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- 2023-04 Newsletter
| Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) and Psychosis: A Biopsychosocial Perspective Presented by: Anish Shah, MD, Psychiatrist Fri., April 7th, 9 am to 12:15 pm Zoom, 3 CEs Register here |
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Featured member
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.
Did you get your sticker in the mail (see below)? If not, please let us know: therapy@recamft.org.
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Happy Spring! While we are still experiencing a lot of rain, it is a time to revel in and enjoy the rejuvenation of the Earth as it blooms in all of its spring glory. Many people do a “Spring cleaning” to refresh their spaces as the world around them blossoms, renews, and refreshes itself. This is a good reminder to “clean” our mental and personal spaces. A time to reset, practice self-care, try mindfulness, become inspired. With the newness of Spring, maybe it is time to refresh our internal and external environments. Are you pondering writing an article, a book, a course? Start! Have you been avoiding filing notes, papers, taxes? Set a time and do it! Find an accountability partner. Try co-working with others. There is a sense of accomplishment and having a clean slate when the to-do list items get checked off. As I finish packing to move to my new home, these are some of the thoughts that float through my mind. Since the start of Spring coincides with my move, I plan to set up my new home (clean slate/blank canvas) and go through my things to toss what I no longer need (clean/purge). At times, it feels a little overwhelming as I have a lot of things stored: heirlooms, stuff from my mom, paperwork I have saved over the years, memories. However, I also love the feeling of having the clean slate or blank canvas a new space provides. Deciding my color schemes, filing the ten thousand things I need to find a home for, choosing what goes where, I feel purposeful and intentional. When my space is organized, I also feel organized, both internally and externally (it rarely lasts but I strive to keep everything in its place). My move is one big Spring cleaning event. It allows me to reset, to be inspired, definitely practice my self care, and remind myself to live mindfully. As the chaos and dust settles, having an external organized environment helps me to retain calmness and peace internally as well. Then I feel productive, as if I am able to check off some of those to-do list items. Maybe not all, but quite a few. Hopefully this message speaks to you and helps you with your never-ending to-do list. Let’s team up and get one thing off your lists in April. Please email me at therapy@recamft.org to let me know 1) what you intend to work on, 2) what you were able to get done, and 3) a photo if you want to share. I look forward to hearing about intentions, co-working groups created, and getting things checked off. With compassion and the renewal of Spring,
Gina L. Culver, MS, LMFT President, RECAMFT.org
Use code CHAPTERAC upon registration for $20 off your registration fee. More here. We STILL need help with
Please send an email to therapy@recamft.org if you can help. Return to top Prelicensed 3000 Hour Club Meeting is the first Friday monthly, 3-5 pm. Walk and Talk events in April, May, June planned to first meet at Debbie Melmon's barn, and then walk to Ragle Park in Sebastopol. More here.
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! |
Participate in the Justice Project : Antiracism by 12/31/23 and receive a lovely Certificate of Achievement for your wall! Click .png)
Gina Culver, LMFT is a 
DISCOUNT CODE for ALL chapter members to CAMFT's Annual Conference, May 5-6, 2023, Santa Clara, CA
Meet RECAMFT's Prelicensed Chair and Director at Large, 
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
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SAVE THE DATE!! ALL MEMBERS NEED THIS BBS-REQUIRED COURSE NOW!
IMPORTANT: Register NOW!
RECAMFT is offering a 3 CE course to satisfy the NEW 2023 BBS requirement - AB 1759 which goes into effect
July 1, 2023.
If you are licensed with the CA Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), you are REQUIRED to take a 3-hour course in Telehealth to satisfy the new law which goes into effect for all renewals and new license applications on or after July 1, 2023. If you did not have specific telehealth training in your Master's program then a course like this is necessary before your next renewal.
This includes ALL licensed and prelicensed folks.
RECAMFT is pleased to present the course you need just in the nick of time!
- Where: Wonderful Zoom!
- When: Saturday, May 13, 2023
- Time: 9 am to 12:15 pm (break midway is 15 minutes), 3 CEs
- Presenter: Lisa Wenninger, MBA, MA, APCC
Coming soon... RECAMFT's first post-pandemic LIVE IN-PERSON EVENT!
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy - Update on a Transformative Treatment Option 10 am to 12 pm Presented by:
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) is at the forefront of the psychedelic psychotherapy movement. When used under proper medical and therapeutic supervision, ketamine can provide near-immediate relief from emotional pain, while helping individuals look deeply into themselves. It has been shown to quickly help with Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) as well as chronic suicidal ideation. KAP has been used to successfully treat PTSD, anxiety disorders, developmental trauma, phase of life issues, as well as helping clients navigate end of life and spiritual exploration. Get the latest from the team at Sebastopol's Evolve Mind Wellness! Register HERE.
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Lunch included. Catering by Swedish Chef Helena with Baked on the River, Guerneville. Registration announcement coming soon! Or go here to register online now. Picture from one of our last in-person events at Furth Center, Law & Ethics with Dave Jensen, 2019.
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Coming May 5th on Zoom...
