Claudia Listens

02/14/2026

I have just begun reading this book written by a wonderful neighbor Caroline Meline. This book is a beautiful interplay between the personal (her thoughts, reflections, challenges) and interesting and relevant theoretical material. I am enjoying learning from her.

I write from personal experience of overcoming a binge-fast eating disorder after learning some elusive truths. The essays draw on my work as a philosophy professor, combined with a life-long interest in the psychology of creativity and art. Click to read THE CONSTANT DIETER'S PHILOSOPHY NOTEBOOK, b...

11/07/2025

A Walk in the Wissahickon
What do we need?
Connection!
What else do we need?
Sunshine, fresh air, a sparkling stream
And what else?
Time to relax, breathe, be.
Join me for fall hike in the beautiful Wissahickon!
Saturday., November 15, 2025, 11:20-2ish
Meeting place: Blue Bell Park, 842 W. Walnut Lane, Phila., 19144
https://myphillypark.org/explore/parks/blue-bell-park/
Bring a good lunch and plenty of water! And a snack to share (cookies, carrots, dried fruit, apples) There is limited seating at Kitchen's Lane, so I encourage you to bring a towel or something else to sit on.
Questions and RSVP: contact Claudia at claudialistens@gmail.com

02/04/2025

Something solid is gained by participating in group discussions of clinical cases.

Most of our clients have so much going on in their lives, between their current life challenges and the past traumas they carry. It can be difficult to know how to help them in their efforts for integration and wholeness.

My clinical supervision group is a great place to talk about our clients' situations, gain insight about what is going on for them and learn how to assist them in moving their lives forward.

This group meets weekly on Tuesdays, from 12-1, on Zoom. Both LSWs and LCSWs are members of the group and offer each other feedback and support.
(Participating LSWs will get their clinical hours for licensure.)
The fee is $50/week.

Brief bio: I'm a graduate of Bryn Mawr School of Social Work and Social Research and have a post master's in marriage and family therapy. I'm an attachment oriented, psychodynamic psychotherapist with a deep understanding of the intergenerational transmission of trauma.

For further information, contact Claudialistens@gmail.com or call me at 215-317-8855.

03/26/2023

This past week has been international water week. As protesters said at Standing Rock, Water is Life. Those simple words say it all.

I was fortunate to join Meghan Dwyer for a water ceremony at the convergence of two streams- a place I’ve swam and watched the water ripples shimmer against the rocks. It was so good to be with others who also honor the water. Even walking there in silence was healing, ceremonial. I felt calmed by quiet energy of the trees.
May we all celebrate the gifts of the earth.

10/11/2022

For over thirty years, I stayed in a marriage where I, anyway, was unhappy much of the time.
How was that possible in this day and age? Read more at https://www.claudialistens.com/why-i-endured-a-marriage-for-over-30-years/

10/07/2022

Is figuring out what to do about your relationship often on your mind?
Relationships are about the hardest things on earth. They are full of ups and downs, hopes and disappointment, even despair. Deciding what to do about that complex mix of good and bad can occupy a lot of energy and time.
Would you like to join a group where talking about that complex mix of emotions is what the group is about?
On October 18, th I’m starting a group called “Can this Relationship Be Saved? To Leave or To Stay?”
The group will meet weekly on Zoom, from 7 to 8:30 pm.
If you would like more information about this group, please contact me, Claudia Apfelbaum, LCSW, at claudialistens@gmail.com
www.ClaudiaListens.com

10/02/2022

Can this Relationship be Saved? To Leave or to Stay?
A group for women who are contemplating divorce is starting on October 18th.
The idea of leaving one’s partner is a complex and often terrifying experience. It’s an emotional roller coaster.
Being in a group, you can explore all that is going on for you. No feeling is too big or too small to be talked about.
Come and feel strengthened by this supportive group!
Contact me, Claudia Apfelbaum, LCSW, at claudialistens@gmail.com

05/24/2022

Befriending Yourself-A workshop, Saturday, June 4th, 2-4:30
Sponsored by Mt. Airy Learning Tree https://aceweb.mtairylearningtree.org/CourseStatus.awp?&course=22SMB23

Remember that still, quiet voice within you? It is still there, waiting to be ignited.
In this workshop, we will look at the kind of messages we have received that discourage us from listening to ourselves, we will talk about our strengths, and we will write a plan for actualizing our dreams.
Now is the time to live the life you have always wanted to live. Come to this workshop to begin the process.

Offered by Claudia Apfelbaum, LCSW
Claudia Apfelbaum, LCSW, is a dynamic therapist who lives and works in Germantown. She offers growthful strategies to help people to heal from childhood trauma.
www.ClaudiaListens.com

03/08/2021

Today is International Women’s Day! While one month and one day is far from being enough to honor the importance and impact women have, it is still a platform to bring attention to the strength we demonstrate every day

To honor this, I wanted to contribute my thoughts on the resiliency of women in a world that is continually challenging us

Women are wonderful humans! We are smart, capable and perceptive. We are resilient and passionate. In the face of calamity, we find solutions…. We are deep and creative thinkers. In the face of poverty, we extend our table. We are connected to the earth and its struggles. We are connected to one a...

02/11/2021

For a while now it feels like days can seem like years and years can seem like days. That is why it is even more important to honor special times with those we care about. As Valentine’s Day is coming up, I wanted to share something I wrote for the Local about honoring February, among other things, as the month of Love.

You can find the article on my blog (below) or on page six of the Local's print version at https://indd.adobe.com/view/e9eff3cd-8e29-4f4b-af2a-f3762a40faa5

LOVE DURING LOCKDOWN This article was published by the North West Local in February 2021. Among many other things, such as Black History month and President’s Day, February is the month of love, of Valentine’s Day!This year Valentine’s Day will be unlike any other in our known histories.Some o...

01/27/2021

In the Time of Corona is currently recruiting new members!

This is a weekly online group for older adults who wish to make meaningful contact and connections. It is comprised of a group of intelligent, thoughtful, and invested individuals. The group enjoys a range of dialogue from the personal and interpersonal to the political. Members have reported that this has been an incredibly nourishing experience and gain a lot from their interactions with one another.

New Group! In the Time of Corona Is this prolonged social isolation getting to you? Would you like a place to talk about your life with a group of friendly, caring and perceptive individuals? Would you like to feel more connected to other people? Wednesday afternoons, 2 to 3:30 EST on Zoom Cost: Ple...

01/04/2021

It is the beginning of the new year and a future with an and end to our locked-in lives is beginning to feel real. Some of you or your loved ones might have even started receiving the vaccine! This is a time for cautious, but renewed optimism and is also a good time to take account of what our experiences have been.

We need to come to terms with the impact the past year has had, while also seizing the opportunity to take control of the future this year can hold. Processing these experiences, feelings, the relationships we may have gained or lost, and what this all means is important. In the Time of Corona is a safe facilitated virtual space to come together with peers to talk about whatever is on your mind and get a respite from the day to day feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Staying informed about the impact of social isolation and how it might be affecting yourself and your loved ones is important to your overall well being. Julianne Hunt-Lundstat has been doing work around the issue of the impacts of social isolation for years. I wanted to share information and recommendations she has for people during this time of Corona that includes concrete actions you can take every day.

https://fb.watch/2OUcs9sUpL/