Pittsburgh · Altoona · Philadelphia · Statewide Telehealth
Condition Guides from our Therapists
Practical articles on relationships and how to improve your life using modern therapy practices.
CPA Counseling publishes condition guides and therapy articles written by our licensed therapists in Pittsburgh, Altoona, and Philadelphia. Every article is written from clinical experience — not generic wellness content. In-person and telehealth statewide.
Articles to Improve your Understanding
LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy in Pittsburgh
LGBTQ+ affirming therapy in Pittsburgh means a therapist you don’t have to edit yourself for — one who understands enough about your identity that you can focus on whatever actually matters that day. Pittsburgh has strong specialized LGBTQ+ organizations; a general affirming therapist is complementary, supporting anxiety, depression, trauma, relationships, school, work, and life transitions. Kelly Schworn, LPC offers a warm, person-centered, affirming space in the greater Pittsburgh area.
Acceptance vs. Forgiveness: Accepting People as They Are
Forgiveness and acceptance are related but distinct. Forgiveness is often about releasing resentment over something in the past; acceptance is about the present — letting go of the expectation that someone needs to change in order for you to be at peace. Acceptance isn’t approval, excusing, or giving up; it’s seeing a person clearly and protecting your own peace through adjusted expectations and boundaries. Dana Werner, LMSW helps clients with relationships and boundaries at CPA Counseling in Pittsburgh’s Robinson area and by telehealth across Pennsylvania.
Navigating Infertility with Compassion
Infertility is a genuine life crisis that can bring grief, stress, sadness, guilt, and relationship strain. It’s normal to feel this way, and avoiding self-blame while seeking support helps. Therapy offers coping skills, a space to process grief, and help navigating the experience as individuals and as a couple. Colleen Druga, LPC and the CPA team serve clients across Pennsylvania.
Teen Mental Health: Signs & How to Help
Teens today face school pressure, social media, and the challenges of adolescence, which can lead to isolation, anxiety, and depression. Warning signs include withdrawal, mood or sleep changes, dropping grades, and loss of interest. Parents can help by staying curious and non-judgmental, keeping communication open, and seeking professional support. Jessika Izzo, LPC and the CPA team support teens and families across Pennsylvania.
Building Healthy Relationships: Lessons From 30 Years
Healthy relationships are built on trust, respect, honest communication, boundaries, and the ability to repair after conflict — not luck or chemistry. They let each person be themselves, disagree without cruelty, and recover after a rupture. These are learnable skills, whatever your past relationships looked like. David Como, NCC, has worked with couples and individuals for more than 30 years at CPA Counseling in the Pittsburgh area.
Caregiving for an Aging Parent: The Emotional Toll
Caring for an aging parent can be emotionally exhausting, and it often stirs up unresolved feelings from the past alongside the practical demands. Guilt, grief, resentment, and self-doubt are common and don’t make you a bad caregiver. Setting boundaries, accepting help, and getting support protect your own well-being. Cristina Panaccione, LPC and the CPA team help caregivers across Pennsylvania.
READY TO START?
Don’t let fear keep writing your story
Anxiety rarely stays where it is. Left alone it tends to ask for a little more room each year — one more thing declined, one more route avoided, one more part of life quietly made smaller until the smaller version starts to feel like who you are. It doesn’t take a crisis to justify starting. It only takes deciding that this year isn’t going to look like last year. You don’t have to have it figured out first; you only have to make one decision that isn’t fear’s.