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- 2023-12 Newsletter
| Working with Dissociative Disorders and Plural Communities Friday, December 1st, 2023
9:00 am - 1:30 pm
ZOOM, 4.0 CEs Presented by Serenity Serseción, PhD Register here. |
Justice Project Book Discussion Group: Gender Queer: A Memoir written by Maia Kobabe The RECAMFT Racial and Social Justice Committee invites all RECAMFT members to participate in this Zoom discussion group on: Wednesday, December 13, 2023 Open to all RECAMFT members - FREE! Register here. This discussion group will be hosted by Linda Block, Drew Crawford, and Bobbi Rose. This book is the most banned book in America. Come see what all the fuss is about! |
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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 Catch it on video here, and get your mandated 3 Telehealth CEs. 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.
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‘Tis the season of change as 2023 winds down and the new year is sparkling on the horizon – just out of reach. This year has had much to reflect on: my mom’s 10th death anniversary, my sister’s 1st death anniversary, personal life changes, work changes, my private practice growing, signing my first professional lease, RECAMFT presidency, applying for my doctorate program, completing a TF-CBT certification program, big life changes for friends, taking on my first supervisee as a clinical supervisor. There has been a lot going on, both positive and negative. As the holidays loom (not my favorite time of year), I find myself thinking about the growth and challenges I have experienced as president. I have learned a lot and have been grateful for the support and cheers I have received from you, our RECAMFT membership. This role is an important one. I saw the inner workings, changes I would like to see, exciting new happenings, as well as hearing from and supporting the members. We had our first in-person CE event at the end of October. This was the first one since COVID started in March 2020. It is hard to wrap my mind around how much has been achieved and how far we have come in 3.5 years. As 2023 comes to a close, I am starting to prepare for the transition to my role in 2024 as Past President while welcoming our new President, Dr. Robert Casanova. I am finding myself a little tearful as I write this as I have worked hard to support all of you and to help keep RECAMFT running with our fabulous Board of Directors and Executive Committee weighing in and offering guidance throughout this year. Feelings of gratitude, but also grief with the upcoming change. What I am experiencing is a micro version of what many feel this time of year. I want to also ask each of us to take a moment of silence and reflection this holiday season, especially in light of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. My heart goes out to all affected, both abroad and families here in the US - people we know and love. Please pat yourselves on the back for the work you do. Take a moment (or two or twelve) to rest and practice self-care. Take a deep breath as needed. My deepest gratitude to all of you for making our RECAMFT community welcoming, warm, and enjoyable. With peace, love, and joy,
Gina L. Culver, MS, LMFT President, RECAMFT.org
We STILL need help with
Please send an email to therapy@recamft.org if you can help. Return to top Welcome back, RECAMFT community! We are so excited to share some of the upcoming monthly CE events coming this fall:
CAMFT events to consider attending:
We are still reviewing applications for presentations to be scheduled for Spring 2024. Please submit an application if you have a presentation idea. Are you interested in seeing what we have coming up? Consider microvolunteering with the Programs & Conferences Committee! Microvolunteering opportunities: screening speaker applications; providing support at in person CE events; monitoring Q&A for speakers during monthly Zoom presentations. We are especially looking for a Programs Committee Chairperson.
January is Mental Wellness Month, Poverty Awareness Month, and Veganuary. We also celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day - 3rd Monday in January, and International Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27. 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
Bring any craft you like, get on Zoom with us and visit with your colleagues while we knit, sew, paint, draw, cook, create, etc. |
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Members! Your SHORT DESCRIPTION is the most important thing on your profile. Why? Because that shows in our 
Gina Culver, LMFT is a 
Meet RECAMFT's Prelicensed Chair and Director at Large, 
Call for Submissions for the Jan. 2024 Issue of The RECAMFT Therapist! 
