-to-build-real-connection-in-a-digital-age/): With endless digital tools promising connection, it almost sounds absurd to suggest we’re living through a friendship recession. Yet research... - [What Really Shapes Teen Behavior](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/what-really-shapes-teen-behavior/): What Really Shapes Teen Behavior? A Guide for Parents Beyond the Basics Fifteen-year-old Maya used to be inseparable from her... - [Managing Holiday Stress: Tips for Families During the Holiday Season](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/managing-holiday-stress-tips-for-families-during-the-holiday-season/): The holiday season can be joyful, stressful, or a mix of both. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Winter... - [Join Us at the 20th Annual Liberation-Based Healing Conference](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/join-us-at-the-20th-annual-liberation-based-healing-conference/): November 7–8, 2025 | On Zoom | Earn 15 CEUs (NJ & NY) For two decades, the Liberation-Based Healing Conference... - [Find Someone Else by Focusing on Yourself](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/find-someone-else-by-focusing-on-yourself/): You swipe, you scroll—but the profiles start to blur. Something’s always missing. You know what you want, yet no one... - [Healing Together: How Family Therapy Can Support Growth, Connection, and Liberation](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/healing-together-how-family-therapy-can-support-growth-connection-and-liberation/): At the Institute for Family Services (IFS), we believe that healing is relational, change is possible, and liberation is a... - [Cultural Complexity and Ethical Care: Reimagining Therapy for Migrant Communities](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/cultural-complexity-and-ethical-care-reimagining-therapy-for-migrant-communities/): What does ethical therapy look like when your client has crossed borders, survived trauma, and endured systems that sow distrust... - [Being Human as Praxis: A Therapeutic Reimagining](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/being-human-as-praxis-a-therapeutic-reimagining/): Reimagining Therapy Through the Lens of Liberation and Collective HumanityWho gets to be human? Who gets to be human in... - [The 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference: A Healing Space for Authentic Dialogue on Critical Issues](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/the-18th-annual-liberation-based-healing-conference-a-healing-space-for-authentic-dialogue-on-critical-issues/): Throughout the two-day event, insightful panel discussions and inspiring performances were followed by periods of reflection and dialogue, allowing the... - [The 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference, two dynamic and unique days, to be held at Montclair State University on November 3 and 4](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/18th-annual-liberation-based-healing-conference/): The panels at this conference use an intersectional approach to dissect how societal-level markers, such as ability, age, class, citizenship,... - [Civil rights icon Minnijean Brown Trickey to be featured speaker at the 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference to be held at Montclair State University on November 3 and 4, 2023](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/civil-rights-icon-minnijean-brown-trickey/): Brown Trickey was a member of the Little Rock Nine, nine teens selected to desegregate Central High School in Arkansas... --- ## Testimonials - [Conference Participant](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/conference-participant/): “What didn’t I enjoy about the conference? I had been feeling very drained this past week. But after being at... - [Liberation-based healing practices](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/liberation-based-healing-practices/): “My name is Dr. J. Corey Williams, MD. My colleague and I at Georgetown have become very interested in your... - [Student appreciation](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation/): “I really appreciate the perspective that Dr. Almeida has and the work she is doing within social work because it... - [Student appreciation](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation-2/): “I really loved seeing (visually) how liberation-based healing practices work. But I especially loved how a few of the facilitators... - [Student appreciation](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation-3/): “Thank you again Dr. Almeida, Lakeisha, Emilia, Alexis, Eunjung (I hope i’m not forgetting anyone lol) for coming into our... - [Student appreciation](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation-5/): “Thank you Dr. Almeida, Emilia, Alexis, Lakeisha, and Eunjung! You all were wonderful and it was great to learn from... - [Student appreciation](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation-6/): “Thank you to everyone for presenting the work you do and allowing us to see a specific case study and... - [Life outside work](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/life-outside-work/): “I thought I came here for therapy. What I received was a gift of life that included learning how to... - [Special appreciations to IFS](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/special-appreciations-to-ifs/): “Thank you, everyone, for my wonderful celebration on Saturday and the thoughtful and generous gift you gave me. I had... - [Finding community](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/finding-community/): “Your vision and your ability to help us recognize our own wisdom has helped us to create our own community... - [Finding community](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/finding-community-3/): “I can only begin to share how incredibly supportive and beautiful and loving it was to be connected to everyone.... - [Marriage as a partnership](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/marriage-as-a-partnership/): “We are so great Rich and I and enjoying our new baby Nellie is just about six months old and... - [Liberation based healing](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/liberation-based-healing/): “My name is Diana Jauregui and I am an MSW student at California State University Northridge. I had the privilege... - [Expanding definitions of courage and masculinity](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/intersectionality-of-spirituality-family-life/): “I never imagined that learning new notions of masculinity such as expanded emotionality, embracing femininity, balancing work and family life,... - [A different view of desegregation](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/a-different-view-of-desegregation/): “I was shocked to hear a bunch of white, Indian and Latino and Black men talking about racism in the... - [Intersectionality of spirituality and family life](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/lorem-ipsum-dolor-sit-amet/): “I have always struggled to bridge the teachings of our scriptures with fairness in the lives of women, our lives.... --- ## Our Team - [Daniel Isla](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/daniel-isla/): Originally from the vivid landscapes of Veracruz, Mexico, his work is deeply rooted in the textures, rhythms, and colors of... - [Sergio Ceja](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/sergio-ceja/): Sergio is passionate about continuous learning, equity-centered work, and fostering collaborative environments that support community-based initiatives. - [Caroline Hann](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/caroline-hann/): Caroline will be supporting and coordinating the annual Liberation Based Healing Conference, a conference created over 20 years ago by... - [Jose Alberto Cruz Chevez](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/jose-alberto-cruz-chevez/): Dr. Chevez's research and work have focused on themes of intersectionality, equity, education/professional training, social determinants of health, and substance... - [Dr. Carolyn Tubbs](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/dr-carolyn-tubbs/): With a master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Texas Tech University and a doctorate in Child Development... - [Mabel Quiñones](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/mabel-quinones/): Dr. Quiñones' clinical interests are centered on gender issues and gender inequality, social power differentials, intersectionality and mind/body issues. She... - [Giovanni Sanchez](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/giovanni-sanchez/): A sponsor for IFS, Giovanni engages with male identified clients inviting them to disinherit toxic norms of masculinity and enter... - [Dr. Rhea Almeida](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/dr-rhea-almeida/): Rhea V. Almeida, MS, Ph. D. , LCSW, founder of IFS, is a family therapist and Columbia Graduate. She has... - [Dr. Eunjung Ryu](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/dr-eunjung-ryu/): A previous recipient of Therapist of The Year with The Essential Piece Award, Dr. Eunjung Ryu has over 20 years... --- ## Services - [Family therapy / Mental health](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/service/family-therapy/): The structure of families today range from the traditional nuclear families, single parent families, extended families, etc. living together, each... - [Post graduate training and internship](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/service/post-graduatetraining-internship/): Train Future Leaders in Social Work, Marriage & Family, Counseling & Psychology SUPERVISION: Through comprehensive, intersectional supervision and therapeutic training,... - [Organizational <br>change training](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/service/organizationalchange-training/): Cultivating Equity, Collaboration, and Systemic Transformation At the Institute for Family Services (IFS), our Organizational Change Trainings are designed to help institutions... --- ## Events - [Liberation Based <br>Healing Conference 2025](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2025/) - [Liberation