Live and in-person - come spend the day learning with your colleagues!
Thoughts from the Racial & Social Justice Committee (RSJC) Sexual Assault Awareness Month: An Interview with Verity's Executive Director, Christina Castillo By Maria (Meztli) Aviña, LMFT
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), when we have the opportunity to educate communities on how to prevent sexual violence and to see it as a public health, human rights and social justice issue. The theme for SAAM 2023 is Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity. SAAM 2023 calls on all individuals, communities, organizations, and institutions to change ourselves and the systems surrounding us to build racial equity and respect. Maria (Meztli) Aviña, LMFT from RECAMFT’s Racial and Social Justice Committee interviewed Christina Castillo, Executive Director of Verity. Santa Rosa’s Verity facilitates healing and promotes the prevention of violence by providing counseling, advocacy, intervention, and education. Tell us about Verity and how it supports the community? Verity has a 24/7 rape crisis hotline, offers intervention, trauma counseling, advocacy, support groups, prevention education, support for survivors of human trafficking, and wellness and health alternative healing methods. When we have our child sexual assault interviews, many children are from non English speaking families. Oftentimes the children speak English but the parents don't. It is really important for us to mirror our community as best that we can in terms of services, in terms of language, and in terms of culture. We work with all communities in Sonoma County and are working with our indigenous communities to see how we can provide support that is requested. Oftentimes there is a language that is one that we do not have immediate access to from a team member so we use the language line which has been a big asset in meeting client needs. We work with everybody and work to support them. We serve all residents of Sonoma County and when other counties make referrals to us, we do not turn them away. Please let us know what kind of services and resources you offer? Our prevention education programs provide awareness of and education to children and what resources are available to them dependent on need. Our Prevention Educators work to build rapport with the schools and youth through our work in the schools. Oftentimes a child may report an incident that has occurred and as mandated reporters we must report. We do this in a manner where the child feels heard and supported and included in the process of the report. We have found there are a multitude of reasons why a parent may not report and by providing our services we are able to work with the entire family. Our advocates work with respect and dignity with our clients in order for them to understand their rights and that we are available to support in whatever manner is necessary for the overall healing process. Our three main departments are Prevention/Education; Intervention (Advocacy); and Counseling. If the therapist community wants to learn more about your agency, where would they go for more information? If there were a collective of folks, they could meet with our therapists and we could schedule a zoom with them. And then if they were interested, we can always use help providing an evening survivor support group or another support group via zoom. (All Verity services are completely free of charge). What can RECAMFT do to ally and support the important work you do? We currently have open positions. Here are the jobs + links which we are looking to fill. I just want to make sure that whatever you write, you talk about my team. They are the most amazing group of people that one can ever want to work with. Truly, they're just so passionate and so committed, they are the best! Thank you very much for the important work that you and your team at Verity do!  Maria (Meztli) Aviña, LMFT is a member of our Racial and Social Justice Committee (RSJC). She has a bilingual bicultural private practice and offers consultation to organizations. Return to topADVERTISEMENT: From Gina Culver, LMFT and Cynthia Halliday, LMFT Dear RECAMFT Community: We are excitedly restructuring our private practice and looking for one full-time or 1-2 part-time partners to join us by subletting our 820 sq ft office with us. It's a great location near Kaiser. Some highlights: ¨ A large waiting room which can be used after hours for groups. ¨ An art therapy room appropriate for families or small groups. ¨ The most amazing play therapy and sandplay room you’ve ever seen! ¨ A bathroom and small kitchen. ¨ An inner office which can be used for therapy with 1-2 people. ¨ Lots of free parking, and a bus stop across the street. Please click this PDF link for lots of pictures and details. We're excited to meet you! Can't wait? Email gina.culverms@yahoo.com. | 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. 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. Check out all the following events!
Contact therapy@recamft.org to advertise a job.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and National Walking Month. May is also Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Military Appreciation Month. 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. |
Call for Submissions for the May 2023 Issue of The RECAMFT Therapist!
RECAMFT Members making a BIG splash at CAMFT!
We're thrilled Diane Gleim, LMFT, CST-S was a chosen presenter for the
Drumroll, please! The Winner of CAMFT's Highest Honor "The Mary Riemersma Distinguished Clinical Member Award" Goes to (drums rolling....) Our own Dr. Bob Casanova, PsyD, LMFT!!! Click here to read Bob's Award letter. Here is an excerpt.
Congratulations, Bob!! We couldn't be more proud of you, our 2024 RECAMFT President. Way to go!!! | Ilene Frommer's sticker is on her water bottle.
Upcoming events
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Heartiest congratulations to 
CAMFT Annual Conference, May 5-6, Santa Clara. She's presenting a 1.5 hour course called
Members! Your SHORT DESCRIPTION is the most important thing on your profile. Why? Because that shows in our
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 $2270 towards our goal of $5250 which funds the scholarship program for 2022, 2023, and 2024. We are $2980 away from our goal! Please visit www.recamft.org/scholarship to give a tax-free donation today! Applications for scholarships are due by April 30, 2023. Please let interested parties know.
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 | 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.
