- Home
- 2023-06 Newsletter
| What Therapists Need to Know about Black Folks and Other People of Color (BIPOC)
Friday, June 2nd, 2023
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
ZOOM, 6.0 CEs Presented by Shawn LaRé Brinkley, LMFT Register here. |
Note: Participation in this program replaces reading two books in our Justice Project: Antiracism. Be sure to find out more here.
Featured member
Did you miss the BBS-MANDATED 3 CE Telehealth course?
Telehealth: Law & Ethics, Technology, and Best Practices for Connecting with Your Clients with Lisa Wenninger, BC-TMH Starting in early June, catch it on video here, and get your mandated 3 CEs before July 1st. Return to top RECAMFT's Mission Statement The purpose of RECAMFT is to promote and maintain professional competence and integrity with knowledge, innovation, compassion, humor and respect for human dignity and diversity. We do this by providing opportunities for networking, education and community outreach. Got a sticky problem? Come discuss it confidentially with your colleagues at our next Ethics Roundtable
Not consultation, just a great way to get some ideas about how to handle your sticky case. Friendly and open group. Learn more here.
Did you get your Pride sticker shown below in the mail? If not, please let us know: therapy@recamft.org.
Above: RECAMFT's Pride Sticker mailed to all members in 2023. Let us know if yours didn't arrive, and we can send you one. Send inquiries to therapy@recamft.org. | Talking about charged issues typically is a fine line to walk. I grew up believing, and I still believe, in using one’s voice to speak for those who have been silenced or are unable to, or cannot speak for themselves. To be marginalized, “othered,” silenced, for disallowing the sharing of one’s thoughts or opinions is demeaning, dehumanizing, and one of the hardest things to be endured.
RECAMFT itself, spearheaded by our Racial and Social Justice Committee (RSJC) led by Co-chairs Linda Block, LMFT and Katharina Kienböck, LMFT, drafted a letter which the RSJC members and RECAMFT’s Board of Directors all signed. It was then posted on our listserv to add our members’ voices, if they wished, to our letter to be sent to CAMFT. There was an amazing response in support – 60 members added their signatures. This included nine of RECAMFT’s own past presidents as well as two CAMFT past presidents. A total of 76 people signed this letter. I am so proud of our community in how quickly we were able to rally together to ask for a hurt to be properly addressed and corrected. As the letter to CAMFT requested, we were all able to work together collaboratively to write this missive. Our goal was met welcomingly by CAMFT with this submission. Additionally, there was a very impassioned listserv discussion which stemmed from the call to action. Again, I am very proud of and applaud those who stood up, spoke up, and shared their thoughts, even if those thoughts were different from others’. It is possible to have different points of view and still have a discussion. As of the writing of this article, CAMFT did post an apology the week of May 1st, 2023 on Instagram. CAMFT’s Executive Director, Joy Alafia, joined RECAMFT’s May 12th Board of Directors meeting to offer a further apology, share the steps CAMFT has already undertaken, and the plans to continue to work on repair and healing. She thanked us for our letter and insights provided. Joy's apology appears in the March/April edition of The Therapist. For those of you who may be newer to RECAMFT, we started The Justice Project tracks in 2022. Last year’s track was “Justice Project: Antiracism.” This year’s track, fittingly, focuses on LGBTQ+ Affirming Care. Part of both tracks is to encourage allyship. As those with privilege, meaning those not experiencing harms because of skin color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any of the other marginalized people in our communities, it is our duty to stand up and speak up. This is the way change occurs without more deaths. In California, we are lucky as there are more protections than in other states and some countries. Transgender, gay and lesbian folx, and other LGBTQ+ people cannot be their authentic selves in today’s world for fear of harm and even death for who they are. I have a hard time existing where this is considered acceptable. All of us matter, deserve to live freely as we are, and with supports to be the best versions of ourselves. I leave you today, again applauding those who were quick to join our quest and celebrating those who encouraged us to broaden our minds. Let us make the world a better place for all by uplifting our voices to support others, especially those who have been silenced. In deepest gratitude,
Gina L. Culver, MS, LMFT President, RECAMFT.org
Thank you so much to both Tara D'Orazio and Lisa Wenninger for making RECAMFT one of the first CAMFT chapters to offer this wonderful benefit!! Anyone anywhere in the world can pay for and watch our programs. This promises to add an additional income stream for RECAMFT, and we are just thrilled about it! SAVE THE DATE! Live and in-person - coming October 27th - LAW & ETHICS
Below: Picture from one of our last in-person events at Furth Center, Law & Ethics with Dave Jensen, 2019.