Based <br>Healing Conference 2024](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2024/): 19th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference - [Liberation-Based <br>Healing Conference 2023](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2023/): 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference - [Liberation Based <br>Healing Conference 2022](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2022/): Virtual event to be held at the following time, date. - [Liberation Based <br>Healing Conference 2021](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2021/): Celebrating our 15th year of LBHC Decolonizing Our Journey to Liberation - [Liberation Based <br>Healing Conference 2020](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2020/): Celebrating our 15th year of LBHC Decolonizing Our Journey to Liberation - [Liberation-Based <br> Healing Conference 2019](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2019/): EVENT TO BE HELD AT THE FOLLOWING TIME, DATE, AND LOCATION - [Liberation-Based <br>Healing Conference 2018](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2018/): Creative Healing Systems at the Colonial Wound - [Liberation-Based <br>Healing Conference 2017](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2017/): Staying Awake and Mobilizing Hope - [Liberation-Based <br>Healing Conference 2016](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2016/): Revolutionizing Our Scholarships, Our Streets and Our Practices - [Liberation-Based<br>Healing Conference 2015](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2015/): Challenging Inequities: Decolonizing Practices and Social Action - [Liberation-Based <br>Healing Conference 2014](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2014/): Decolonizing Via Indigenous Film & Aesthetic: The Transformative Power to Heal and Dream within Indigenous Film - [Liberation-Based Healing Conference 2008](https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2008/): Liberation Based Healing: Just Therapy for a Just Society --- # # Detailed Content ## Pages - Published: 2025-10-14 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/about/ About IFS | Liberation-Based Family Therapists in NJ 3 Clyde Road, Ste. 101 Somerset, NJ, 08873 (732) 873 1663 Purchase LBHC 2025 Tickets Home About Our Team Testimonials Services Family Therapy / Mental Health Postgraduate Training / Internships Organizational Change Training Liberation Based Healing Conference Events Liberation Based Healing Conference 2025 Past LBHC Conferences What is a Liberation Based Healing Conference? Case Studies Systemic Family Therapy Couples Therapy Culturally Responsive Therapy for Families Trauma Therapy for Families Immigrant Family Counseling Resources Blog What is a Liberation Based Healing Conference? Liberation Based Healing Hub Publications Contact Purchase LBHC 2025 Tickets Contact us The Institute for Family Services About us 1 Family therapy 2 Liberation Based Healing 3 Progresando En Comunidad Home • About Family therapy The Institute for Family Services offers an innovative and proven approach to a wide range of couples, family and child-centered problems and youth violence. Our family and community paradigm is garnering attention throughout the country and around the world. This model of therapeutic intervention provides specific strategies for making pertinent changes in personal and family issues and resisting harmful forces of domination. In directly confronting broader social pressures, such as the loss of community, civic values, the fracturing of family life, gender norms, religious and community norms and the demands of the workplace, family members make a connection between their personal dilemmas and the negative impacts of societal patterns and cultural values. Services include the expertise of IFS therapists as well as contributions from a diverse... --- - Published: 2025-10-07 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/liberation-based-healing-hub/ “Liberation-Based Healing: Transforming Personal Healing Into Collective Liberation” Pioneered by Dr. Rhea V. Almeida and the Institute for Family Services — a framework that connects therapy, education, and community practice with justice and systemic change. Learn About LBH Explore Conference Watch Video --- - Published: 2025-09-12 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/what-is-a-liberation-based-healing-conference/ Intersection of Healing and Liberatory Praxis LBHC stands out as one of the only conferences focused almost solely on the integration of healing and liberatory praxis. It’s a place where relational healing – strengthening bonds between individuals, families, and communities – is directly linked to dismantling colonial structures that uphold racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of oppression. The conference underscores that healing is not just personal; it’s political and communal. For example, past sessions have explored decolonizing education, restorative justice in community violence, art and theatre as liberatory expression, and even dance as a form of freedom for Deaf and marginalized groups. Such diverse topics illustrate how liberation praxis – the practice of applying liberatory theory in real-world action – intersects with therapeutic and community healing. By the end of each conference, attendees walk away energized and equipped to integrate decolonial and liberatory healing practices into clinical settings, classrooms, social service organizations, grassroots campaigns, and everyday life (post here). Purpose, Origins, and Impact The Liberation-Based Healing Conference began as a bold response to gaps in the healing professions. Dr. Almeida and her colleagues created LBHC to center marginalized voices and forge new alliances for grassroots change, bridging academia and activism. From its origins in New Jersey at the Institute for Family Services, the conference has grown into a nationally renowned event, co-hosted in partnership with universities, community organizations, and liberation-focused groups across the U. S. and Canada. Over the years, LBHC has featured highly regarded speakers and performers –... --- - Published: 2023-05-05 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/lbhc-speakers-2023/ Speakers & Performers Meet the speakers and performers for the 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference, to be held November 3 and 4, 2023, at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. We will be adding new speakers and performers, and announcing the full program, in the coming weeks. Please check this page for up-to-date information. Or sign up for email updates here. --- - Published: 2022-08-16 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/publications/ Manuals for critical consciousness Announcing new manuals in english & spanish Introducing new manuals with a step-by-step guide to building dialogue & reflection circles for Critical Consciousness. "Expanding Therapeutic Conversations and Transforming Outcomes Through Film Narratives"We now have manuals for Children, Adolescents and Adults! "Expanding Therapeutic Conversations" is a unique, step-by-step manual that allows you to introduce critical components of the Cultural Context Model (CCM) to your clients. Employing provocative film narratives, this indispensable manual gives you both concrete tools and detailed instructions on how to use multimedia to help your clients identify power, privilege and oppression in their daily lives. A FREE DVD of film edits accompanies this manual including--among many others - clips from Crash, Straight out of Brooklyn, Ordinary People, Boyz in the Hood, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Whale Rider, Akeelah and the Bee, Love and Basketball and many more. Get Step-By-Step Guidance for Your Practice and Your Clients. COST: $999 ~ INCLUDING A FREE BONUS DVD OF FILM EDITS - CONTACT US TO ORDER TODAY! --- - Published: 2022-08-05 - Modified: 2025-07-04 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/about-old/our-team/ Meet our team We draw the clinical practice from the growing research regarding the benefits of integrating native English speakers with English learning individuals, from the field of education. The clinical results benefit both English and Spanish speaking clients. We love what we do & we do it with passion! --- - Published: 2022-08-03 - Modified: 2025-07-04 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/shipping-policy/ Purchases are final sale and can not be returned. All items are non-refundable. --- --- ## Posts - Published: 2026-03-02 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/healing-in-a-time-of-uncertainty/ - Categories: Uncategorized In today’s political and social climate, many individuals, families, and communities are carrying heightened stress, fear, grief, and uncertainty. Rapid social change, public health challenges, economic pressures, and ongoing injustices can take a profound toll on our emotional and relational well-being. Though these pressures can turn us inward and make us feel alone, the weight of these realities is not meant to be carried individually, but collectively across families and communities. At the Institute for Family Services (IFS), we believe that healing happens in relationships. We offer liberation-based, culturally responsive mental health care grounded in connection, dignity, and collective healing. Our work is guided by the understanding that personal struggles do not exist in isolation—they are shaped by family systems, community contexts, and broader social forces. Understanding the Bigger Picture When someone experiences anxiety, depression, trauma, or relationship strain, it is rarely just about individual coping skills. Stress is often connected to intergenerational experiences, cultural narratives, systemic inequities, and the demands of navigating multiple identities in complex environments. In our current political and social climate, these pressures are intensified, increasing stress on individuals and families. At IFS, we hold space for the full context of every story—your story and ours. We: Acknowledge the lasting impact of historical and intergenerational trauma