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Judith Coché Clinical Psychologist, The Coché Center, LLC "I don't think anyone took me seriously enough" Judith Coché served as early female leader in mental health field John George From the Philadelphia Business Journal More than a quarter-century ago, Judith Coché established one of the first female-run, nonmedical mental health practices on the East Coast. Her intent, however, was never to be a pioneer. �It wasn�t about being well known or doing something important,� Coche said. �It was just what I wanted to do.� Coché, whose mother attended The Juilliard School, said she originally set out to become an elementary school music teacher, which she said was one of the more acceptable career paths for women at the time. After finding the pursuit of a teaching degree a less-than-satisfactory experience, Coché shifted her focus to psychology. �I wanted to sing and write when I grew up because I inherited my mother�s musical gifts, and I loved to write,� Coché said. �But I knew this was not a good bet for supporting a family, so I decided I needed a combination of practicality and high creativity. Psychology provided that.� Nobody intervened when she began pursuing her goal of opening a practice on the first floor of her Delancey Place home in Rittenhouse Square. �I don�t think anybody took me serious enough to attempt to dissuade me,� she joked. Coché did have one problem to overcome. Zoning rules for Delancey Place, or any place in the city, prohibited nonmedical psychology practices in residential homes. An attorney advised her that, given the influence of her neighbors, she would have more luck getting the zoning rules changed for the entire city. So, that�s what she set out to do. At the time, she was the first female president of the Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists. The organization took up the cause and she led a successful effort to change the zoning laws for the whole city. Originally focused on providing mental health care for children, she now specializes in couples group psychotherapy to prevent divorce and strengthen families. Coché estimates the practice, called the Coché Center, has served several thousand clients from throughout the region during the past 33 years. The Coché Center, LLC has expanded beyond Rittenhouse Square. Following the death of her first husband, Coché used donations from friends and family to create Couples School, a low-cost, weekend public education workshop series designed to prevent divorce and strengthen families. The school has helped more than 500 local couples. �I believe we should look more at preventing couples from running into trouble, not fixing marriages once they become broken,� she said. Four months ago, the Coché Center reopened a branch location at the Jersey Shore in Stone Harbor. Coché was nominated for the Philadelphia Business Journal�s �Women of Distinction� honor by Ben Frank, executive director of the Center City Proprietors Association. Coché has been affiliated with the association since 1995. Frank said he was impressed with how Coché organized a retreat earlier this year for the association�s board members on the Moshulu at Penn�s Landing. �She got all the board members to commit to the whole day and everybody got a lot out of it,� Frank said. �Just by the very definition of what she does, she�s a great listener. She works very hard to understand people and bring people together.� Clinicians and Academicians from The Coché Center, LLC have been involved in academic publishing for over 20 years. Highlights include two books, one training tape, and educational workbooks for the public and the educators who train them. Workbooks include course outlines for The Couples School, The Couples Intimacy School, The Couples Money School, and The Singles School. Couples Group Psychotherapy (Brunner Mazel, 1990): Drs. Judith and Erich Coché co-authored this pioneering model for work for couples in groups shortly before Dr. Erich Coché's untimely death in 1991. The text is used in national training and forms the foundation for the couples groups at The Coché Center, LLC. Powerful Wisdom (Norton Press, 1993): Drs. Laureen Nevels and Judith Coché co-authored this clinical research study of 192 distinguished female clinical psychologists as an outgrowth of the mentor relationship Dr. Coché developed with Dr. Nevels. Long a center of psychotherapy for female mental health professionals, The Coché Center, LLC has offered academic and clinical training, as well as personal development for females in the mental health professions. Techniques in Couples Group Psychotherapy (Brunner Mazel, 1990): This 45 minute color training video highlights live group work for 4 couples led by Drs. Eerichg and Judith Coché. It is used in local, national, and international training. |