We STILL need help with
Please send an email to therapy@recamft.org if you can help. Return to top
|
.png)
Recently, our parent organization, CAMFT, published a harmful and hurtful “Letter to the Editor” in the March/April 2023 edition of The Therapist magazine which was in response to its November 2022 article on gender-affirming care. The feedback and outrage was immediate.
Gina Culver, LMFT is a 
RECAMFT introduces on-demand CE programming so that anyone can purchase and view our excellent video programs and receive California BBS CEs! Here is 
Attorney, topics to be announced
Meet RECAMFT's Prelicensed Chair and Director at Large, 
Call for Submissions for the Sept. 2023 Issue of The RECAMFT Therapist!
September is National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month, National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and World Alzheimer’s Disease Month. Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15th to Oct. 15th. We especially welcome submissions where these themes intersect with mental health. Please send your submission (500 word max) to therapy@recamft.org by the 15th. Questions? therapy@recamft.org. Return to top
|
The Origins of Pride Month By JoAnn Consiglieri, LMFT
Though the origins of Pride Month span back to the 50s, President Bill Clinton officially declared it, “Gay and Lesbian Pride Month" in 2000. President Barack Obama made the commemorative time more inclusive in 2011, titling it “Lesbian Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month”. Pride honors the Gay Rights Protests of the 60s. Caitlin McCarthy, the archivist for The Center, an LGBT+ community center in New York City explains, the Stonewall Riots were one of many riots throughout our country, and uprisings like those at Stonewall and The Haven in New York, Cooper Donuts and the Black Cat Tavern in LA, and Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco were "all responses to police harassment and brutality" toward the queer population at that time. During those times men could be legally arrested for doing drag, and those perceived as women could also be arrested if they were found wearing less than three pieces of “feminine clothing”. Police often raided bars to search for these alleged violations. And so, the night that most see as the origin of Pride was June 28, 1969, when the patrons of the Stonewall Inn bar in NY led by trans women and femmes of color fought back against another police raid. The first Pride March, a rally in NYC on the last Saturday of June was nicknamed Christopher Street (the physical home of the Stonewall Inn) Liberation Day. Stonewall continues to be the most culturally recognized beginning of Pride celebrations. Trans and gender expansive folks of color started Pride as they suffered greatly over the years and still do presently. “Gay Pride” replaced “Gay Power” in the 1970s. The mantra, “Gay Power” was commonly used in queer publications and at protests in the early 60s and 70s. Many local groups from the Black Power movement and radical queer organizing groups were able to unite against police brutality in the 70s. Radical organizing was happening with the antiwar movement at this time, so they learned from each other in the face of needed radical structural change as groups of people were facing continual oppression. “Pride” is used today to refer to LGBTQ+ people's achievements and celebrations. Is one month of visibility out of the year sufficient to celebrate and ensure safety for queer people? Regardless of how you and I celebrate Pride, knowing its history has given me continued and much more compassion for my queer friends and the thousands of queer individuals who have suffered and died, and for those still living who suffer. In 2019, I became aware that a group from the First Congregational Church of Sonoma, had been attending the Pride Parade in San Francisco as the “Church Ladies and Gents for Gay Rights” and that year I decided to join them. It was a gorgeous day in SF, and the numbers on Market Street were in the thousands. We dressed in long dresses, gloves and hats, the look of the very traditional conservative church women of the 19th and 20th Centuries and maybe the 21st Century in Middle America. Our signs read, “I support Gay Marriage!", “33 years together, 3 years married!", “We are All God’s Children!" Individuals came up to me thanking me for my acceptance of them when their parents and church could not. There were tears shed, hands shaken, and hugs given and received.
This year, I will join them again. What will you do? Photo credit of "Church Ladies" at SF Pride Parade: John Hershey.
Rustic Ranch Reunion at The Bridle Path An Enchanting Afternoon of friendly faces, horse encounters, and BBQ - Free! Sat., June 24th, 2023, 1pm to 4pm Register here. | RECAMFT's Racial and Social Justice Pledge
We strive to advocate, educate, collaborate, and strategize for positive racial and social justice change within our membership and our community.
Check out all the following events!
Contact therapy@recamft.org to advertise a job. Introducing our new Programs Chair! We need two more people on the Programs Committee to help Cindy choose and schedule our next year's speakers. This is a really fun job. Really! Please send your interest to therapy@recamft.org.
