Fri., Sept. 6, 2024, 10 am to 12:15 pm "How Sexuality Influences The Clinical Picture For Female Clients" Dr. Jenn Kennedy, PhD, LMFT Board-certified Sex Therapist Sexuality is layered and complex. It is also often all but ignored in the clinical sphere. In this highly interactive presentation, Jenn Kennedy, PhD, LMFT will discuss the most common issues that arise in the sexual realm and offer insight about how to discuss sex and intimacy with female clients. Using the Biopsychorelational model, Dr. Kennedy will describe how various factors influence client’s confidence, performance and interpersonal strategies to get their sexual needs met. She will also address unique diversity issues that arise for LGBT women around their sexuality. Coming November 1st!
| Save the date! SATURDAY, Oct. 5th, 9-11 am "Breaking Free: A Therapist's Guide to Moving Beyond Insurance Panels"
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Featured memberDid 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. Compassion Fatigue Peer Support Group Meeting
| Dear RECAMFT Members, As we step into September, I am reminded of the profound significance of transitions. This time of year, as the warmth of summer gives way to the temperate days of early autumn, offers us a moment to pause and reflect on the cyclical nature of change. The shifting weather, the start of a new school year, and the subtle transformation in the landscape all serve as reminders of the inevitability and power of transitions. For some, this season may evoke a sense of wonder, while for others, it may bring uncertainty. Yet, one thing remains clear: this is a time of transition, and with it comes both challenge and opportunity.
Change, with all its uncertainty, can often feel daunting. The unknowns that accompany transitions can stir anxiety, yet they also carry the potential for hope and renewal. Transitions present us with the opportunity to make choices that better align with our values and energies. They invite us to reassess how we spend our time and who we share it with. The transitions I am currently experiencing are teaching me what truly matters, what I am capable of, and what decisions will lead to a more fulfilling life. As we look ahead to the remainder of the year, I am inspired to consider how our chapter can evolve to better serve our membership—how we can grow not only in numbers but in the impact we have on each other and our community. I approach the coming seasons and my term as RECAMFT’s president with a sense of hope, despite the uncertainties that lie ahead. May we all embrace the transitions before us with grace, allowing them to guide us in discovering, reestablishing, or redefining our focus. In these moments of change, may we find the clarity and courage to step into what lies ahead with purpose and resilience. Warm regards, Emily Larkin, LMFT RECAMFT President-Elect
Joe and Pamela Ward Memorial Scholarship Scholarship Winners Announced!We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year's scholarships, recognizing two outstanding Associate LMFTs in the mental health field.
Board of Directors Renews Scholarship ProgramIn a strong vote of confidence for the future of mental health, our Board of Directors has unanimously voted to renew the Joe and Pamela Ward Scholarship Program for another three years! Each scholarship awarded represents more than just financial assistance—it’s a commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders in our field. These scholarships have not only profoundly impacted the lives of the recipients but have also galvanized our community to come together in support of rising professionals. The collaboration among the Board of Directors, Scholarship Committee, and community members has been nothing short of remarkable, establishing a lasting legacy of compassion and excellence for RECAMFT that will benefit the mental health profession for years to come. To donate to the Joe and Pam Memorial Scholarship, please visit recamft.org/scholarship. Call for Submissions for the Oct 2024 Issue of The RECAMFT Therapist!
October is ADHD, Breast Cancer and LGBTQ+ History Awareness Month and the continuation of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 - Oct. 15). October 10th is World Homeless Day and the 11th is National Coming Out Day. See more here. We especially welcome submissions where awareness themes intersect with mental health. Please send your submission (500 word max) to therapy@recamft.org by the 15th. Questions? therapy@recamft.org. |
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.
Welcome back, RECAMFT community! We are so excited to share some of the upcoming monthly CE events coming this fall. RECAMFT Zoom presentations
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. |
If you would like to help with our Prelicensed Committee, please drop a line to therapy@recamft.org and let us know.