Address the ongoing stress of discrimination, marginalization, and identity-based harm Support families navigating the complexities of parenting and partnering in uncertain times Honor and build upon the resilience, strength, and wisdom within families and communities By honoring both pain and... --- - Published: 2026-02-27 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/are-we-in-a-friendship-recession-how-to-build-real-connection-in-a-digital-age/ - Categories: Uncategorized With endless digital tools promising connection, it almost sounds absurd to suggest we’re living through a friendship recession. Yet research shows fewer adults report having close friendships than in previous decades. So what’s happening? Why doesn’t constant online presence translate into deeper real-life connection? What Is a Friendship Recession? Scholar Daniel Cox coined the term friendship recession to describe a measurable decline in both the number and quality of close friendships. More adults now report having no close friends than at any point in recent history Time spent with friends dropped sharply even before the pandemic Traditional social spaces — clubs, volunteer groups, and recreational communities — continue to shrink, leaving fewer natural places to connect At the same time, technology has blurred the boundary between work and home. Many adults spend more time managing responsibilities and digital communication than nurturing friendships. This cultural shift quietly pushes connection to the margins. Why Adult Friendships Matter for Emotional Health Friendship is not a luxury in adulthood — it is essential to resilience, stress regulation, and psychological well-being. Strong social bonds: buffer us against stress support mental health and belonging improve physical health and longevity When friendships lose emotional depth, we may still text, call, or meet briefly — but without the vulnerability that truly sustains connection. These surface-level interactions can create the illusion of social fulfillment while leaving us emotionally undernourished. How Digital Connection Replaces Physical Presence Technology makes it easy to keep up with friends’ lives — photos, celebrations, milestones,... --- - Published: 2026-02-13 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/what-really-shapes-teen-behavior/ - Categories: Uncategorized What Really Shapes Teen Behavior? A Guide for Parents Beyond the Basics Fifteen-year-old Maya used to be inseparable from her parents. Friday nights meant board games, late-night snacks, and endless laughter echoing through their hallway. But lately, she’s been eating dinner in her room, texting with friends instead. Her parents worry she’s pulling away—and in a sense, she is—but she’s also learning to navigate a world that extends beyond the safety of home. At school, her best friend, Lila, has started talking about body image and what’s “cool. ” At home, her parents gently argue about bills and who’s handling pickup this week. Maya listens from the stairs. She doesn’t realize it consciously, but these small moments—the laughter, the tension, the subtle tones of care or conflict—are all shaping how she sees herself, how she responds to stress, and even how she chooses her friends. Adolescence is this beautiful, messy intersection where family dynamics and friendships meet—each molding behavior in ways that last well into adulthood. Caregivers can’t shield children from every challenge, nor should they. Our role isn’t to prevent discomfort but to model resilience, empathy, and accountability. So how do family relationships and peer connections shape our children’s behavior, and what can parents do to guide them toward emotional health and independence? They’re Always Watching — and Also Listening to Their Friends Even when we whisper, slam doors softly, or call “just to check in,” our kids notice. Adolescents have incredibly sharp emotional radar—they pick up on tension,... --- - Published: 2025-12-16 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/managing-holiday-stress-tips-for-families-during-the-holiday-season/ - Categories: Uncategorized The holiday season can be joyful, stressful, or a mix of both. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Winter Solstice, or cultural and spiritual holidays that receive less public recognition, there is no single “right” way to celebrate. What matters most is how you care for yourself and connect with the people around you. Between busy schedules, family expectations, travel, and financial pressures, many families feel overwhelmed during this time of year. Giving yourself permission to slow down and align your choices with your values can help reduce stress and create more meaningful moments. Supporting Children During the Holidays Younger children may feel excitement and wonder about the “magic” of the season, while older children may focus more on food, gifts, or time away from school. No matter their age, children benefit from consistency, emotional safety, and connection. Take a moment to recognize your efforts. Creating stability and warmth during a busy season is meaningful work, and it supports children’s emotional well-being. Letting Go of Holiday Perfection The pressure to create a picture-perfect holiday often adds unnecessary stress. Crowds, traffic, long lines, time constraints, and financial concerns can quickly overshadow joy. Across many cultural and spiritual traditions, the holiday season emphasizes shared values such as: Gratitude Quality time Rest Reflection Community Rather than striving for perfection, families can focus on living these values in simple, intentional ways. Creating Meaningful Holiday Traditions Choosing one or two simple traditions can help anchor the season and reduce overwhelm. Traditions do not need... --- - Published: 2025-10-30 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/join-us-at-the-20th-annual-liberation-based-healing-conference/ - Categories: Uncategorized November 7–8, 2025 | On Zoom | Earn 15 CEUs (NJ & NY) For two decades, the Liberation-Based Healing Conference (LBHC) has brought together scholars, activists, educators, clinicians, and community leaders committed to justice, healing, and systemic change. This year, we celebrate our 20th anniversary with a dynamic two-day virtual gathering—centered on decolonial, liberatory, and justice-based practices. Register Now → Who Should Attend If you work to care for others—whether in education, activism, therapy, or social services—this conference is for you. Whether you’re new to these ideas or have led movements for years, LBHC welcomes all open-minded learners, healers, and change-makers ready to grow, connect, and act. Together, we’ll reimagine the systems we work in, honor diverse lived experiences, and strengthen our collective capacity for lasting change. What to Expect Keynotes, panels, and workshops led by over 30 global thought leaders Liberatory frameworks that bridge clinical, educational, and community work Networking opportunities with practitioners, educators, and organizers Deep dialogue on topics like: Community building and ecological justice Decentering Zionism and confronting antisemitism Palestinian liberation Empowering queer and trans youth Reimagining batterer’s intervention programs Healing through art Liberation Based Healing Conference 2022 See Full Program → Why It Matters Healing is not just personal—it’s political and communal. LBHC was founded by Dr. Rhea Almeida and colleagues to challenge the limits of mainstream therapy and re-center liberation, accountability, and collective care. We confront and transform the old paradigms of: Pathologizing instead of understanding Individualism over community Separation instead of context Through Liberation-Based... --- - Published: 2025-10-01 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/find-someone-else-by-focusing-on-yourself/ - Categories: Uncategorized You swipe, you scroll—but the profiles start to blur. Something’s always missing. You know what you want, yet no one seems to measure up. Frustrated with the dating scene? Wondering why the options feel endless, but genuine connections feel out of reach? Here’s the truth: the rules of relationships are shifting. As women outpace men in education, employment, and life satisfaction, marriage has moved from a survival necessity to a choice. If women no longer need husbands for financial security, what makes a partnership meaningful? What makes people want to stay? Shadi Hamid of The Washington Post recently sat down with Richard Reeves, British-American writer and researcher on inequality and gender, to dig into these very questions. The Myth of the “Perfect” Partner Many men carry an image of an ideal partner that no one can live up to. This checklist often reflects outdated and unrealistic expectations: passive yet sexy, nurturing yet flawless, forever youthful, and endlessly accommodating. As comedian Tina Fey once quipped, the “perfect woman” has become a Frankenstein fantasy: Caucasian blue eyes, Spanish lips, Asian skin, Swedish legs, Michelle Obama’s arms, and a Jamaican dance hall ass. Spoiler alert: she doesn’t exist. So if perfection is a myth, how do you build the real, lasting relationship you’re hoping for? Reeves and Hamid suggest: start by turning the spotlight inward. Focusing on Yourself Building healthier, more fulfilling relationships begins with expanding your own capacity to connect, feel, and grow. That means moving beyond rigid, narrow definitions of masculinity... --- - Published: 2025-09-02 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/healing-together-how-family-therapy-can-support-growth-connection-and-liberation/ - Categories: Uncategorized At the Institute for Family Services (IFS), we believe that healing is relational, change is possible, and liberation is a collective process. Whether you're feeling stuck in old family dynamics, navigating a major life transition, or confronting the weight of intergenerational trauma, you don’t have to do it alone. Our work goes beyond traditional therapy—it's rooted in Liberation-Based Healing, a framework that centers justice, accountability, and deep connection. Why Families Seek Support Building Communication and Connection Are you having the same fight