If you are not currently enrolled in the listserv, please email therapy@recamft.org and ask to be added. You have the option of setting up your account to be
After you have been added to the listserv, you can change the way you receive the emails to any of the above choices. In Gmail the emails will appear under your Forums tab. To send an email to the listserv, simply address your email to recamft@groups.io If you do not want to be on our listserv, you can delete your account or write to therapy@recamft.org and ask to not be a part of the listserv. But we urge you to give it a try. You are missing out on a ton of meaningful collaboration with your colleagues. We hope you will enjoy being part of our online community! |
The Racial and Social Justice Committee of RECAMFT in February launched its 2023 
In college in 1960 and beyond, I became quite aware of LGBTQ+ persons, who for their safety, both physically and emotionally, had to hide, be secretive, lie because of the reactions they received from others, due to the very real possibility of job loss and danger from an unaccepting society. I often think that my special, paternal Aunt Marie, who, coming to SF as an infant from Italy was a lesbian. As children we would often ask her, “Do you have a husband”, and her reply was, “Yes, his name is Pasquali and he is out at sea”. Of course, Pasquali never came home to visit. What would it have been like for Auntie Marie to have been able to live her life in the “open”, to be seen and accepted? She died in 1995 at 89 years. Did she have a life separate from us, where she found personal intimacy outside of her family? I hope so. She had many women friends, but I suspect it was very uncomfortable growing up in a very Catholic family to be open to her family members about her sexual orientation.
JoAnn Consiglieri, LMFT is a member of our Racial and Social Justice Committee (RSJC). She has a 
Participate in the Justice Project : Antiracism by 12/31/23 and receive a lovely Certificate of Achievement for your wall! Click 
Meet 
Our listserv has over 400 members on it, and is active daily with great conversations, resources, offerings, in search of, books, movies, office rentals, jobs, internships, etc. You can view the home page of our listserv at
|
|
June Compassion Fatigue Peer Support Group Meeting
Be the Change in Mental Health website here. Click the picture below to download a clickable PDF. Find out more about being a supporter of RECAMFT here. Return to top
|
|
Send us a picture of your sticker! We want to see all the creative places our members placed the stickers we sent you. Please send pictures to therapy@recamft.org. Below is JoAnn Consiglieri's sticker on her office window.
* Sundays in Santa Rosa from 5-6 pm online and in person * Thursdays in Windsor from 10-11 am in person Starting in June, Sonoma County Counseling is offering a group for new mothers of infants and toddlers ages 0-2. This group runs for 8 weeks with weekly discussion topics. The group is to connect, support and grow with other Sonoma County mothers. We accept Medi-Cal through Partnership Health Plan. Otherwise we have a sliding scale fee of $40 per session. Please contact newmoms@sonomacountycounseling.com to reserve your spot! Return to top | Check out what we've got in store for you! Upcoming fun events!! Return to top Upcoming events
|
Members! Your SHORT DESCRIPTION is the most important thing on your profile. Why? Because that shows in our 
I'd like you to do a visualization of remembering what it was like when you were in grad school, when you were interning and when you were first licensed - all the challenges you faced. Now imagine what an additional $1,000 would have meant to you. This is what our RECAMFT scholarship strives to provide - an opportunity to assist our future generation of therapists to further their training or their projects that support our mental health field. We are also joining in support of our social justice committee in giving priority to applications from underrepresented groups in our field. Two years ago we made a dream of trying to provide support to our future generation of therapists with financial need scholarship opportunities for both pre-licensed and newly licensed (within 3 years) a reality. The RECAMFT Board agreed to provide matching funds to fund to fulfill 3 years of the scholarship program, with our members contributing an equal amount. Unfortunately, we are behind on our goal of members raising the additional $4500 we need - we have raised 64% of that. And it would be so easy to achieve this important goal! We have 475 active members and 777 members total, and if everyone of them gave just $10 we would exceed this goal! And, if every active member gave the cost of what they charge for one therapy session we could fund this great cause for well over 10 years. Please support this worthy cause. Please consider giving a tax-deductible donation to our Joe and Pamela Ward Scholarship Program to continue our program of financial support for our emerging clinicians who face high expenses and low pay.
The funds that make these awards possible have been generously donated by members of our chapter and are doubled by matching funds authorized by our Board of Directors. Your donations will go twice as far! We have raised $2840 towards our goal of $4500 which funds the scholarship program for 2022, 2023. We are just $1660 away from meeting our goal to fund 2024! Please visit www.recamft.org/scholarship to give a tax-free donation today! Return to top | Are you creative? Join us for our Crafting Group. Bring any craft you like, get on Zoom with us and visit with your colleagues while we knit, sew, paint, draw, cook, create, etc. Return to top
Find out more about advertising with RECAMFT here.