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Please send an email to therapy@recamft.org if you can help. Return to top
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! Featured member | Upcoming events
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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. Contact therapy@recamft.org to advertise a job. Featured memberBe sure to let us know so we can include it on our Library page. Email therapy@recamft.org. | News from the Racial & Social Justice Committee (RSJC) RECAMFT had a great time participating in the Sonoma County Pride Parade June 1st! Here are some pictures of the event. RECAMFT and Redwood Psychological Association marched together thanks to the coordination of our past president (2015) Kris Spangler, LMFT, and Jennifer Lotz, PhD, Redwood Psychological Association Membership Chair and Liaison coordinating RPA's Pride walk with RECAMFT. President Elect Emily Larkin and CFO Tara D'Orazio. Marching with our banner: "Your mental health matters." Past President and Director at Large Reyna Seminara and her sidekick. ;-) |
President Dr. Bob Casanova and CFO Tara D'Orazio. | Even the doggies got into the fun! Henry looked very stylish. |
The June Board meeting and August day-long Board Retreat highlights... June 14, 2024
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NEW! RECAMFT On-Demand Programs: https://recamft.thinkific.com NEW! RECAMFT discount codes are posted for members only here: https://www.recamft.org/member-discount-codes (requires sign-in using your RECAMFT member email/password) NEW! Law & Ethics: How to Write a 10-Minute Treatment Plan, 3 CEs, with Barbara Griswold, LMFT. https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2022-law-and-ethics-treatment-plan NEW! Law & Ethics: What Should be in Your Notes, But Probably Isn't, 3 CEs, with Barbara Griswold, LMFT. https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2022-06-15-law-ethics-progress-notes NEW! Three Underlying Beliefs That Cause Anxiety and How to Change Them, a CBT Approach, 2 CEs, with Jennifer Shannon, LMFT https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2024-06-3-Beliefs-Cause-Anxiety NEW! Attachment Infused Addiction Treatment Theory, 2 CEs, with Mary Crocker Cook, PhD, LMFT https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/attachment-addiction-2024-01 Members can watch the video, pass the test, fill out the evaluation, and download your certificate. It's that easy! You can earn CEs for any recorded event if you didn't already earn CEs from the live event. Return to top![]() |
The August 23rd day-long Annual RECAMFT Board Retreat - Meridian University, Petaluma The Board held its annual retreat in Petaluma this year. Upcoming transitions were discussed. Reyna Seminara is retiring and will be leaving when her term ends on 12/31/24; she will also cease hosting our Ethics Roundtable (meets 3x/year), so we are looking for a volunteer to take over. Past President Gina Culver will also be leaving at the end of her term this year. Tara D'Orazio, our CFO, is moving to Oceanside in September, but still plans to be active in RECAMFT long distance. The planned hybrid meeting training was postponed because some equipment was still needed. The Bylaws Committee has been activated to write some newly proposed bylaws for a new class of membership: Emeritus. With this, given we have not increased our dues for nine years, we will be asking members to approve a dues increase. We will be getting these issues out for a vote on the November election ballot. Members will have a chance to make comments on the proposed bylaws changes in Sept. and Oct. The Board adopted the following Land and People Acknowledgement Statement to be read at the beginning of all RECAMFT in person and online gatherings. “We are meeting today in the ancestral homes of the Coast Miwok, Wappo, Wintun and Pomo Nations of Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa and Lake counties.* RECAMFT acknowledges these Nations as the traditional caretakers of this land and water, and we are grateful for their strength and perseverance in the struggle to maintain their culture, language and traditions. Every voice is essential in protecting the sacredness of this space we hold together today. Please speak with love and care in your comments to others. We want our space to be safe and welcoming for all. We welcome feedback regarding our ongoing efforts to create inclusive, equitable safe spaces.” *Optional for a speaker who is in a county other than our four. “And our speaker is presenting from the home of the … Nation(s)". |
Find out more about advertising with RECAMFT here. | 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.