Are you creative? Join us for our 
RECAMFT's Racial and Social Justice Pledge
RECAMFT is committed to equity including addressing structural racism and systemic injustice. We endeavor to be inclusive and value individuals from all ethnicities, ages, races, sexual orientations, genders, languages, abilities, religions, citizenship statuses, and socioeconomic backgrounds into our chapter and into treatment. We strive to advocate, educate, collaborate, and strategize for positive racial and social justice change within our membership and our community.
Your online Election Ballot will be coming soon in early December. You will need to be logged in to your RECAMFT account to vote. Read about the candidates on our Elections page.
Check out all the following events!
Contact therapy@recamft.org to advertise a job.
| Thoughts from the Racial & Social Justice Committee (RSJC) Changes coming to RSJC The Racial and Social Justice Committee is re-evaluating itself and how to best fulfill its mission. Co-Chairs Linda Block and Katharina Kienböck are stepping down, and we thank them profusely for their service. In the interim Randy Cheek has volunteered to serve as Interim Co-Chair through April 2024. The Board has authorized RSJC to do some consultation with Dr. Shawan Worsley, PhD, LMFT once they have honed exactly what Dr. Worsley can do to assist with furthering its mission. Look for a call for new committee members early in 2024.
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!
Introducing our On-Demand Store! Now, even non-members can benefit from RECAMFT's extensive CE video library by purchasing select individual video programs in our On-Demand Store. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out to our friendly support team at therapy@recamft.org. We are here to help! You can also visit our On-Demand Store to purchase CE presentations that were not offered free with membership, and it is not required to be a RECAMFT member for purchase: https://www.recamft.org/on-demand-training We have plans to release more programs to the On-Demand Store in the coming months.
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Participate in the Justice Project : Antiracism by 12/31/23 and receive a lovely Certificate of Achievement for your wall! Click 
Join a dynamic team providing trauma-informed care in Novato! 
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 
Members - you can access recordings of our zoom events from 2023, 2022, and 2021 in our 
Notes from RECAMFT's Law & Ethics Training - Part 1
By Randy Cheek, LMFT
Luke Martin had some rather big shoes to fill by stepping into offering a Law and Ethics class that was offered for many years by Dave Jensen, JD. Plus his boss attended! It was great having Joy Alafia, MBA, CAMFT Executive Director there, too. Luke experienced some minor technical difficulties with the slides and sound yet he found a way to both overcome the technical issues. He kept participants engaged by having many useful Q and A opportunities. Prior to attending the program I downloaded his slides and quickly became overwhelmed by the number of slides (105) and their density. The foci of Luke’s program was how “ How to Avoid Lawsuits and Complaints”. This daylong event was divided into three sections:
After looking at his outline I came up with three quick and easy solutions to avoid the mess of lawsuits or complaints.
Hmmm, I guess I’ll find a cave to go meditate in and just avoid having a career. Well, those aren’t good solutions though I would become a very mellow hermit (Stephen Pastis refers to his character as “the Wise Ass on this hill” in the cartoon “Pearls before Swine”). Since my initial solutions weren’t useful I decided to read Luke’s slides prior to attending, to listen carefully and have some brief meaningful sidebars with my good friend Michael Krikorian who also attended. Luke’s presentation was effective at raising the tension level about Law and Ethics while simultaneously addressing ways to reduce this professional angst. He offered clear guidelines for having a successful practice and remaining safe. His global solutions included maintaining clear and safe professional boundaries with our clients, utilizing evidenced based treatment strategies, keeping clear and concise clinical records, document every session, phone call, text or email with our clients, and document consultations with colleagues or consultants. Luke suggested if we keep an anecdotal file on our clients, thesis notes should be kept separate from the clinical record. I was relieved to hear this since that has been my practice for many years. I kept my anecdotal files in a locked cabinet in my home office. He also made an interesting point for therapists who provide therapy for teens and children. We must keep their records for seven years after their 18th birthday. To be continued in the January 2024 Newsletter….
