President's Message — Nikki Gabriel, LMFT

Happy New Year!

I believe that statement comes with a little hesitancy this year. We have had nearly two years of uncertainty and at this point while I do know there is some optimism and hopefulness to be found, it is not as readily accessible for most of us. Traditionally, the chapter has used January as a month of new beginnings and new opportunities. We use the January meeting to do something experiential that is uplifting to each of us as therapists. This year, we will be continuing online and will have a little less of a new beginning feel, and more of providing stability and support to each other as we prepare to take on 2022. My hope is still strong as we have stayed connected as a chapter during a time of much isolation and disconnection, and I believe we will see much expansion and growth during this year. We maintain goals of building on the strong foundation of our chapter, encouraging the newer members of our profession to join us and contribute to our future, and finding a way back to in-person meetings and events. We will continue to serve our client's and the community, and also lift up one another.

With the New Year I would like to focus on increasing overall chapter involvement and reaching out to more members and helping them to find ways to be engaged with the chapter. Our chapter has many different types of opportunities for involvement both by attending events and volunteering for the chapter and those opportunities give back to the individual in wonderful ways through connection, fulfillment, and building a community. Please consider how you may continue to evolve your engagement with the chapter. We are currently looking for a CEU Coordinator, and a Sponsorship Chair. Please reach out to get more information on either of these opportunities or any strengths you have to share.

In 2022, I will be honored to once again serve as your chapter President, alongside a wonderful and very diverse board of your colleagues. There will be a few changes this year, as I will be taking on the role of a first time Mom, which means delegating a lot of tasks to fellow board members in order to be able to keep up with everything. You will see other board members leading membership meetings, taking members out to lunch, and assisting in other ways as well. Please remember to thank them for their service and the additional time that they will be putting in to keep our chapter moving forward. In case you missed it last year, I am pleased to announce the 2022 board of directors:

• President — Nikki Gabriel
• Past President — Mishka Kimball
• President Elect — Gina Balit
• CFO — Parshaw Barati-Marnani
• Vice President of Programs — Shawn LaRe' Brinkley
• Vice President of Membership — Shari Manculich
• Vice President of Marketing — Pablo Rodriguez
• Secretary — Rena Pollak
• Pre-Licensed Representative — Stephanie Gonzalez
• Member at Large — Jennifer Saunders
• Member at Large — Virginia "Ginny" Lincoln
• Member at Large — David Eshleman

Let us begin this year with HOPE! I am excited for what 2022 may bring and look forward to connecting with the terrific members of our chapter!

Nikki Gabriel is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist taking a short break from her practice to take on the role of new Mom. She assists teens and adults in learning to manage anger, anxiety, depression, and confidence issues by utilizing interventions from an eclectic background. She enjoys helping people discover new ways to solve problems, develop healthier behavior patterns, and improve communication skills. Nikki can be reached at 818-473-0088 or nikkigabrielmft@gmail.com.