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The Redwood Empire Therapist
RECAMFT's Online Newsletter
December 2024
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Coming December 6th!
This training aims to help providers learn how to recognize OCD by learning about the diagnosis, and common clinical presentations. Concrete ways to distinguish OCD from other psychiatric disorders frequently mistaken for OCD will also be reviewed. Finally, attendees will learn about the most evidence-based treatments for OCD, namely medication and a specific form of CBT known as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Hands-on and practical case examples and interactive exercises will be used to help illustrate concepts and demonstrate what high-quality ERP can look like “in-the-room.” | Coming IN-PERSON Jan. 3rd! From the popular Emmy-nominated A&E show "Hoarders" Robin Zasio, PhD, LCSW
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"OCD and Exposure Prevention Response" 
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.
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.
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.
| Dear RECAMFT Members: As your 2024 President, I am writing to thank you for your support in passing new Bylaws for our organization. We are excited to offer a new Emeritus membership class for our retired members who still want to be part of this vibrant community we have created. In addition, thank you for voting to increase our dues which will ensure our financial stability in the future. I am looking forward to presenting the highlights of 2024 to you at our Annual Members Meeting which is part of RECAMFT’s 50th Golden Jubilee Celebration on January 3rd, 2025, beginning at 10 am in Odd Fellows Hall, 545 Pacific Ave., Santa Rosa. The Golden Jubilee kicks off with a very knowledgeable and fascinating speaker, Dr. Robin Zasio, PhD, LCSW, who you may have seen on the A&E show, “Hoarders”. She will be speaking on this subject, in person. She spoke to RECAMFT in June 2021, and members loved her presentation (which is now available in our Video Library, if you’d like to get a preview of this terrific speaker). Her program will not be recorded, so if you want to see this renown expert, please register right away. After Dr. Zasio’s presentation, we will have networking opportunities, followed by a taco and enchilada bar (vegetarian foods will be available). I will present some of the highlights accomplished by RECAMFT during the current year. We hope to have CAMFT Executive Director, Joy Alafia, in attendance, with a chance to hear from her. There will be lots of other fun surprises, as our Golden Jubilee Committee has spent more than six months planning for this once-in-a-half-century event! You’ll find display tables featuring creations and books by our members, and a fund-raiser with gifts to bid on for our Scholarship Fund for prelicensed and newly licensed members. I am proud of us for having provided three years of scholarships to worthy members, and committing to extending our program another three years. This is a way RECAMFT has committed to helping our up-and-coming therapists step into our profession while being cared for by our Redwood Empire CAMFT community. In 2025 we welcome the energetic Emily Larkin as our President. She has some great ideas brewing for us as she takes the reins. I will continue to serve our Board of Directors for another year as its Past President. We say goodbye to the board service of our retiring Past President Gina Culver. It has been a pleasure watching Gina start as an intern with our Programs Committee and evolve into the calm, wise force she has become, while starting her PhD program. Best of luck to you, Gina, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your many years of service on the RECAMFT Board of Directors. Another person who has spent a decade serving the Board is Reyna Seminara. She has decided to officially retire, and we will miss her. Reyna was the President during 2017 and led us through some very trying times as we coped with and recovered from the fires. We are certainly grateful for your leadership, Reyna! We have some new faces on our Board this year. Please look for, introduce yourself, and welcome Cynthia Psaila, Gwen Watson and Nicolette Gottuso who are all newcomers in 2024 with lots of enthusiasm and energy. I am looking for great things to come out of the Board in 2025 and beyond. It has been a privilege to serve as your 2024 President, and I am grateful you gave me this experience. Without RECAMFT I would never have become the President of CAMFT in 2017-18. Our chapter is special. We have something magical here, and it has changed my life in ways I never would have imagined. Wishing us all a prosperous 2025 with great connections to each other and our communities, Bob Casanova, PsyD, LMFT 2024 RECAMFT President 2017-18 CAMFT President
Save the date! Fri. Jan. 3rd, 2025 Save the Date! Fri., Jan. 3rd, 2025 RECAMFT's Golden Jubilee 50th Birthday Celebration!
Join us and your colleagues for a Friday filled with fun enjoying the time together with friends, celebrating our wonderful community! Save the date!!
FREE to Members - Check out our Multiple new ONLINE offerings! Find all the latest here (including 6 CEs Law & Ethics) Featured On-Demand CE Video of the Month - FREE to RECAMFT members!
With Dr. Robin Zasio, PsyD "Dr. Zasio is a featured doctor on the Emmy Nominated A&E hit series "HOARDERS", Host of "My Extreme Animal Phobia" on Animal Planet, and author of THE HOARDER IN YOU: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life. Dr. Zasio is well-known for her work in the community, in addition to traveling across the country providing education regarding proper treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders, and helping to reduce stigma surrounding mental health conditions." (excerpt from Dr. Zasio's website)
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Members - you can access recordings of our zoom events from 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021 in our new on-demand library which has been migrated over to Thinkific (https://recamft.thinkific.com/).
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! How Sexuality Influences the Clinical Picture for Female Clients, 2 CEs with Dr. Jenn Kennedy, PhD, LMFT https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2024-09-06-sexuality-female-clients
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.
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.