The all-new Spirit of RECAMFT Award is intended to highlight or showcase our members who are working in the community to support the mental health profession and the well-being of our community at large. It is for those members who may not necessarily be seen but have contributed to unmet needs and or advancements in the mental health profession. At the heart of this award is acknowledging someone who embodies all of the aspects of RECAMFT’s mission, values, vision, and commitment to the profession and mental well-being within the community. Find out more here. Return to top |
A message from 
Announcing the What you missed: "Evolve Mind Wellness Sebastopol Clinic Offers New Hope to its Patients" By Michael Krikorian, LMFT If you missed this program on Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, it can be viewed in our Members CE Video Library here.
We had a very interesting and informative presentation of Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy by four of the staff from EVOLVE Mind Wellness Clinic in Sebastopol on May 5, 2023. These include German Ascani, MD, Suegee Tamer-Mattis, DO, Celeste Monnette, LCSW and Moksha Lea Donahue, LMFT. Dr. Ascani and Dr. Tamar-Mattis explained that ketamine was first synthesized in 1962 and approved for general anesthesia in 1970. Because it had a short half life and a rapid antidepressant effect, studies were done on its off label use. Early studies showed that the antidepressant effect was short lived so an IV protocol with repeated infusions was developed. Dr. Ascani believes with the addition of therapeutic procedures in the ketamine sessions patients achieve more long term change and improvement in psychological functioning. He said ketamine works on the serotonin receptors and the glutamine signaling system. He stated ketamine helps with the brain's ability to grow new neurons and its ability to form new pathways between neurons. Different than most other psychedelic substances, ketamine can be used concurrently with antidepressants and still be effective. Indications for use of ketamine include depression, bipolar depression, suicidal ideation, trauma including developmental trauma, anxiety, life threatening illness, end of life issues, OCD, personality disorders and psycho-spiritual growth. Contraindications include thought disorders such as schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, active psychosis, extreme borderline conditions and severe substance abuse. There are also some medical contraindications. Celeste and Moksha described how they provide the therapeutic approach to the actual ingestion/infusion of the medicine by the client. There are screening sessions to see if they are appropriate, and preparation sessions to help the person understand what will be happening, and to clarify their intentions. There are then 4 - 6 actual ketamine sessions spread over 2 months. In a session which may last 2 1/2 hours, the peak effect of the medicine lasts for 30-45 minutes. A therapist is with the client the entire time and an integration counseling session occurs later. The EVOLVE Clinic is starting to offer group sessions which have advantages of their own and keep the costs down for the client. The therapists state this medicine reduces defenses and allows the client to access memories to which they would normally be unable to recall. This can allow for deep shifts in perspective and people often shift from an intellectual understanding of what they are working on, to a felt sense of freedom from the issues. The client's narrative about themselves and the world can often then shift. Thank you to the staff of EVOLVE Mind Wellness Clinic for educating us on the details of this exciting new treatment approach. For further information on their work, go to www.evolvemindwellness.com.  Michael Krikorian, MFT is a Sonoma County therapist who works with individuals and couples both in person and online. He has been in practice for over 40 years and has a website at www.krikorianmft.com. Return to top |
Minutes from the Board meetings are always available on the Members Only page.
After working with a letter to CAMFT composed by our Racial and Social Justice Committee, the Board signed onto the letter, and members were invited to include their names. The Letter of Concern expressed RECAMFT's concern, outrage and upset over a Letter to the Editor published in CAMFT's Jan/Feb edition of The Therapist. As a result, CAMFT's Executive Director, Joy Alafia (pictured to the left) attended the May Board meeting to address our letter and apologize, along with explaining the actions CAMFT plans to take to address policies and procedures to ensure it never happens again. Joy was there from 9:15 to 9:45 am.
The process of creating budgets for committees was discussed, and Emily Larkin agreed to write a new policy/procedure. Bob Casanova volunteered to work with Linda Block and Katharina Kienböck, on the Racial and Social Justice Committee on their committee budget.
Due to low attendance (only 37 members had signed up at that time) for the June 2nd event, the Board decided to change the event to Zoom, and transfer the monies it paid at Furth to a fall Law & Ethics event. The caterer also agreed to transfer her deposit to a future event.
Cindy Richardson attended and has agreed to take the position of Programs Chair! Thank you, Cindy!! Bob Casanova and Gina Culver will help her transition into it. Cindy asked how to procure additional members for her committee. Soliciting on the listserv was suggested.
Q. How did the RECAMFT Board decide to pay members who lead groups (Ethics Roundtable, Prelicensed, etc.) for us an honorarium of $80/hr?
