Member Highlight — Shelley Horner, LMFT

Raceal McWhorter, LMFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Raceal McWhorter, LMFT is a gentle, compassionate person who is also very strong mentally and spiritually. After many years of interest in art therapy and in helping others, Raceal became licensed as a Marriage & Family Therapist with a specialty in Art Therapy. She is passionate about helping people heal from psychological pain. Raceal treats trauma, PTSD, depression and loss. She helps clergy as well as children, adolescents, adults, and families. Raceal states, "Art therapy helps clients to acknowledge, mourn and integrate feelings into an autobiographical narrative memory." She assists clients who may have shame or low self esteem caused by neglect or mistreatment. Raceal's personal experience of PTSD, loss, and depression deepen her ability to connect with clients.

Raceal experienced PTSD at a young age due to growing up in a rough neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. Three rioting gangs in the same school meant that she experienced and witnessed violence even though there were armed teachers. Later, it took three attempts to divorce her husband who made life very difficult.

In 1985 she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Santa Cruz and joined the art therapy association. Prior to becoming a therapist, Raceal worked in Atlanta, Georgia and Irvine, California. She was a report specialist for the federal government and then worked for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Raceal is not only a licensed MFT, she is also a reverend. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Christian Counseling from Restoration Theological Seminary many years ago. She has worked as a volunteer minister and counselor helping in churches, shelters and on the street. In order to pursue her passion as a profession she decided to become a licensed psychotherapist. Raceal earned her Master of Arts degree from Phillips Graduate Institute in 2014. She did her internship hours at Strength United (formerly Valley Trauma Center) and other places such as Stillpoint Family Resources in Woodland Hills and Tarzana Treatment Center in Lancaster. However, Raceal's most exciting experience was helping former child soldiers at the Laro School in Gula, Uganda. Look at her website www.raceal.com and click on the Child Soldier Art link to see the amazing art therapy with these traumatized children. The program was developed to increase hope and reduce PTSD symptoms for these children who experienced horrific trauma while being forced to serve in Joseph Koney's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). Many of these children were born into captivity, are child mothers and have suffered war wounds, rape, disease, and HIV. Raceal has a huge heart to serve these young survivors!

Raceal is deeply interested in psychological growth as well as in spiritual growth. She just finished a pilgrimage to Israel in April of this year with a small group from a Messianic Synagogue. She radiates an aura of compassion that feels like an embrace. Raceal attends the SFV CAMFT meetings regularly since she enjoys learning and being with colleagues. Her advice to us is "Never give up on you dreams!" Raceal can be contacted at Racealart@gmail.com or by phone, (714) 679-0759. Her website is www.Raceal.com . Raceal recently accepted a job with Magellan Health Services as a Military Family Life Counselor Child/Youth Counselor and will work in Fort Irwin Army Training Base Middle School, in San Bernardino county, California near Barstow, August 9, 2018. Raceal is happy to realize a long-term dream of helping military families, but reports it is bitter sweet to be leaving San Fernando Valley soon.

Shelley Horner, LMFT enjoys writing the our Member Profile section since she likes getting to know her colleagues in depth. She is an actress, speaker and therapist.

Shelley has had a private practice for more than twenty years. She assists adults, children, and teens as well as facilitates parent groups in her office in Calabasas. She also does consultation and training of employees through Employee Assistance Programs at various organizations and colleges.