over and over? Getting the cold shoulder or feeling misunderstood? Perhaps your child is acting in ways you don’t recognize—or you’re trying to co-parent through conflict or separation. These struggles often come down to a loss of communication and connection. Therapy offers a space to realign, rebuild trust, and create new ways of relating. Coping with Stress, Overwhelm, or Trauma Stress can come from anywhere: finances, caretaking, discrimination, digital overwhelm, school struggles, or geopolitical realities. For many, this stress is rooted in trauma—either a singular event or years of chronic harm such as abuse, violence, or systemic oppression. We understand trauma as both personal and political. Our work holds space for the full complexity of what families are carrying. Navigating Life Transitions Change is inevitable—and often destabilizing. Birth, illness, loss, migration, marriage, divorce, incarceration, unemployment, or retirement all shift family roles and responsibilities. Therapy can support your family in moving through these transitions with clarity, care, and connection. Breaking Harmful Cycles Patterns of addiction, silence, or violence often... --- - Published: 2025-08-25 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/cultural-complexity-and-ethical-care-reimagining-therapy-for-migrant-communities/ - Categories: Uncategorized What does ethical therapy look like when your client has crossed borders, survived trauma, and endured systems that sow distrust rather than offer healing? At the Institute for Family Services (IFS), ethical care is nurtured through liberation, relationality, and the radical honoring of wholeness. A Liberation-Based Healing Lens Rooted in Community IFS’s philosophy centers on liberation-based healing—a radical blend of decolonial theory, critical social learning, and family therapy. Here, therapy isn't aimed at “fixing” symptoms; instead, it recognizes the resilience inherent in each individual and family, emphasizes systemic context, and fosters intergenerational transformation. Clients are understood as whole beings with complex identities, not defined by their presenting issues. Progresando en Comunidad: Healing for Latinx Families in New Jersey To directly address the scarcity of mental health services for Spanish-speaking families, IFS offers Progresando en Comunidad—a culturally tailored initiative delivering high-quality family, individual, and couples therapy in Spanish, regardless of immigration status. Drawing on over twenty years of clinical expertise, this program builds bridges, informs families about impactful issues, and fosters linkages toward sustainable community support. It’s designed to promote social justice and equity between society at large and Latinx families from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. Through Progresando en Comunidad, IFS provides therapy that spans family configurations, including those impacted by domestic violence, trauma, addiction, divorce, the challenges of adolescent development, and more—serving communities across class, gender identity, and immigration status. Why This Conversation Matters Migrant, Latinx, and nontraditional families often carry layered experiences of displacement, language barriers, and intergenerational wounds.... --- - Published: 2025-07-21 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/being-human-as-praxis-a-therapeutic-reimagining/ - Categories: Uncategorized Reimagining Therapy Through the Lens of Liberation and Collective HumanityWho gets to be human? Who gets to be human in therapy? These are not abstract questions. They are at the very heart of both global geopolitics and intimate clinical spaces. The world is grappling with intensifying violence, displacement, and social unrest. But none of this is new—or disconnected. When individuals seek mental health support today, they enter systems built on foundations that have long privileged a very narrow conception of what it means to be human. Historically, therapy has been shaped by the gaze of white, European, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied, wealthy men. Their positionality—though often unspoken—became the unnamed "norm. " Everyone else was defined in opposition to this unacknowledged standard. And so, the humanity of those outside that mold became conditional, trickling down from the top of a social hierarchy that relied on marginalizing “the other” to maintain its own legitimacy. Being Human as Praxis This is where the work of writer and philosopher Sylvia Wynter becomes critical. She challenges us to rethink "the human" not as a static category but as something shaped by history, power, and culture. Her concept of “being human as praxis” urges us to see humanness not as a given, but as a practice—something we enact, redefine, and claim, especially when dominant systems try to deny it. Wynter asks: What does it mean to be human?  Her work pushes us to expose the dominant genre of the human—the supposedly universal subject—so we can begin to imagine many different... --- - Published: 2023-11-29 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/the-18th-annual-liberation-based-healing-conference-a-healing-space-for-authentic-dialogue-on-critical-issues/ - Categories: Uncategorized Throughout the two-day event, insightful panel discussions and inspiring performances were followed by periods of reflection and dialogue, allowing the more than 150 attendees to process and share their perspectives. “This is exactly where we need to be,” exclaimed anti-racism activist and conference panelist Spirit Tawfiq as she opened her remarks on Day 1 of the Liberation Based Healing Conference. She was among 30+ speakers, artists and performers who shared their experiences and knowledge with a packed room at Montclair State University on November 3 and 4, 2023. Rhea Almeida, MS, PhD, LCSW, opens the 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference. During a highly charged and politicized time in our history, less than a month after war erupted in the Middle East, the 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference provided a healing space for respectful, authentic dialogue on critical issues including enslavement and genocide, white supremacy, immigration justice, and racial and gender inequality in the workplace. Throughout the two-day event, insightful panel discussions and inspiring performances were followed by periods of reflection and dialogue, allowing the more than 150 attendees to process and share their perspectives. The conference, founded by Dr. Rhea Almeida, director of the Institute for Family Services, was co-sponsored this year by Montclair State University (Dr. Mayida Zaal and her colleagues), and Tri County Care Management Organization (Deja Amos, James Parauda and Nicole Russo), which supports youths experiencing behavioral, emotional, social, developmental and mental health challenges. Members of the Redhawk Native American Arts Council welcome attendees with music and dance. The program opened by honoring the Indigenous land where we convened that day with music and dance provided by members of the Redhawk Native American Arts Council.... --- - Published: 2023-10-02 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/18th-annual-liberation-based-healing-conference/ - Categories: Uncategorized The panels at this conference use an intersectional approach to dissect how societal-level markers, such as ability, age, class, citizenship, ethnicity, gender, race, religion and sexual identity, show up simultaneously in community and individual levels as power and privilege. Civil Rights icon Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the Little Rock Nine, to be a featured speaker The Institute for Family Services, in partnership with Montclair State University and the Tri County Care Management Organization (CMO) of Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren Counties in New Jersey, is proud to present the 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference (LBHC), on November 3 and 4, 2023. This dynamic and unique event brings together a diverse array of individuals, including scholars, activists, educators, students and community members from across the United States. The conference serves as a vital platform for collective discourse on the manifestations of coloniality within traditional education and therapeutic models. The panels at this conference use an intersectional approach to dissect how societal-level markers, such as ability, age, class, citizenship, ethnicity, gender, race, religion and sexual identity, show up simultaneously in community and individual levels as power and privilege. Year after year, the Liberation Based Healing Conference, founded by the Institute for Family Services, creates opportunities to share strategies that promote relational healing and liberation. Dr. Rhea V. AImeida, founder of the Institute for Family Services, says, “It’s a celebration of our work, our creativity and our culture, and an opportunity to change the world for the better in both incremental and profound ways. ” One of the standout panels, titled “Reparative Voices for the Injuries of Enslavement and Genocide: Unveiling Hidden Narratives of Black Belonging, Community in Appalachia, and the Holocaust,” will feature panelists sharing their lived experiences in systems... --- - Published: 2023-10-02 - Modified: 2025-08-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/civil-rights-icon-minnijean-brown-trickey/ - Categories: Uncategorized Brown Trickey was a member of the Little Rock Nine, nine teens selected to desegregate Central High School in Arkansas in 1957 after Brown v. Board of Education decision Brown Trickey was a member of the Little Rock Nine, nine teens selected to desegregate Central High School in Arkansas in 1957 after Brown v. Board of Education decision MONTCLAIR, NJ – American civil rights icon and activist Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the Little Rock Nine—a group of African American teens who desegregated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957—will be a featured speaker at the 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference at Montclair State University on November 3 and 4, 2023.   