A. The Board went through a lengthy consideration process, including the formulation of the Ad-hoc committee which met over several months time. Adjustments were made to the language of the policy, the specification of groups being clinical and the qualifications to be considered as such, the future vetting process that would occur to add any additional groups, and rationale for the stipend amount. We chose $80/hr because it was large enough to recognize the qualifications of the group host, while not being so large as to replace a normal counseling session. The Board hopes this decision will incentivize additional members to run groups. The Ethics Roundtable facilitator, Reyna Seminara, recused herself and our Prelicensed Chair, Jessica Heaney, was not present for the vote. Pat Hromolik started a Compassion Fatigue group with the approval of the Board, and she stated her intention not to be paid for running this group. Return to top
Photos from the CAMFT Annual Conference, Santa Clara, May 5, 2023
We are so proud of Dr. Bob Casanova, who was awarded CAMFT's highest honor, The Mary Riemersma Distinguished Clinical Member Award. Bottom right: Vicky Rohrer and Barbara Young seated on the stage. Both are serving on CAMFT's Board of Directors.
Dr. Bob Casanova, CAMFT Past President Danah Williams (center) and CAMFT President Dr. Lisa Cox Romain.
A close up of Dr. Bob Casanova's award: The Mary Riemersma Distinguished Clinical Member Award, which is CAMFT's highest honor. Read the nomination letter here. To nominate a colleague go to https://www.camft.org/honors.
| Dr. Bob Casanova and Dr. Laura Strom, both past presidents of CAMFT celebrating Bob's award.
Below: Vicky Rohrer, Juan Gavida, and Barbara Young. Vicky is a CAMFT Director at Large, and Barbara will become CAMFT Secretary on June 1st.
|
The Science for Transgender Health Care is Clear By Linda Block, LMFT (she/her)
While religion can guide our personal ethics, therapists operate in a scientific field just like psychologists and physicians. We are all guided by the same principles of evidence-based practice in the pursuit of providing health care with the best possible outcomes. The science is clear: The World Professional Association for Transgender Health states WPATH’s long-standing Standards of Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse People (TGD), eighth version (SOC8), explain in detail the science- and evidence-based benefits of gender affirming care for TGD people. Legislation that restricts or prohibits access to this care is against best practice medical standards. Major medical associations including The American Medical Association, The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Counseling Association, The American Public Health Association, and The American Psychiatric Association support the provision of gender-affirming care for Transgender and Gender Diverse people as medically necessary care. Global contributors of SOC- 8 participated in rigorous debate and methodology to ratify science- and evidence-based care guidelines. Legislation and alternative models of ‘care’ seeking to inhibit / restrict access to care are in direct contradiction to decades of research and studies proving overwhelming mental and physical health benefits of gender-affirming care for TGD people. Research by The Trevor Project shows that transgender medical care is consistently associated with better mental health outcomes - including lower suicide risk. Our transgender and non-binary family, friends, and clients deserve excellent care so they can lead happy and healthy lives. *Note: This article was submitted to CAMFT The Therapist Letter to the Editor column in hopes of future publication.
Linda Block, LMFT is the Co-Chair of RECAMFT's Racial and Social Justice Committee, and a RECAMFT Board Director at Large. She has a private practice in Sebastopol, CA. |
Meet RECAMFT's 2012 President - Elaine "Lainey" Sohier Gayler Lainey Sohier Gayler, LMFT was RECAMFT's President in 2011, and hosted several lively events at her beautiful home. We truly enjoyed the time with Lainey, and are grateful to her for all she gave to RECAMFT. She is seen here being the typical "hostess with the mostest"! Want to see all our Past Presidents? Click here.
LOTS MORE PAGES AND GROUPS - RECAMFT.ORG/Therapy-Groups CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LOCAL GROUP OFFERINGS, AND PAYMENT TO ADVERTISE YOUR GROUP. Thank you for reading this month's newsletter! RECAMFT is great because of involved members like you!! |
Past President 
|
Are you looking for help? Find therapists offering free natural disaster and crisis sessions here. Please check out MySonomaStrong.com. Visit the NAMI Warmline. Take a trauma-informed yoga class. We will recover together! ¿Buscas ayuda? Encuentre terapeutas que ofrezcan sesiones gratuitas de crisis y desastres naturales aquí. Visite MySonomaStrong.com. Visite la NAMI Warmline. Toma una clase de yoga informada sobre el trauma. ¡Nos recuperaremos juntos!
Redwood Empire Chapter of California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists |
