Phyllis Swint, PhD, is the director of Clinical Training and assistant clinical professor in the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy. She is a licensed couple and family therapist, clinical fellow in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and candidate for designation as AAMFT Approved Supervisor.

As an alumnus, Swint has maintained a long-standing relationship with CoFT and Drexel University (formerly MCP Hahnemann) since graduating with her Masters’ of Family Therapy (MFT) in 1995. Prior to her full-time appointment as director of Clinical Training/assistant clinical professor, Swint held several program and clinical director positions in community mental health settings that were instrumental in providing clinical training opportunities for Drexel MFT students for over two decades. She has worked extensively with the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities, the Philadelphia prisons, Philadelphia Family Court, as well as Philadelphia’s massive network of child welfare and behavioral health agencies, with an eye to strengthening service provision and advocacy for vulnerable and marginalized populations.

Swint received her doctorate in Couple and Family Therapy at Drexel, with her doctoral research study that addressed the importance of systemic collaboration and treatment in the Philadelphia prisons to reduce recidivism outcomes for incarcerated women. This was the culmination of years of prison-to-community clinical work that continues to contribute to her subsequent clinical and scholarly interests that include: supervision and training, families impacted by incarceration, mental health and addiction; and the formulation of equitable healthcare and family policy for vulnerable and marginalized communities. She teaches in both the Masters of Family Therapy and doctorate of Couple and Family Therapy programs.

Professional Society

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy: Clinical Fellow

Selected Publications

Richardson, A., Davey, M.P., & Swint, P.A. (2013, July). Female adoptees’ experiences balancing relationships with biological and adoptive mothers’ post-reunification. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 39(3), 358-372.

Family Therapy News, Volume 27, number 4, August 1996: “Reunification of Inmates and their Families: Treatment Considerations”

Grant participation: HRSA/OWEP Project (2019-2022)

Research Interests

Advocacy and policy development in the field of MFT.

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 2009
PhD in Couple & Family Therapy
Dissertation: “The Effect of Family Therapy on
Prison-based Substance Abuse Treatment and
Recidivism Outcomes for Incarcerated Women”

(Drexel) Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA, 1995
Master in Family Therapy

Temple University, Philadelphia, PA , 1992
BA in Psychology