Brown Trickey will take part in the conference’s opening panel, “Reparative Voices for the Injuries of Enslavement and Genocide: Unveiling Hidden Narratives of Black Belonging, Community in Appalachia, and the Holocaust. ” The panel will also include her daughter, Spirit Tawfiq, an antiracism educator and storyteller; Clory Jackson, sharing her personal journey as a Black person born and raised in Appalachia; and Avi Wisnia, who will use music to convey his experiences as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor.   Brown Trickey was barely 16 when she became a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement as one of nine African American students chosen to attend Central High School following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. The students were prevented from attending their first day of classes because the Arkansas National Guard, deployed by Gov. Orval Faubus, formed a blockade around the school. Days later, President Dwight Eisenhower intervened by ordering the 101st Airborne Division to escort the teenagers past... --- --- ## Testimonials - Published: 2024-02-14 - Modified: 2024-02-14 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/conference-participant/ “What didn’t I enjoy about the conference? I had been feeling very drained this past week. But after being at the conference yesterday, I felt my cup was full again. I was surrounded by like-minded people. I loved how we were openly talking about how we could help our students, regardless of age, from the little ones up to our adult students, to become liberated and to heal. “I loved the vibe of the room. Humans are humans, and we need to love each other and treat each other as such. I feel I can encourage, lift and help teachers meet the needs of their students in love. And help them develop skills and break the cycle of trauma and hurt and harm and violence and turn that into love and acceptance and tolerance. There is a lot I am taking from the conference. ” --- - Published: 2022-09-23 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/liberation-based-healing-practices/ "My name is Dr. J. Corey Williams, MD. My colleague and I at Georgetown have become very interested in your work surround Liberation-based Healing. Over the course of the last year, we have started a reading and discussion group focused on liberation-based healing practices to begin interrogating how liberation can be applied to our clinical practices. Our group had been a powerfully reflective space and we have been eager to share what we have learned with other groups. " --- - Published: 2022-09-23 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation/ “I really appreciate the perspective that Dr. Almeida has and the work she is doing within social work because it is incredibly needed. Everything within this field and within social services are so individualized and just reinforce that idea that everything is on you and nothing can be at a level higher than that. It is incredibly frustrating to see how that is absolutely everywhere and it’s incredibly incredibly sad and disappointing to see that mindset perpetuated within this program from faculty, from students so to talk about how to actually address the root causes and that everything is not completely on you that it is structures within our society that end up causing so much damage that ends up being carried on through each consecutive generation that no matter how well you do on the individual level the next generation is going to just get shafted because nothing was done do address what set off the problem in the first place. What stood out so much was to hear that students just want to hear from the professor and not from each other, when we are learning this exact information about externalization and that once we graduate we are going to be learning from our peers that to have that push back doesn’t make sense. I’m just so tired of everything put on the individual, and having to consider cost to benefit means tested market BS instead of just helping people. ” --- - Published: 2022-09-23 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation-2/ “I really loved seeing (visually) how liberation-based healing practices work. But I especially loved how a few of the facilitators talked about how much they had to unlearn themselves in order to participate in these circles. It really reminds me of the idea of institutional infiltrators–facilitators who are disrupting the “norm” in order to promote radical love and healing. ” --- - Published: 2022-09-23 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation-3/ “Thank you again Dr. Almeida, Lakeisha, Emilia, Alexis, Eunjung (I hope i’m not forgetting anyone lol) for coming into our class space and sharing with us all the work that y’all have been doing. I am so empowered and inspired by the liberation based healing practices framework and want to learn more about how i can adopt aspects of that in my work. I think something you all highlighted about the problem being the problem and not the individual was powerful because it takes the burden of healing on your own off the individual. I LOVE that the healing and learning is done collectively. Thank you all for the knowledge, i appreciate it! --- - Published: 2022-09-23 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation-5/ “Thank you Dr. Almeida, Emilia, Alexis, Lakeisha, and Eunjung! You all were wonderful and it was great to learn from your insight and knowledge. Liberation Based Healing has been intriguing to me since I learned about it this semester so to see a case study as a visual representation of your work was very beneficial for me. I really appreciated when Dr. Almeida mentioned that it’s important to separate the person from the problem. This separation helps create that space as you all mentioned which is beneficial. I do hope to continue learning about liberation based practices and how they can be incorporated into my future work. I definitely see it as a better alternative than some of the standard practices we are taught to use. ” --- - Published: 2022-09-23 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/student-appreciation-6/ “Thank you to everyone for presenting the work you do and allowing us to see a specific case study and how the model itself works to support clients. I feel there is a lot that can be used through the different aspects of liberation based healing practices that can help many different populations in the struggles they’re going through. I can honestly say I’ve taken several different things from today's presentation that I hope to implement in my current work and practice for the future as well. Thank you again for everything! You all were awesome! ! ” --- - Published: 2022-08-31 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/life-outside-work/ "I thought I came here for therapy. What I received was a gift of life that included learning how to be a man in today's world both in my home and at work. I feel more loved at home and my work colleagues describe me as more caring and competent than ever. " --- - Published: 2022-08-31 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/special-appreciations-to-ifs/ "Thank you, everyone, for my wonderful celebration on Saturday and the thoughtful and generous gift you gave me. I had a great time and my husband and I look forward to trying these restaurants near our new home! I forgot to ask... who wrote the poem that accompanied my gift? A special thank you to the two special friends who volunteered to organize and host this special event! The food was delicious and the company was terrific. I had a little trouble during our ritual, hearing what everyone had to say about me and my time at IFS, but I let the group know and they were very patient with me. Their sentiments meant a lot to me and touched my heart greatly. I also want to acknowledge our special junior hostess for her precious hand-made card and the thoughtful shoe bags she asked her grandmother to make for me. Thank you also to our sole male attendee and host for his very special card. Below is something I shared with those who were there so that those who couldn’t attend can also hear my gratitude: To borrow from Charles Dickens, “It’s the best of times and the worst of times... When I first became part of this community,My children were at risk,My marriage was failing,My family was broken,And I was lost. Then, I found the team and all of you. You taught me to set limits,To expect and demand respect,To not accept abuse in any form for myself or... --- - Published: 2022-08-31 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/finding-community/ "Your vision and your ability to help us recognize our own wisdom has helped us to create our own community where we can be supported, make mistakes, celebrate our successes, and encourage our growth. Thank you for being an incredible power in my life. " --- - Published: 2022-08-31 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/finding-community-3/ "I can only begin to share how incredibly supportive and beautiful and loving it was to be connected to everyone. I joined the IFS community about 25 years ago when I started therapy with Rhea Almeida. I developed deep connections with the men and women, some of which will last a lifetime. I moved to CA 20 years ago and remain in contact with quite a few folks. They have seen me through a lot of growth and change and continue to do so. Recently, while my parents attended a family destination wedding in PA, my father fell very ill with sepsis and was rushed to the emergency room. I was still in CA and felt like my parents were stranded alone with no support. Family and friends were over an hour away from them, but not near enough to be there constantly or easily. I reached out for emotional support to a couple of dear friends who I met through IFS. They all rallied and quickly communicated to more people near and dear to my parents. Another friend shared that another former IFS member actually worked at the hospital where my dad was! My mom got clothes from her and she went shopping for her for some more. They visited with my parents and celebrated her birthday with her, while she was away and sitting in a hospital room with my father. All of this happened