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RECAMFT recently held its first “live” continuing education workshop since the onset of the pandemic. We had the opportunity to have a program on Law and Ethics by CAMFT’s Luke M. Martin, JD, MBA. The program was held at the Agatha Furth Center in Windsor. We had 57 participants attend. The last time I attended a program at the Furth Center we were packed in very closely (ah, the good old days). This event made the center look very spacious; some participants had a table to themselves. It felt like a very safe space. Some participants wore masks, and some didn’t. We kept the doors open to allow plenty of fresh air to circulate. I was glad to see many colleagues for the first time in a few years. 
Randy Cheek, LMFT has a
SAVE THE DATE! Fri., Jan. 5th
Attachment Infused Addiction Treatment
The Attachment Infused Addiction Treatment model, developed by Mary Crocker Cook, is based on a simple proposal: individuals develop a secure attachment to substances to self-soothe in the absence of adults who cannot see and hear us accurately. While the use of substances is a reliable strategy that makes sense to the user, addiction hijacks the individual’s ability to form effective self-regulation skills and utilize support to achieve long-term sobriety. Participants take a deep-dive into the Attachment Infused Addiction Treatment (AIAT) Model via a clinical case review illustrating the strengths and challenges of this innovative approach. The model targets relapsing clients unsuccessful in treatment due to disrupted early attachment. Return to top | Upcoming events
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About the Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial Scholarship
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! Please visit www.recamft.org/scholarship to give a tax-free donation today! Find out more about advertising with RECAMFT here. |
"Shape the Future with RECAMFT – Join Our Board Today!" By Dr. Laura Strom, PsyD, LMFT 2022 RECAMFT President
As a DAL, you will 1) Attend monthly Board meetings (second Fridays, 9-11 AM on Zoom, no meeting in July). 2) Participate in our day-long Annual Board Retreat in August (in-person). 3) Read all written materials and be familiar with them before each Board meeting, including the agenda and minutes. 4) Keep confidential all business which requires confidentiality. This continues after Board service has ended 5) Support RECAMFT initiatives with participation whenever possible. The Board of Directors job descriptions are listed on our Publications page under the About Us tab. We are seeking individuals who are
Simple! Send an email expressing your interest along with your resume to therapy@recamft.org by December 1, 2023. Your application will be reviewed, and someone will call you. We appreciate you submitting an application to be considered for potential board service. ----------- Our Election cycle will begin in early December, concluding by 12/31/23 at 5 pm. View the Elections - December 2023 page here. Will your picture appear on our ballot, too? We hope so! Curious to find out more? Please send your interest or questions to therapy@recamft.org and a Board Member will arrange a phone call with you to tell you about the experience of being on the Board of a top CAMFT chapter. It's a great job to add to your resume! Curious about the Board Experience? Send me your questions, or better yet, let's have a chat! I would love to talk with you about what it means to be part of my favorite Board in the whole Universe! Just call me at 707-889-9168 Your voice, your skills, and your passion are exactly what RECAMFT needs. Are you ready to join us on this fulfilling journey? WIth gratitude and appreciation for this dynamic community, Warm regards, Laura Strom Past President, RECAMFT.org
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As someone deeply committed to the growth and well-being of our community, I have a special invitation for you. Consider this your personal call to action: join us in steering the future of RECAMFT as part of our 
Dr. Laura C. Strom, PsyD, LMFT has a
LOTS MORE PAGES AND GROUPS - RECAMFT.ORG/Therapy-Groups CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LOCAL GROUP OFFERINGS, AND PAYMENT TO ADVERTISE YOUR GROUP.
Meet RECAMFT's 1996 President Paula DuVander, PsyD, LMFT Paula DuVander, PsyD, LMFT is passionate about Soul Collage and thinks everybody could benefit from making at least one card. You can see her talking about it in this 2 minute video. 1996 stood out as the year President Clinton blocked a ban on late-term abortions, and Benjamin Netanyahu was elected Israel's prime minister planting seeds which have become very significant today. Thank you, Paula, for planting seeds for us with your service to RECAMFT! Want to see all our Past Presidents? Click here. Return to top Thank you for reading this month's newsletter! RECAMFT is great because of involved members like you!! |
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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 |
