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DAPP Event: The Strain that the COVID-19 Pandemic has Placed on Couples

Relationships require work and they need to be nurtured. At the end of the day, we all want to feel connected and loved. However, there are some situations, which are often triggered by negative feelings, where we become emotionally disconnected from each other. This COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives, and many people now live under the same roof 24/7 with their partner. For many, this new version of coexistence with their partner has proved challenging. Couples have had to learn to interact with each other in a different way when handling work, children, and household chores. In this webinar, Roxanna and Sandra will address the challenges that many couples are facing due to pandemic stress, and they will also discuss coping strategies, including ways to improve communication with your partner. Specifically, they'll talk about how to break negative cycles of interaction and how to prevent escalation that could lead to increased stress and detachment. (Webinar – 60 minutes)

Hosted by: Roua Hijazi

Presenters: Roxanna Losada-Radley MA, LCPC and Sandra Cohen MS, LCPC

WED: 02/24/2021: 12:00 pm (Noon) Wash DC, 8:00 pm Nairobi

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Roxanna is a Clinical Psychotherapist with over 30 years of experience, working with individuals, couples and families. She is licensed as a Clinical Professional Counselor in the State of Maryland and in Washington, DC. She has studied and trained at the University of Belgrano, Buenos Aires; Massachusetts Mental Health Center, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, Boston; Massachusetts Institute of Spain, Madrid; The Ackerman Institute for the Family, New York; and the Washington School of Psychiatry, Washington, DC; and the Washington Baltimore Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy. Drawing from her training, Roxanna employs an Attachment Theory approach to couple's therapy. Her goal is to help couples reconnect with the feelings that brought them together, creating new strong connections, and changing negative patterns that create distress and detachment. For 11 years, Roxanna worked in the Counseling Unit at the World Bank Group and IMF. These opportunities have helped her gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and richness of living in a different culture.

Sandra is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in the State of Maryland and Washington, DC. She has practiced psychotherapy since 1990, and has experience working with adults, adolescents, couples, and families in a wide range of settings. She received her Master's degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from San Francisco State University. She trained at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto and the Family Therapy Institute of Washington, DC. Most recently, she trained at the Washington Baltimore Center for Emotional Focused Therapy. Sandra has worked in a variety of settings including The Family Therapy Institute, Montgomery County Social Services, in public schools, and in private practice. She has been in the Washington, DC area for the last 28 years where she established her practice and continues to learn. Sandra was born in Argentina and came to the United States in 1986. As an immigrant, she appreciates the complex process of adaptation many people go through when they come to this country.