while I was making plans to come to PA to help my parents... --- - Published: 2022-08-31 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/marriage-as-a-partnership/ "We are so great Rich and I and enjoying our new baby Nellie is just about six months old and we are enjoying her massively. We are very much a partnership around everything related to her and the other children and in a very good place in our marriage. There is not a week that goes by that I don't offer a prayer of gratitude... " --- - Published: 2022-08-31 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/liberation-based-healing/ - Tags: Featured "My name is Diana Jauregui and I am an MSW student at California State University Northridge. I had the privilege and pleasure of attending the Liberation Based Healing Conference in St. Louis this past weekend. I wanted to take the time to congratulate and thank you all for organizing such an empowering conference. This is my first year attending the conference, and after those two powerful days, I was fascinated with the speakers, the concepts discussed and the information presented. Thank you for having presenters and topics that reiterated the importance of black and brown lives, their experiences and personal healing. I am already looking forward to next year's conference. Thank you! " --- - Published: 2022-07-28 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/intersectionality-of-spirituality-family-life/ "I never imagined that learning new notions of masculinity such as expanded emotionality, embracing femininity, balancing work and family life, embracing relatedness over individualism, valuing collaboration, maintaining flexibility, valuing shared power of relatedness, could make a better and more courageous man. " --- - Published: 2022-07-28 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/a-different-view-of-desegregation/ “I was shocked to hear a bunch of white, Indian and Latino and Black men talking about racism in the workplace at my third session! What I discovered, though I never expected it, was a mutual sense of respect and care that I did not believe could exist in a mixed race circle. ” --- - Published: 2022-07-28 - Modified: 2022-09-23 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/testimonials/lorem-ipsum-dolor-sit-amet/ “I have always struggled to bridge the teachings of our scriptures with fairness in the lives of women, our lives. Here we were able to integrate the powerful readings and forces of Goddesses in Hinduism, and bring their relevance to bear on daily life. It was also healing to share this with the circle of women from different cultures and hav... " --- --- ## Our Team - Published: 2025-07-16 - Modified: 2025-07-16 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/daniel-isla/ Originally from the vivid landscapes of Veracruz, Mexico, his work is deeply rooted in the textures, rhythms, and colors of his cultural heritage. Daniel Isla is not just a photographer — he is a visual alchemist who transforms fleeting moments into timeless narratives. Internationally recognized for his creative mastery and visual sensitivity, Daniel infuses every frame with emotion, artistry, and soul. Originally from the vivid landscapes of Veracruz, Mexico, his work is deeply rooted in the textures, rhythms, and colors of his cultural heritage. Educated at one of Mexico’s most forward-thinking universities for arts and visual communication, Daniel honed his ability to merge innovation with storytelling. Since relocating to the United States, Daniel has brought his distinctive vision to a variety of professional realms. He has captured the sleek precision of Porsche as a marketing photographer and documented the everyday heroism and joy found in New Jersey’s schools. From high-end commercial shoots to intimate family portraits, Daniel navigates diverse settings with ease, consistently delivering evocative, high-quality results. Currently, Daniel lends his artistry to the Institute for Family Services, where he captures the transformative power of community, connection, and social justice through his lens. His work here isn’t just about documentation — it's about storytelling with integrity and imagination. If you're looking to collaborate with someone who sees beyond the surface and captures the essence of life, Daniel certainly uses that lens. --- - Published: 2025-07-16 - Modified: 2025-07-16 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/sergio-ceja/ Sergio is passionate about continuous learning, equity-centered work, and fostering collaborative environments that support community-based initiatives. Sergio Ceja is the Office Manager at The Institute for Family Services, providing administrative and operational support for faculty, interns and Conference presenters. With over a decade of experience in logistics and team leadership, he ensures the smooth functioning of daily operations and internal systems. Sergio holds an Associate of Science in Business Administration and Management from Middlesex College and a Bachelor's in International Business Administration from Universidad Veracruzana in Mexico. He is passionate about continuous learning, equity-centered work, and fostering collaborative environments that support community-based initiatives.   --- - Published: 2024-04-26 - Modified: 2024-04-26 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/caroline-hann/ Caroline will be supporting and coordinating the annual Liberation Based Healing Conference, a conference created over 20 years ago by Dr. Almeida. Caroline's work is a combination of her lived experience of growing up white in Appalachia, her post graduate training at The Institute for Family Services (IFS), and developing a form of transformative justice theatre with The Meta Theatre Company (MTC), a New Jersey based social justice theatre company in its 11th year of producing and performing original work. IFS and Dr. Almeida’s transformative family therapy model became the foundation to creating MTC, which has grown into a theatre company / re-entry program utilizing a transformative justice model for women who are justice impacted (inside/outside) the prison walls. The Meta Theatre Company believes theatre is a pathway to justice, and using transformative justice theatre, we write and perform our lived experiences, and invite audiences to interact with us during and after the performance to look at how systemic, institutional power intersects with our socially constructed positions like white privilege, race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. MTC works with audiences, organizations, and schools to build on this awareness, and create social justice action in the community. Caroline will be supporting and coordinating the annual Liberation Based Healing Conference, a conference created over 20 years ago by Dr. Almeida. Caroline received her MSW from Hunter College Silberman School of Social work. --- - Published: 2024-02-29 - Modified: 2024-04-01 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/jose-alberto-cruz-chevez/ Dr. Chevez's research and work have focused on themes of intersectionality, equity, education/professional training, social determinants of health, and substance use among communities that have been marginalized. He has a wide range of experience in providing services for populations that have been disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, immigration issues, tobacco dependence, and opioid use disorder. Jose Alberto Cruz Chevez received his BA from Cornell University, and his MSW, MBA, and PhDfrom Rutgers University. Dr. Chevez is an LCSW and a clinical supervisor. He completed hispost-graduate training at IFS, provided clinical services to families and assisted in establishing"Progresando en Comunidad", an IFS program focused on the unique needs of the Latinxcommunity. He will continue his work at IFS as a therapist, clinical supervisor, trainer, author,and activist. Dr. Chevez has also worked as a lecturer and as a coordinator of programs implemented by thestate of New Jersey that offered technical and educational assistance to residential addiction,behavioral health facilities, and prevention coalitions throughout New Jersey. His research andwork have focused on themes of intersectionality, equity, education/professional training, socialdeterminants of health, and substance use among communities that have been marginalized. Dr. Chevez has a wide range of experience in providing services for populations that have beendisproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, immigration issues, tobaccodependence, and opioid use disorder. With a cross-over in urban systems, wellness, andbusiness, he is deeply engaged in replicating models of healing that are sustainable and just. Jose A. Cruz, LCSW, MBA --- - Published: 2022-08-08 - Modified: 2022-10-06 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/dr-carolyn-tubbs/ With a master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Texas Tech University and a doctorate in Child Development and Family Studies/Marriage and Family Therapy from Purdue University, Dr. Carolyn Tubbs has researched and worked with many different topics including intimate partner violence, health care disparities, mental and physical health issues, parenting in low-income populations, and many others. Dr. Tubbs is an Associate Professor in the Marriage and FamilyTherapy Program at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX. She earned her master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Texas Tech University and her doctorate in Child Development and Family Studies/Marriage and Family Therapy at Purdue University. Dr. Tubbs was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Family Research Consortium III and a Research Scientist at Penn State University for the Welfare, Children and Families: A Three City-Study, a multi-site ethnographic study on welfare reform. Dr. Tubbs is an associate editor for JMFT and a member of the Taos Institute. Her research interests include qualitative research methodology, shared parenting among couples with a history of intimate partner violence, health care disparities, mental and physical health issues, and parenting in low-income populations. Currently, she is