Celebrate Emotional Wellness Month This October: Schedule a Relationship Check-up

(San Diego - October 1, 2009) - When was the last time you took a break from your busy schedule to focus exclusively on your relationship? In honor of Emotional Wellness Month this October, the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) reminds you that taking time to maintain and enhance your relationships is an important step toward overall emotional wellness.

A relationship check-up is an opportunity to focus on a relationship that is important to you, whether it's a significant other, partner or husband/wife. A relationship check-up can also be a great tool for relationships that aren't romantic as well - think mother-daughter, father-son, sister-brother or any combination thereof.

As part of the check-up, a marriage and family therapist can provide you the opportunity to talk to a third-party about the past, present and future of your relationship, and can provide tools and strategies to help you improve or enhance your relationship.

"Think of it as taking your car in for regularly scheduled maintenance," said Patsy Pinkney-Phillips, president of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Board and a licensed marriage and family therapist. "An annual relationship check-up provides a critical tune-up that can help your relationship continue to thrive. Instead of waiting for something to break before seeking therapy, a yearly check-up can catch problems before they become damaging or prevent them altogether."

1. You've reached a relationship milestone. Are you celebrating a special anniversary? Are you engaged? Did you move in together?
   
   
2. You are entering a new life stage. Did you recently become parents? Has a parent passed away? Have you retired?
   
   
3. Your family unit has changed. Has a child moved out of the house? Have you lost a child or partner? Have you adopted a child or given birth? Are you caring for a parent?
   
   
4. Your Financial status has changed. Did you get a promotion? Change your career path? Were you laid off?
   
   
5. You are a in a relationship. Period. Relationships take work. A therapist can serve as an objective third-party and trusted confidante. A relationship check-up is another way to invest in a partnership that matters to you.

About CAMFT
The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) is a professional organization representing the state's leading licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. CAMFT provides CounselingCalifornia.com as a resource for individuals looking for marriage and family therapists located in California. Marriage and Family Therapists treat a range of issues including depression, anxiety, phobias/fears, elder and child issues, relationship issues, post-traumatic stress and severe mental illness. For more information, visit www.camft.org or www.CounselingCalifornia.com.

Media Contact: Amber Albrecht
Porter Novelli
Phone: (619) 687-7015 or (949) 500-2535
E-mail: amber.albrecht@porternovelli.com