As you now know, the petitioned candidates were all voted in and that means that we were successful in joining together to make a difference.  I attended the CAMFT conference in Indian Wells and wanted you to know a few things if you were not able to attend.  There were over 600 CAMFT members attending.  There was an Annual business meeting with 120 members in attendance, though it was not enough members to vote on any matters.  A quorum is 180 members. 

I wanted to pass along some information I have learned about the LPCC’s.  I think there is still a lot of confusion over their impact in California.

 

1. LPCCs have their own organization, and chose not to be part of CAMFT: http://calpcc.org/ They've had it for several years.

2. In ALL other states, LPCCs pre-existed before MFTs; MFTs came second. This is not the case in CA which is why we have more MFTs in our state than the whole rest of the country combined - and that's because of CAMFT. In the other states, MFTs are a small percentage of the mental health professionals (I think the figure is around 5%). But again - that's because MFTs came second, behind LPCCs. LPCCs NEVER "took over" and "beat out the MFTs" in other states. It's simply that MFTs came afterwards and the license has never gained in popularity outside of California, probably due to grad schools already set up for LPCs/LPCCs in other states, unlike here. Recall California was the 50th state to adopt the LPCC license and we waited a long time.

3. AAMFT is an organization promoting "marriage and family therapy" not "Marriage and Family Therapists" - HUGE difference. Anybody who practices therapy with couples and families can be a voting member of AAMFT. They simply have to profess that they've had training and education in marriage and family therapy, and that it's a significant portion of their practice. Therefore psychologists, social workers, professional counselors, pastoral counselors and even psychiatrists can all be members of AAMFT.

 

If you missed the April 25^th meeting where CAMFT Executive Director Jill Epstein was our guest speaker, you can watch videos of the presentation by clicking on these links:

Part I

http://youtu.be/XeDS7q6q8ks

 

Part II

http://youtu.be/Y-DBvnL6oVI

 

I look forward seeing you at the next Inland Empire CAMFT meeting, Friday, May 23, 2014.

 

 

Janine Murray, LMFT

President, Inland Empire CAMFT

When We Unite, We Can Effect Positive Change

As the new Inland Empire CAMFT President, I want to invite you to be involved in this amazing profession we have by joining us in our monthly meetings.

This is the most important time in CAMFT’s history, considering last year’s bylaw debate.  As you may know, the CAMFT Board attempted to change the CAMFT association into one that was for “all” mental health professionals.  Instead, therapists across the state unified together, with “SAVECAMFT.ORG” leading the way, to preserve our profession.  As I write this, I do not yet know if we successfully brought in the SAVE CAMFT candidates to help promote the vision for CAMFT to remain as it was.

One of things we learned was that as members, we can be unified and effect change.  As the CAMFT Board had not been transparent about their intent to change the focus, we members came together in a large turnout and stated what we want: every other mental health profession has representation, and we need CAMFT to solely represent our interests!

As I think over our profession and how we facilitate a new vision for our clients, I think of a quote by Maya Angelou, “When we know better, we do better.”  We help people “do better” in their relationships.  We therapists play that very important instrumental role of reflecting hope.  We listen, reflect, instruct, reframe, validate, affirm, laugh with and encourage, all the while inspiring with words that say change is possible.  Our presence resonates that the client has value and that she or he has the answer within. 

At this time, stop and slowly let the many clients who have come through your office come to your mind, all those clients representing families, marriages, and precious lives in need of restoration.  And then think of all the estimated 30,000 members of CAMFT, who also do this essential work.  Let’s applaud one another and hold each other up.  We need each other’s support.  I am personally thankful for a sense of a renewed strength springing from the unified belief that this profession is not only vital, but is worthy of having its own association.  We need to value one another as well as what we do.

 

Janine Murray, MFT

President

Inland Empire CAMFT

 

Therapy Is Hard Work! Part 2

 

Here is a compilation of recommendations that you submitted to me in response to my question, “What do you do for self-care when the going gets clinically or administratively rough?”  

This is what Teresa Alvarado does for self care: 

1)       I make sure I get a massage every month.  Not only does my friend take out all the kinks in my neck/body, but it’s also a time to catch up. I tell myself I’m totally worth it!   

2)       I do some exercise.  Now, I’m not a fanatic, but I do enjoy Zumba classes and walking my dogs.  Zumba is a great way to release all that stress, burn some calories and also have fun at the same time.  I love the outdoors, so what better way to enjoy the outdoors, then spending it with my hubby and my dogs.   

3)       I also love to read.  I’ll read something totally opposite of psychology (though I read this too, of course), ie romance, comedy, suspense.  I grab my lounge chair and sit where the sun can hit me.  Sometimes I’ll just sit there, close my eyes and enjoy the sounds and smells (a little of mindfulness).

Another colleague, Carol A. Bouldin, suggests:

 

            4)      Talk to a trusted friend.

            5)      Meditate.

            6)      Find some solitude.

            7)      Get in nature, even if it's just your back yard.

            8)      Do something physical (especially outside). Nature is a great healer.

            9)      Dance!  