collaborating with the Institute for Family Services on evaluation and dissemination research. As part of her work, Dr. Tubbs has examined facilitators of family stability, family rituals, and parenting in low-income families. Dr. Tubbs has also been involved with the National Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community in researching the causes and solutions to domestic violence in African-American communities located in both urban and rural regions throughout the United States. Dr. Tubbs has presented with Dr. Almeida at the Missouri Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, as well as the American Association for Marriage Family Therapy and the American Family Therapy Academy conferences. Recently, she presented with IFS at the 2016 Liberation-based... --- - Published: 2022-08-08 - Modified: 2022-10-06 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/mabel-quinones/ Dr. Quiñones' clinical interests are centered on gender issues and gender inequality, social power differentials, intersectionality and mind/body issues. She is currently a staff clinical psychologist at the Veterans Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Mabel Quiñones is a staff clinical psychologist at the Veterans Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico where she coordinates the Psychology Fellowship Program specialized in Women's Psychology and in Primary Care and Mental Health Integration. She also holds a private practice in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Dr. Quiñones' clinical interests are centered on gender issues and gender inequality, social power differentials, intersectionality and mind/body issues. For the past five years, she has been developing and coordinating a post-doctoral psychology fellowship program at the San Juan VA that is designed to expand psychology practice beyond traditional lines and ground psychological interventions on the concepts of intersectionality and social power differentials. --- - Published: 2022-08-08 - Modified: 2023-02-02 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/giovanni-sanchez/ A sponsor for IFS, Giovanni engages with male identified clients inviting them to disinherit toxic norms of masculinity and enter spaces of fluidity and non-binary identities. He is also the resident designer of clothing for the IFS family! Giovanni Sanchez is a sponsor for IFS who engages with male identified clients inviting them to disinherit toxic norms of masculinity and enter spaces of fluidity and non-binary identities. Giovanni Sanchez is also an experienced Pattern Maker and Fashion Designer with many years of designing and making high-end women’s and men’s clothing. He owned a clothing company in Costa Rica and his work been featured in numerous fashion shows in Costa Rica and throughout Latin America, including for the Ms. Costa Rica Universe Contest. Currently, Gio’s Studio GV, in Manhattan, provides services for celebrity fashion designers, such as LaQuan Smith, theater companies, and customers in the NYC area. He is also the resident designer of clothing for the IFS family! Website: www. giosanchezfashion. comInstagram: @giosanchezfashionFacebook: Gio SanchezFashion --- - Published: 2022-08-08 - Modified: 2024-03-05 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/dr-rhea-almeida/ Rhea V. Almeida, MS, Ph.D., LCSW, founder of IFS, is a family therapist and Columbia Graduate. She has over 30 years experience as a trainer, therapist, activist, and author. Dr. Rhea V. Almeida is a renowned family therapist with over three decades of experience as a trainer, therapist, activist, and author. She is the founder of The Institute for Family Services, where she has helped countless families overcome challenges and build stronger relationships through her innovative approach to family therapy.   A graduate of Columbia University, Dr. Almeida is the creator of the Cultural Context Model of Family Therapy, a groundbreaking framework that recognizes the impact of cultural factors on family dynamics. Her work has been widely recognized and respected in the field, and she has published numerous articles and four books, including her latest publication on Liberation-Based Healing Practices. In addition to her work as a therapist and the author, Dr. Almeida is a sought-after speaker. She has served on the editorial boards of several prestigious journals, including The Journal of Cultural Diversity and Mental Health, The Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, and The Journal of Feminist Family Therapy. She was also a reviewer for the Journal of Social Work Education (JSWE). She has also served as the consulting editor for the White Privilege online journal and on the Council for Racial and Economic Diversity at the Council on Social Work Education.   Dr. Almeida is a member of the American Family Therapy Academy and a clinical member of the American Association of Marital and Family Therapists. She has served on numerous boards, including the Council for Contemporary Families, the American Family Therapy Academy, the National Association... --- - Published: 2022-08-08 - Modified: 2022-10-06 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/team/dr-eunjung-ryu/ A previous recipient of Therapist of The Year with The Essential Piece Award, Dr. Eunjung Ryu has over 20 years of clinical experience working with families. In this time she has presented nationally and internationally on domestic and community violence, and transformative family therapy. Eunjung Ryu, PhD, LMFT, LCSW, has over 20 years of clinical experience working with families. Her doctoral thesis from Drexel University researched the Cultural Context Model. Her dissertation was on "sponsoring change in self and others: Female sponsors in the Cultural Context Model". Dr. Ryu was a member of the Affinity Counseling Group beginning in 2005 providing the Cultural Context Model of family therapy to high-risk youth their families and communities. She has presented nationally and internationally on domestic and community violence, and transformative family therapy. Dr. Ryu's publications are in the area of Spousal Use of Pornography and Its Clinical Significance for Asian-American Women: Korean Women as an Illustration on the Journal of Feminist Family Therapy (20004), and on Korean American Families in Ethnicity & Family Therapy in 2005. Dr. Ryu was honored as Therapist of The Year with The Essential Piece Award, by the Family Support Organization of Middlesex County and Coordinated Family Care in New Jersey in 2007. Dr. Ryu continues her work with families in Korea using a transformative lens of family therapy: The Cultural Context Model. She is currently teaching at EwhaWomans University and Sungshin Women's University and runs an institute for family therapy training. White Privilege Conference --- --- ## Services - Published: 2022-08-17 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/service/family-therapy/ The structure of families today range from the traditional nuclear families, single parent families, extended families, etc. living together, each with different and similar challenges including: possible trauma from life events; the stress of parenting children while tending to their social, academic, and recreational needs; balancing the demands of work with other aspects of living and maintaining healthy relationships; the challenges of caretaking for elders; and navigating other difficulties which present across the lifespan. The innovative team at the Institute for Family Services works to link individuals and families with one another to build therapeutic communities. This experience of family counseling service offers adults and youth who have been stigmatized and labeled with an experience of self-transformation as they are embraced by rich connections and support while working towards the change they seek. These opportunities for healing are offered to families across class, gender identity and sexual orientation, race or immigration status and regardless of presenting issues. All our clinicians are trained in liberation-based practices of marriage and family therapy in NJ. NEW CLIENTS Call 732-873-1663 Or Email us to make an appointment. We Offer early and late evening initial consultation. Channeling emotions into art - Take a journey with our inspiring young artist as she helps teens process their emotions by turning their anxiety, depression, loneliness and low self-esteem into healing art forms. Also, check out our latest blog on: Being Human as Praxis --- - Published: 2022-08-17 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/service/post-graduatetraining-internship/ Train Future Leaders in Social Work, Marriage & Family, Counseling & Psychology SUPERVISION: Through comprehensive, intersectional supervision and therapeutic training, we equip professionals and students with the skills and tools needed to address systemic challenges and lead transformative change within their fields. IFS provides cutting-edge training that enhances professional practice and fulfills licensing requirements: Systemic/Liberatory Healing Training: Integrate systemic family therapy with liberation-focused approaches to address multiple challenges people experience from all walks of life. . Live Supervision Opportunities: Graduate interns and clinicians pursuing licensure gain hands-on mentorship to apply liberatory healing practices in real-world scenarios. Conference Presentation Opportunities: Showcase your work by presenting at our National Conference, with multiple levels of participation available. View a PDF overview. When completing my Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, one of my textbooks mentioned the Institute for Family Services and the work by Dr. Rhea Almeida, the founder of the Institute and creator of the Cultural Context Model. I was fortunate to be accepted into the program and completed my internship at the Institute. The quality of the training I received was unparalleled to what clinicians in training normally get. Dr. Almeida’s clinical skills paired with a two way mirror experience, favors collaboration, insight and learning in ways that truly facilitate the creation of professionals of another caliber. I will be forever grateful that the Institute and Dr. Almeida helped me become the clinician I am today. - Denise Pflaumer Capici --- - Published: 2022-08-17 - Modified: 2026-04-30 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/service/organizationalchange-training/ Cultivating Equity, Collaboration, and Systemic Transformation At the Institute for Family Services (IFS), our Organizational Change Trainings are designed to help institutions move beyond surface-level diversity initiatives and toward sustainable systems of equity, accountability, and inclusion. Our trainings help organizations to: Enhance Team Cohesion: Equip leaders and teams with the tools to recognize and address deep-rooted inequities, fostering authentic collaboration, empathy, and inclusion across all levels of the organization. Improve Client and Community Engagement: Strengthen relationships by celebrating team successes and expanding dialogues that honor both staff experiences and the diverse communities they serve. Build Community Partnerships: Partner with local organizations and stakeholders to sustain systemic engagement, amplify impact, and create long-term pathways for social change. Join Us on a Journey for Change Whether you’re a social worker, therapist, educator, administrator, or organizational leader, IFS offers transformative, intersectional training to deepen your practice, empower your teams, and drive systemic change within your organization.  