Please send an email to therapy@recamft.org if you can help. Return to top Featured member |
Hello to all RECAMFT clinicians, and a special welcome to all our Prelicensed members! My name is Nicolette Gottuso. I am an LMFT and a Substance Use Counselor. I have recently joined the Board as a Director at Large and the Prelicensed Chair, and wanted to introduce myself. I have been a substance use counselor since I was in my early 20s. I slowly grew in my education and pursued a B.A. in psychology from Sonoma State University. I went on to get my masters in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. During my undergrad and graduate programs, I worked full time. I worked initially with the houseless population in Marin County for 4 years, and then spent time at Lifeworks of Sonoma County doing in-home therapy. I finally landed at Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services and eventually became the Clinical Director there for the boys facility in Petaluma. I have since left that role to pursue private practice. I have an office in Petaluma one day a week and see clients virtually on all of the other days. I specialize in addiction, adolescents and attachment disorders. I wanted to join the Prelicensed Committee to help prelicensed folks feel that they are not alone in what feels like a heavy, scary time when licensure feels so far away and sometimes unattainable! The one thing graduate school does not teach most of us, unfortunately, is how to be in the world as a therapist, and how to start a private practice. I am excited to help, however I can, in my new role, as a member of the RECAMFT Board, and the Chair of the Prelicensed Committee. You are welcome to contact me with your questions and concerns about the road to licensure. Please send me an email via therapy@recamft.org. I look forward to connecting with you! Nicolette Gottuso, M.A., LMFT, SUDCC IV-CS
Call for Submissions for the Jan. 2025 Issue of The RECAMFT Therapist! January is Mental Wellness Month, National Codependency Awareness Month, National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Poverty Awareness Month and Self-Love Month. 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. |
Members! Your SHORT DESCRIPTION is the most important thing on your profile. Why? Because that shows in our 
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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! | Upcoming events
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Our listserv has around 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
Contact therapy@recamft.org to advertise a job. Featured member | The Nov. Board meeting
Above pic L-R: Top row: Tara D'Orazio (CFO), Dr. Laura Strom (Secretary), Gina Culver (Past President) 2nd row: Dr. Bob Casanova (President), Reyna Seminara (Director at Large [DAL]), Gwen Watson (DAL) 3rd row: Emily Larkin and her daughter (President Elect), Jessica Heaney (DAL), Cynthia Psaila (DAL) 4th row: Dr. Jean Hayes (DAL), Nicolette Gottuso (DAL), Pat Hromalik (DAL) Photo of the Board meeting by Laura Strom. 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. |
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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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A Lesson in Perseverance: The Long Saga of a Rate Increase Request (Part 2)
By Pat Hromalik, LMFT
President Elect Candidate, Current Director at Large, RECAMFT Board of Directors
We all love happy endings! And this rate increase saga finally has one! (See Part 1 Article in the November newsletter.)
Carelon approved my requested rate increase that started over a year ago (11/5/2023) on October 10th 2024. The back dating of the increase took a little negotiating, even though the contract manager I was dealing with wanted to make it retroactive to 11/1/2023 when she saw all the communication mistakes and mishaps. I ended up calling her an angel for being so nice and responsive. Her manager had to be consulted and said that was not possible. Her manager set up a meeting with me and we went over the details. She said she would go to her own director and try to get a back dating but it could not go back more than this current year and she suggested April 2024. I suggested a reasonable compromise would be February 1, 2024 which would have been the 90-day service level for the increase if it had been processed correctly in November of 2023. On November 4th she called me with the approval back to February and I signed the contract amendment on November 11, 2024 and sent it back with this message: “Tanya, Thank you and Geneva so much for making this happen! Carelon has 2 angels!!!!
And all good stories have twists. As of this writing (November 18th) the new rate has not been loaded into the system, so I haven’t seen a penny of the increase yet. And the back date goes beyond the 180 days we have to process claims and I haven’t heard how those will be handled or how long it will take. So perseverance pays off --- I hope!
Pat Hromalik, LMFT, has a private practice in Petaluma, CA working with adults and specializing in couples work, trauma and life transitions.. She currently serves as a Director at Large, and is running for President Elect on RECAMFT's Board of Directors.
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.
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As the end of the year draws near and the earth is heading into its winter slumber, I pause to reflect on the last three years of my presidential commitment to RECAMFT. When one is elected to be President, it covers three years: first as President Elect, second as President, and the final year as Past President with the presidential year being the most active part of this role. A lot has happened since 2022 and I am grateful for this opportunity to guide our RECAMFT community. I have learned so much, met new people I may not have had a chance to get to know, and have grown my skill set. It has been an adventure. With 2024 coming to a close, so too, is my year as Past President. The New Year is a time of transition, spring is coming though winter has just started. I am retiring off the board as of December 31st. I plan to continue to be active in RECAMFT facilitating Ethics Round Table as our esteemed colleague Reyna Seminara has retired, joining the Finance Committee to support our CFO, and still doing some behind the scenes to support our monthly CE events (in a smaller capacity). Besides this, I continue to work with clients in community mental health plus will soon be starting my post-graduate program in Fall 2025! Take care of yourselves, especially as the holiday season is upon us. In healing and gratitude, Gina Culver, LMFT Past President, RECAMFT |
Please join me at the 2025 Ethics Round Table meetings on the 4th Fridays of February, April, and September – you can register through RECAMFT’s current events page. |
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 |