Find out more about advertising with RECAMFT here. The Programs Committee needs some folks to help choose upcoming speakers for the coming year. Is it you? We also need a couple of people to help us review presentation applications. Can you help? Send your interest to therapy@recamft.org. |
Announcing the 
I immensely enjoyed learning a new way to work with clients healing from trauma. The idea which stuck out to me like a mantra from Brad Kammer, LMFT, LPCC’s NARM (NeuroAffective Relational Model) training was “heartfulness.” There are so many ideas and pieces I want to delve into and bring into my therapy room. Not just for treatment, but also the way I approach therapy with my clients in general: connection, attachment, healing. NARM assists in reconnecting with ourselves and others. With complex traumatization, we can lose connection to others and the world around us. Our internal systems feel as if the world around us is unsafe or even dangerous. Heartfulness comes in and acts as a salve to foster healing. Mr. Kammer brought in some exercises throughout his training. One which resonated for me asked, “what are the ways I experience connection with myself and others”? For me, laughter and time spent together (connecting with others) or alone (connecting to myself). The second part of the reflection was asking myself, “what gets in the way”? I was able to identify my fear and anxiety as barriers to allowing me to connect with others. Mr. Kammer shared a quote by Carl Jung which, for me, highlighted NARM’s core work. Brad summed up Jung's meaning this way. “At the end of the day, it’s about a soul connecting to another soul.” Again, this resonated for me. Reframing trauma through NARM as working with the adaptations rather than the story was enlightening, “childhood is about heartbreak” and NARM represents “heartfulness.” Rounding out his presentation, Mr. Kammer shared about the NARM Institute’s upcoming trainings and certification levels as well as talked about the book he co-authored with Laurence Heller, PhD titled The Practical Guide for Healing Developmental Trauma: Using the NeuroAffective Relational Model to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resolve Complex Trauma. The book can be purchased here, or is on Audible. Congratulations to our two book raffle winners this month! Don’t forget to join us on Friday April 7th, 2023 for Anish Shah, MD’s presentation on Treatment Resistant Depression and Psychosis : A Biopsychosocial Perspective a 3 CE course. https://recamft.org/event-5102861 How close to attesting for one of our Justice Project tracks? You can earn a free admission to our 6-hour Law and Ethics this year when you have attested by the deadline. https://recamft.org/Justice-Project-LGBTQ+ or https://recamft.org/Justice-Project-Antiracism
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The RECAMFT Board struggled a little through its first valiant attempt to use formal Roberts Rules after our training on Feb. 10th. More or less we stuck to it. Some highlights: We voted to raise our Administrative Consultant's hourly rate, because she is doing such an amazing job. We commended Tara D'Orazio for working with Cyndia Cole to have our first therapist walk/hike. We ran out of time so we held a special meeting on 3/14/23 to vote 25 free Law & Ethics will be awarded to the first people to complete either 2023 Justice Projects: 1) LGBTQ+ Affirming Care, or 2) Antiracism, so a total of 50 slots of free 6-hr Law & Ethics will be available to our members.
By Tara D'Orazio, LMFT CFO & Membership Chair On March 10th RECAMFT held its first meeting of the outdoors group at Foothill Regional Park. Cyndia Cole, LMFT was the Lead for this event, and despite the weeks of rain it turned into a beautiful sunny morning for her and Deborah Haarstad, LMFT to enjoy some company and some exercise. Walking or hikes, ranging from gentle to moderate (maybe strenuous?) will be offered in future events. Our next event is being scheduled for March 31st, and we are excited to announce more adventures as the weather cooperates. The aim of these events is to enjoy connecting with nature and foster new professional relationships. Our goal is to provide a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for our members to enjoy the outdoors. To join our activities, members must register in advance since there is an activity waiver, and our Leads need to know how many people to expect, or may need to be in contact in the event of a cancellation. At this time the events are open to members only. Earlier this year we collected park suggestions via the listserv, so that we can offer a range of options and locations across the county. We believe that everyone can benefit from the outdoors, and we aim to make our events accessible to as many members as possible. We are thrilled to be launching this new group, and we can't wait to explore the great outdoors with you. Our next event promises to be a fun-filled adventure, and we hope you'll join us. Stay tuned for more announcements about our upcoming events. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with nature and make new friends within our organization! If you would like to suggest a park or have questions, please write to therapy@recamft.org. Register for our next outdoor events:
Photo Caption: Cyndia Cole and Deborah Haarstad at Foothill Regional Park. |
Introducing Our New Outdoors Group: Join Us for Exciting Adventures!
Meet RECAMFT's 1983, 1984, 1985 President - Thomas Hedlund, LMFT Thomas Hedlund is tied for the record of the longest running consecutive RECAMFT presidency with the man who preceded him, Rick Mawson. Thank you, Thomas for sticking with us until we could take the next step in getting a bigger, more active Board of Directors! Want to see all our Past Presidents? Click here.
Get the latest Therapy Groups Listings here! Download the latest RECAMFT Therapy Groups PDF document.
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!! |
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Redwood Empire Chapter of California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists |