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The Ultimate Personal Reset: Take a Career Break! By Fran Wickner, PhD, LMFT, Guest Columnist from East Bay CAMFT
Maybe you have told yourself this narrative, i.e. I will work and work until I retire. But in our field, there usually isn’t a set age to retire, and if you are in private practice, no one is “retiring” you. Just like with any big change in your life, if you take all this in and tell yourself “I can’t do this”, you never will. There are many benefits to taking a career break and travelling. For a profession like ours, most reasons are obvious such as returning from travelling refreshed, replenished, gaining new perspectives and having time to not think about your clients. As noted in the research below, people who take career breaks often return with a more positive outlook on their job and life in general. There are other benefits as well that have been substantiated through research. Psychologist Lile Jia at Indiana University published an article in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology that says distance can make you more creative. The implications of his research show that travelling to faraway places and communicating with people dissimilar to us can help increase creativity and lead to considering novel alternatives. A study from the Kellogg School of Management in Chicago also supported the research that living abroad boosts creativity. This study showed that the experience of another culture endows us with valuable open-mindedness, making it easier to realize that a single experience can have multiple meanings. People who travel are more willing to realize that there are different ways of interpreting the world. Jia’s work and the study at Kellogg showed that travelling not only helps your creativity but also improves your problem-solving abilities, skills that are imperative in our field. If you do decide to take a career break, be prepared for internal and external blocks that can often lead to anxiety and then inertia. Society’s norm is to work until you get old (or sick) before you can take your break, so when deciding to take a career break, encountering mental and social hurdles are common. Below are a few simple tips on taking small manageable steps on how to get out of the “inertia zone”.
Once you decide you really can do this, here are some of the common business concerns that therapists bring up when I help them plan their career break.
Logistically, this is usually the main concern I hear from clinicians. Those in private practice might also be worried about what will happen to their business. You need to treat this the way you do other planned (or unplanned) absences such as maternity leave, caring for a sick family member or leaving your agency job. Most importantly, make sure you give adequate notice to your clients. This will vary client by client based on the work you are doing with them. As with other absences, you share as much or as little as you want based on your theoretical perspective and the particular client’s needs. Plan what will happen when you are gone. Will you do Zoom type sessions with them? Will they take a break? Will they see your backup clinician?
Plan a schedule for when you get back including scheduling in clients. If in private practice it is often helpful to schedule some marketing activities to get you up and running: maybe have a workshop or a speaking engagement scheduled or an article timed to be published for when you return. Before leaving could be a good time to use a practice building consultant so you can return to a thriving practice.
If appropriate, you may be able to do sessions with clients by phone or Skype or Zoom. Maybe you want to teach a class or workshop while you are travelling. You can plan it on your own or contact a local university or counseling center.
Obviously, there are many things that need to be done before an extended absence, but here are the things related to the business of being a therapist. You need a trusted clinician to:
The basics above will get you on the path to join thousands of people are now taking career breaks. It is possible. You will return with new motivation and renewed energy for the wonderful work we do. Consider taking a career break because you deserve it. And the best reason isn’t deep or clinical or psychological or particularly introspective; do it because it will add to your happiness.
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Factors Affecting Women's Sexuality
By Dr. Jenn Kennedy, PhD, LMFT
Board-certified Sex Therapist
Various factors are relevant and interrelated to women’s sexuality: body image, age, relationships to self and to pleasure, trauma history, attachment strategy, family and culture. I will briefly touch on each as they are important clinical considerations.
Body Image
Women’s feelings about their body are based on messages from media, family, culture, self and partner. Genital self-image addresses women’s perceptions of and feelings about their genitals in terms of appearance, smell, function, and causes of embarrassment. Women’s internal dialog about their body dramatically affects how they show up in sexual moments.
Age
Sexual self-concept shifts through the lifecycle. Age correlates with changes in energy, confidence, hormone levels, career prioritization, as well as many other factors including societal views and messages on women and women’s sexuality. Media sends reinforcing messages about beauty and desirability being tied to youth.
