SaraKay Smullens

SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, BCD, CGP, CFLE, whose private and pro bono clinical social work practice is in Philadelphia, is a diplomate in clinical social worker, as well as a certified group psychotherapist and family life educator. She is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from NASW-PA, which recognized her longstanding community organization, advocacy, and activism, as well as the codification of patterns of emotional abuse and the development of a therapeutic model to address it.  SaraKay is the founder of the Philadelphia initiative, the Sabbath of Domestic Peace, which identified clergy as a “missing link” in addressing domestic violence, devoting itself to clergy involvement and education that prayer alone would not save lives, and couples in distress, due to abuse and violence, could not be seen together. SaraKay has published in peer-reviewed journals, is the best-selling author of Whoever Said Life Is Fair?: A Guide to Growing Through Life’s Injustices and Setting YourSelf Free: Breaking the Cycle of Emotional Abuse in Family, Friendships, Work, and Love.  Her latest book, now in its second printing is Burnout and Self-Care in Social Work: A Guidebook for Students and Those in Mental Health and Related Professions.  As a result, SaraKay has been invited to share findings on personal and societal burnout, and its implications during our recent Presidential election, in many settings —  living rooms, civic organizations, conferences, universities, and various academic and health settings.  She blogs for The Huffington Post and will also write for Arianna Huffington’s exciting new endeavor, Thrive Global. SaraKay’s professional papers and memorabilia are divided between the Archives of the University Pennsylvania, Goucher College, and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. Her professional life continues to be devoted to highlighting destructive personal, family, and societal directions through education, advocacy, and activism.

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