Let’s collaborate:If you would like to design a tailored workshop or training series for your organization, please contact us at wecare4uifs@gmail. com. Transform Lives with Us — Contact IFS Today Partner with us to advance healing, equity, and justice. Together, we can build resilient families, empowered organizations, and thriving communities.  Reach out today to learn more about our programs and services. What We Offer Our team brings decades of experience collaborating with: Youth and adolescents Educators and administrators Social workers and mental health professionals Grassroots organizations and community advocates We understand the challenges faced by systems striving for equity and inclusion. Each training begins with a comprehensive... --- --- ## Events - Published: 2024-01-25 - Modified: 2025-04-25 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2024/ 19th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference UNITE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, TRUTH-TELLING, AND EMPOWERMENT --- - Published: 2023-03-07 - Modified: 2025-10-01 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2023/ 18th Annual Liberation Based Healing Conference Critical consciousness. Empowerment. Accountability. Together we explore the foundations of healing and liberation as we identify and decolonize our lived experiences. --- - Published: 2022-08-19 - Modified: 2025-05-05 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2022/ Virtual event to be held at the following time, date. Presentations features: Decolonial and Liberatory perspectives in mental health, education, current systems and practices of law enforcement and community life. Aligning with organizations to install anti-racist and gender equity policies and practices Embracing spirituality outside of religious institutions Creating and embedding systems of social change that uphold values of equity, inclusion, and shared liberation. Disrupting systems of white supremacy by linking activists, scholars, educators, and healers from indigenous and bipoc communities. --- - Published: 2021-11-05 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2021/ Celebrating our 15th year of LBHC Decolonizing Our Journey to Liberation Presentation Features: Decolonial and Liberatory perspectives in mental health, education, current systems and practices of law enforcement and community life. Aligning with organizations to install anti-racist and gender equity policies and practices Embracing spirituality outside of religious institutions Creating and embedding systems of social change that uphold values of equity, inclusion, and shared liberation. Disrupting systems of white supremacy by linking activists, scholars, educators, and healers from indigenous and bipoc communities. --- - Published: 2020-11-06 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2020/ Celebrating our 15th year of LBHC Decolonizing Our Journey to Liberation Presentation Features: Dismantling white supremacist institutions and policies Imagining and installing human rights policies for education & environmental racism Challenging Christianity's dark history of white supremacy Creating and expanding new spaces for health and mental health healing Linking policies of mass incarceration to the segregation and decimation of black and brown communities Robert P. Jones, CEO and founder of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the author of White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity. https://www. youtube. com/watch? _=3&v=V1hDMiEanaQ&feature=youtu. be Claudette C. White, J. D.  Associate Judge for the Quechan Tribal Court located in Winterhaven, CA and Yuma, AZ. https://www. youtube. com/watch? _=4&v=K7CecE2z274&feature=youtu. be --- - Published: 2019-11-08 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2019/ EVENT TO BE HELD AT THE FOLLOWING TIME, DATE, AND LOCATION Presentations features: Decolonial and Liberatory perspectives in mental health, education, current systems and practices of law enforcement and community life. Aligning with organizations to install anti-racist and gender equity policies and practices Embracing spirituality outside of religious institutions Creating and embedding systems of social change that uphold values of equity, inclusion, and shared liberation. Disrupting systems of white supremacy by linking activists, scholars, educators, and healers from indigenous and bipoc communities. --- - Published: 2018-10-12 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2018/ Creative Healing Systems at the Colonial Wound Presentation Features: Decolonial and Liberatory perspectives in mental health, education, current systems and practices of law enforcement and community life. Aligning with organizations to install anti-racist and gender equity policies and practices Embracing spirituality outside of religious institutions Creating and embedding systems of social change that uphold values of equity, inclusion, and shared liberation. Disrupting systems of white supremacy by linking activists, scholars, educators, and healers from indigenous and bipoc communities. Creative Healing Systems at the Colonial Wound Resistance Through Art --- - Published: 2017-11-03 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2017/ Staying Awake and Mobilizing Hope Presentation Features: Decolonial and Liberatory perspectives in mental health, education, current systems and practices of law enforcement and community life. Aligning with organizations to install anti-racist and gender equity policies and practices Embracing spirituality outside of religious institutions Creating and embedding systems of social change that uphold values of equity, inclusion, and shared liberation. Disrupting systems of white supremacy by linking activists, scholars, educators, and healers from indigenous and bipoc communities. --- - Published: 2016-11-11 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2016/ Revolutionizing Our Scholarships, Our Streets and Our Practices Presentation Features: Decolonial and Liberatory perspectives in mental health, education, current systems and practices of law enforcement and community life. Aligning with organizations to install anti-racist and gender equity policies and practices Embracing spirituality outside of religious institutions Creating and embedding systems of social change that uphold values of equity, inclusion, and shared liberation. Disrupting systems of white supremacy by linking activists, scholars, educators, and healers from indigenous and bipoc communities. --- - Published: 2015-11-13 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2015/ Challenging Inequities: Decolonizing Practices and Social Action Presentation Features: Decolonial and Liberatory perspectives in mental health, education, current systems and practices of law enforcement and community life. Aligning with organizations to install anti-racist and gender equity policies and practices Embracing spirituality outside of religious institutions Creating and embedding systems of social change that uphold values of equity, inclusion, and shared liberation. Disrupting systems of white supremacy by linking activists, scholars, educators, and healers from indigenous and bipoc communities. --- - Published: 2014-10-03 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2014/ Decolonizing Via Indigenous Film & Aesthetic: The Transformative Power to Heal and Dream within Indigenous Film Presentation Features: Decolonial and Liberatory perspectives in mental health, education, current systems and practices of law enforcement and community life. Aligning with organizations to install anti-racist and gender equity policies and practices Embracing spirituality outside of religious institutions Creating and embedding systems of social change that uphold values of equity, inclusion, and shared liberation. Disrupting systems of white supremacy by linking activists, scholars, educators, and healers from indigenous and bipoc communities. Decolonizing Via Indigenous Film & Aesthetic: The Transformative Power to Heal and Dream within Indigenous Film --- - Published: 2008-10-03 - Modified: 2022-11-03 - URL: https://www.instituteforfamilyservices.com/event/lbhc-2008/ Liberation Based Healing: Just Therapy for a Just Society Presentation Features: Decolonial and Liberatory perspectives in mental health, education, current systems and practices of law enforcement and community life. Aligning with organizations to install anti-racist and gender equity policies and practices Embracing spirituality outside of religious institutions Creating and embedding systems of social change that uphold values of equity, inclusion, and shared liberation. Disrupting systems of white supremacy by linking activists, scholars, educators, and healers from indigenous and bipoc communities. --- ---