Relationship to Self/Pleasure
Sexual subjectivity is a woman's experience of herself as a sexual being, her feeling of entitlement to sexual pleasure and sexual safety, her ability to make active sexual choices, and her identity as a sexual being. Sexual subjectivity includes these five elements: sexual body-esteem, self-entitlement to sexual desire and pleasure, entitlement to sexual desire and pleasure from a partner, sexual self-efficacy and sexual self-reflection. A clinician must understand the client’s relationship both to self and to pleasure to assist and support her sexual health goals.
The client’s perspective and purpose for pursuing sex (and sex therapy) will inform how the work unfolds. Looking through the biopsychosocial lens, a woman may come in wanting a better sex life. This could be tied to her sexual functionality (biological), but the clinician must also consider her relationship to self (psychological), which includes body image, self-esteem and worth as well as her relationship to her partner (social), which may include a desire to please or defer or feeling self-conscious or undeserving. To facilitate change, the clinician needs to see the full picture of her relationship to herself, her partner and to pleasure.
Trauma History
A history of trauma, especially a sexual trauma diagnosis, increases the likelihood of sexual dysfunction, especially low desire. As a result, safety building will be key element for the sex therapist working with women. If greater closeness and safety enhance sexuality, sex therapy offers a bridge to clients wanting closeness to facilitate arousal. Therapist Suzanne Iasenza sees us holding many important roles in the healing of sexual dysfunction: co-creator of safety, interviewer, sex educator, sexual detective, empathic listener, co-meaning-maker, hypothesis generator, coach, witness, sex-affirmative parent, and assignment-giving teacher. Sex therapists must see the complete context of the presenting issue, and factor in how trauma may be contributing.
Attachment Style
A woman’s sexual preferences, which lead to excitation, as well as her tolerance for risk, are impacted by her attachment style. Securely attached individuals, with positive internal representations of self and other, are more likely to lower their defenses and experience positive feelings toward sex. In bridging the roles of attachment and sexual body self-representations in enhancing or inhibiting sexual desire in women, the body serves as the conduit between early relational experiences and adult sexual desire. Positive attachment experiences in childhood can act as a protection from certain sociocultural forces that inhibit female sexuality, whereas negative attachment experiences make women more vulnerable to sexual objectification and oppression.
Additionally, partnered sex includes relational elements between two (or more) participants, whose attachment strategies will invariably impact their sex life. They may have different experiences with and therefore expectations about closeness, sexual initiation, expression of needs and confidence related to body and sexual performance.
Family and Culture
Horizontalizing is conceptualizing the client's sexuality within the wider horizon of their identity and lived experience. We see the client’s lens and how family of origin, media, partner, and society messages may influence their point of view. The client’s family, community, and various held cultural identities influence how they will engage in the sex therapy work-- including goal setting, self-care, and expression of needs and desire. Women’s sexuality is affected by the messages she receives from her family, community, government, faith, and self. Socializing influences such as parents, schools, peer groups, and legal forces all influence her relationship and expression of her sexuality.
We must stay curious to see the whole person sitting in front of us as we unpack the complexities of her identity and clinical goals as a sexual being.
Dr. Jenn Kennedy, PhD, LMFT, Board-certified Sex Therapist has a private practice in Santa Barbara, CA. She podcasts, consults and offers small group intensives.She is speaking at RECAMFT on Fri., Sept. 6, 2024.
Link to our Therapy Groups page and a PDF of current offerings - RECAMFT.ORG/Therapy-Groups CLICK HERE to learn more about local group offerings, and payment to advertise your group. |
Here's a photo from the June 1, 2024 Pride Parade. Kris Spangler, RECAMFT's 2015 President, proposed and helped plan RECAMFT's participation in this year's event. Thank you, Kris, for getting us out into the community and involved! |
Thank you for reading this month's newsletter! RECAMFT is great because of involved members like you!!