 

Doreen’s contribution is:

 

10)       Attend functions with your fellow clinicians, such as the monthly IE-CAMFT meetings, or the upcoming 50^th Anniversary CAMFT Conference,   May 1-4. It’s energizing, reassuring and rewarding to continue your            learning, while socializing with colleagues. Be sure to consult one of your    peers or the attorneys at CAMFT with questions or concerns about your     clients. Tucking a tidy note about that consultation into your notes adds to your credibility, and you can feel assured that you took the steps to    provide the best possible treatment.

 

            11)     Arrange for some ongoing consultation, mentoring, supervision or   even your own professional therapy if needed. This can be a fine way to       offload some of the weight on your shoulders, while “sharpening your          saw”, as Stephen Covey referred to it.

 

            12)      Get plenty of rest! I know I do better therapy after a nap =) !

 

Doreen Van Leeuwen, LMFT, Interim President

 

P.S. Be sure to VOTE in the CAMFT election this month. Ballots have been sent out. If you have not received yours, please call the CAMFT office at 888-892-2638888-892-2638.    

Therapy Is Hard Work!

February 2014

 

Ever have one of those days? You know the kind, when at the end of it, you look back, and even though you were “busy” all day, it feels like just you didn’t get anything done! Whatever you did do, took two, even three times as long as you planned for. Perhaps you struggled through lingering paperwork, only to discover another stack you’d forgotten. Yuck.

 

Or you called that insurance company to follow up on that denied claim, and sure enough, after following all the prompts, your call was met with that infernal message, “This office is closed now. We are open Monday through Friday…”  Darn.

 

The clients you have been working with for months, nursing along baby steps of change, have a major setback, and you just feel so tired. Sigh.

 

Or you have a nice full schedule, then one person cancels, another no shows, another doesn’t have the insurance information figured out, so while there is always more paperwork to do in those empty spots, you’re frustrated with the sudden loss of income.

 

I get it. Those less than pleasant, maybe even unwelcome days that try your patience, and leave you feeling depleted, crabby and questioning why you are doing this after all?!

 

What do you do when you find yourself in one of those slumps? How do you care for yourself when your thoughts and mood head for the swamp? Are there some tools, techniques, activities, or thought patterns you have found useful and helpful to get yourself back on the rails?

 

I’d love to hear your methods of self-care and regeneration. Send your suggestions to me at Doreen@abetterwaycenter.com. I will compile them in next month’s President’s Message.

 

Doreen Van Leeuwen, LMFT

Happy New Year!

 

I want to wish all of you a 2014 filled with hope, growth, gratitude and commitment! 

In my view, 2013 was a very important year in the history of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. We had the opportunity to decide the future of our organization.  I want to thank each of you who took the time to make your views known, and most importantly, who voted on what direction you wished CAMFT to take. As I sat down to write this message and to reflect on the last year I thought of the following quote:

“…when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.”

                                                                                      Anonymous

 

As for our chapter, 2013 was a year of continued growth and membership involvement. I feel very fortunate to have worked with all of you, especially my fellow board members. Let us make 2014 even better!

 

Take Care,

 

Dan

 

 

 

Build referrals and network with your free personalized listing on www.ie-camft.org!

We now have a therapist directory on the new website!  The therapist directory will allow potential clients to find you by name, location, or specialty and will allow clients to contact you directly from the website!  It is now in the “member only” section so that everyone may adjust her/his privacy settings prior to it going public.  Log on and go to your profile in order to view the default privacy settings and adjust them as you like, add additional information, upload a photograph, even include a small classifed ad.

As a reminder, you may now conveniently join IE-CAMFT, renew your membership, register for events, and pay for membership and events online.

Hope you enjoy the new features!

 

Your Webmistress,

Carol A. Bouldin, LMFT

BYLAW UPDATE!

by Dan Totaro

 

As I stated in last month’s newsletter, the CAMFT Board of Directors met in Santa Barbara the weekend September 21^st and 22^nd for its quarterly meeting during which they approved the following motion:

 

“To approve the repeal of the current bylaws approved in July 2013 and reinstate the bylaws adopted in January 2009.  The Board’s approval is subject to voting members' approval by ballot.” 

 

An official ballot and booklet containing the July 2013 bylaws and the June 2009 bylaws was mailed to the Clinical membership on October 25, 2013.  In the booklet, the July 2013 bylaws appear with a “repeal” watermark across the pages to indicate repeal. The June 2009 bylaws appear with a “reinstate” watermark across the pages to indicate reinstatement. A “Yes” vote on the ballot means the June 2009 bylaws will be reinstated. A “No” vote on the ballot means the July 2013 bylaws will remain in effect.

 

To participate in the vote, a completed, signed ballot must be received at the CAMFT office no later than December 4, 2013. A postmark date will not sufficeundefineda completed/signed ballot must be received by this date for it to be counted. Please include any written comments on a separate sheet of paper as comments on the ballot will invalidate the ballot.

 

It is now up to the membership to make an informed decision as to the future direction of our association. I strongly encourage each of us to give this matter our full consideration and make a choice based on what we believe is the best direction for CAMFT. I also hope that the percentage of members who vote will be the highest ever!