November-December 2019            This Way In >>

“Therapists and Medical Issues:
What You Need to Know and Why”
November 10, 2019
8:30 am - 11:30 am

Jaelline Jaffe, PhD, LMFT, has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 1976, with a doctoral degree from USC in 1985. She sees individuals and couples in her private practice in Sherman Oaks, and also sees clients online. She has worked with hundreds of patients locally and across the country with sound sensitivity disorders, including tinnitus, misophonia, and hyperacusis. She is a founding member of the Misophonia Association, which holds an annual convention for patients and their families. Dr. Jaffe is one of the only therapists anywhere specializing in treatment of misophonia and has presented at every US conference on this topic. Dr. Jaffe is the co-author of The Language of Emotional Intelligence (2008, McGraw Hill) and The Heroic Journey: An Adolescent Rite of Passage Program (1996, rev 2001) in use in Montessori and other middle schools across the country.
  Registration & Information


Nikki Gabriel—President's Message
As MFTs, the last days of summer often mean a return to school, and fuller schedules. There are projects to finish and perhaps goals to attain before we reach the end of this year. For our chapter, this means the return of consistent monthly meetings, interest groups, and workshops. In addition to our regular monthly meetings, our annual pre-licensed event will be held on October 6, headed by Shari Manculich, our Pre-Licensed Representative to the Board. It is difficult to grasp that my year as Chapter President is quickly coming to a close. I knew it would ... Read Nikki’s full message

Ariel Cohen—CAMFT Facebook Page Legislative Updates
Legislative Alert: Governor Newsom signed AB 5 on Wednesday. This bill codifies the decision in the Dynamex case and creates a presumption that workers who perform services for a hiring entity are “employees” unless they meet certain criteria, or have an exemption, to qualify as “independent contractors.” With the exception of licensed psychologists, all other mental health professionals including LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs are not exempted. This means that MFTs in many cases will lose our ability to work as independent contractors. To continue our advocacy efforts ... Read Ariel’s full update

Madeline Taylor—September Membership Meeting Write-Up
Debi Frankle, an expert in loss and grief, is also a grief therapy trainer whose practice is located in Calabasas. Last month she offered us her considerable expertise in helping families manage the emotional tsunamis that follow significant losses. Grief is commonly understood as a deep, emotional response to loss. The loss of self-sustaining connections, the sorrow and grief that follow are a factor that affects our patients as well as ourselves in probably every condition. Debi believes grief is a normal and natural reaction to ... Read Madeline’s full write-up

Katie (Wren) Busse—Soliciting Client Testimonials: Ethical or Exploitive?
As therapists, we’re in a unique position in which, to a certain degree, our client’s experience can be reflective of our clinical abilities and expertise. Would we like to have our client’s who’ve had good experiences be able to share their stories with others? Absolutely. Can we ask them to give a testimonial of their experience? Absolutely not. In fact, soliciting testimonials from clients may be considered unethical conduct and could be viewed as ... Read Katie’s full write-up

Board Minutes—August 2019
Read August’s Board Minutes

Board Minutes—September 2019
Read September’s Board Minutes

MEMBER COLUMNISTS
Charlyne Gelt—Cinema Therapy: Blinded by the Light
Life is a short pause between two mysteries.” Carl Jung. The film’s title is a metaphor for the inner light that drives us towards a journey of individuation, an almost universal experience. Blinded by the Light, set in 1987 Luton, England during a time of great racial and economic turmoil, is the powerfully moving account of a British-born Pakistani teen’s struggle to come of age and follow his dream of becoming a writer. This immediately puts him at odds with his authoritarian father’s deeply-rooted Pakistani traditions and beliefs. The wage-slave father, Malik Khan (Kulvinder Ghir) had left Pakistan in search of ... Read Charlyne’s full review

CONTRIBUTORS
Adam A. Neal, M.A., AMFT/APCC—Help as a Hindrance
As a newly hired clinician, about to serve a community counseling center through a grant to support wildfire relief, I had a fully formed vision of my work to come. I anticipated meeting with a full caseload of new clients within a few weeks, foresaw the need to refer out overflow clients, envisioned waiting lists of individuals trying to meet with me, and imagined having to wrangle fellow clinicians to co-facilitate group therapy sessions maxed out with participants. Within a few months, there were more crickets heard than clients, and I found myself wondering ... Read Adam’s full article


Alexa Brand, AMFT—Gender Identity, Gender Pronouns and Strategies
We are aware of the importance of cultural consideration in therapeutic practice, but how often have you incorporated gender identity into your cultural consideration? Have you ever inquired into your clients’ gender identities or pronouns? Have you assumed their gender identity and pronouns based off of their appearance? Assuming is likely something we have all done in our lives and in our practice. However, in doing so, we can foster unsafe therapeutic environments and potentially harm our clients. Here is some information for you to integrate into your practice to help make it more inclusive and less ... Read Alexa’s full article


Rena Pollak, LMFT, CGP—The Wonders of Optimism
One thing that human beings have in common is the desire to feel OK. Everyone is working on it every day, whether they realize it or not. They’re trying to feel OK and to avoid feeling terrible. Unfortunately, people often don’t realize that they are OK, until they’re not. If you look for the silver lining in things — which I highly recommend — the silver lining of getting sick is that it helps us appreciate when we’re well. Suddenly, I’m nostalgic for those halcyon days when I could breathe through my nose. I remember myself as an agile sprite, gliding through my day, before ... Read Rena’s full article


MEMBER HIGHLIGHT
Amanda F. Jennings, LMFT
I had the pleasure of meeting Amanda at the infamous Blu Jam CafĂ© in the San Fernando Valley and learning more about her story, over a delicious omelet and french toast. Amanda joined SFV-CAMFT earlier this year and I didn’t realize, after attending every meeting, that I hadn’t had a chance to really engage with her. It made me realize how important it is to have face-to-face contact with therapists in your field, those with whom you can share specialties, and learn more about each other. It was so refreshing to talk to Amanda. She was so fun and full of light and energy. My first question to Amanda was, ... Read Amanda’s full profile


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Associate MFT/MSW
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, CAEvolve Treatment Center

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North Hills, Los Angeles, CAPenny Lane Centers


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