Dr. Stahlschmidt is the Dean of Students at the PACT Institute, and a Licensed Psychologist.  He has been collaborating with Dr. Tatkin, and using PACT in his Berkeley private practice for over a decade. He was a practicing psychologist in Germany, and upon moving to the US, obtained a doctorate from Pacifica Graduate Institute.  

FREE to Members - Visit our On-Demand CE Video Library! 

Multiple new ONLINE offerings! Find all the latest here (including 6 CEs Law & Ethics)

Check it out! RECAMFT's On-Demand CE Library link: https://recamft.thinkific.com/

On-Demand CE Video Library - FREE to members! 

Consider taking a deep dive into Attachment Infused Addiction Treatment Theory with Dr. Mary Crocker Cook, PhD, LMFT - no charge to RECAMFT members! 

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. Find out more here.

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)

Addiction: Attachment Infused Addiction Treatment Theory, 2 CEs, with Dr. Mary Crocker Cook, PhD, LMFT https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/attachment-addiction-2024-01

NEW! Identifying and Treating Imposter Syndrome, 2 CEs with Stevon Lewis, LMFT  https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2025-02-imposter

NEW! Understanding Hoarding Disorder, 1.5 CEs with Dr. Robin Zasio, PsyD, LCSW https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2025-hoarding-ondemand

Law & Ethics: Telehealth: Law & Ethics, Technology, and Best Practices for Connecting with Your Clients, 3 CEs, with Dr. Lisa Wenninger, PhD, LPCC https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2023-05-Telehealth

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

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

LGBTQ+: Affirmative Family Therapy with Gender Diverse People and Their Loved Ones, 2 CEs, with Dr. Shawn Giammattei, PhD  https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2024-transgender-families

LGBTQ+: Working with Dissociative Disorders & Plural Communities, 4 CEs, with Serenity Serseción, PhD, LMFT https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2023-12-DID

LGBTQ+: 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 

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

Transforming Trauma: The NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), 3 CEs, with Brad Kammer, LMFT https://recamft.thinkific.com/courses/2023-03-NARM

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. 

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My First Mother's Day: A Reflection

by Emily Larkin, LMFT

2025 RECAMFT President

Before becoming a parent, I didn’t have many specific expectations—just a deep knowing that life was about to change in a big way. Now, ten months into this journey, I wanted to share a few reflections on what motherhood has come to mean to me and how this life-altering role has shaped me.

Like so many of us in this field, my career has always held a profound place in my heart. Even before I had the language for it, I was drawn to this work. Being a therapist doesn’t just feel like something I do—it feels like who I am. My love for this profession, and the emotional depth it calls for, is woven into my identity. So when I stepped into motherhood, I found myself wondering: How do I reconcile these two powerful aspects of myself? How can I stay true to my calling, while also embracing this new, equally important one?

Growing up, my own mother modeled motherhood as all-encompassing. She gave everything to her children, seemingly never asking for space or time for herself. And the generations before her did the same—steadfast, selfless matriarchs who held their families together with strength and grace, often sacrificing their own needs in the process. I recognize the privilege I have in being able to ask a different question: How do I hold onto myself while being a parent? I’ve had the opportunity to pursue my passions and consider my own needs—something many before me never had the chance to do.

When my daughter was born, I was completely captivated—and I still am. This journey has truly been a labor of love. And yet, that internal pull for personal time and space has not gone away. Over the past months, I’ve often found myself caught in the tension between the desire to give my child my all, and the quiet longing for just a moment to myself. Even when opportunities arise to step away, I hesitate—because I want to be there. It’s a daily tug-of-war between the part of me that craves inward reflection and the part that reminds me of the little one who needs me most.

Motherhood has changed me to my core. I’m still learning how to hold both truths at once. What I’ve come to understand over these ten months is that being a mother isn’t just a new role—it’s a shift in identity. It’s a reimagining of self. And within that, I’m learning to offer myself grace. To practice self-compassion. To acknowledge that this is a continual journey of learning, adjusting, and growing. As my daughter changes and enters new phases, I know I will too. There will be more lessons, more tough decisions, and new ways of balancing the priorities of life.

At the end of the day, while I may sit in the role of therapist—I am a mom. And that truth is both grounding and expansive.

To all the mothers in our RECAMFT community—those who are just starting out and those who’ve walked this road for years—I see you. I honor the emotional labor, the complexity, the beauty, and the courage it takes to do what you do every day.

Wishing you a heartfelt and peaceful Mother’s Day.

Emily Larkin, LMFT is the President of RECAMFT's Board of Directors. She has a private practice in Sebastopol. 

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President Emily Larkin voting for her preferred goals.  Photo by Laura Strom.

L-R: Gwen Watson, Dr. Jean Hayes, and CFO Tara D'Orazio.  Photo by Laura Strom.

L-R: President Elect Pat Hromalik and President Emily Larkin created a labor of love in analyzing RECAMFT's strategic and operational goals, issues, strengths and opportunities which gave the Board the opportunity to vote for their priorities.  Photo by Laura Strom.

All finished! The end of the retreat photo, taken by Tara D'Orazio with her fancy watch and phone. 

L-R: Jessica Heaney, Laura Strom, Emily Larkin, Pat Hromalik, Cynthia Psaila, Gwen Watson, Jean Hayes, Tara D'Orazio.