Los Angeles Chapter of the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists
M a y / J u n e
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L.A. THERAPIST UPDATE
www.lacamft.org
P.O. Box 480119 w Los Angeles w CA 90048 w 323.964.3200
President’s Message
D
by R A N D I G O T T L I E B , P R E S I D E N T
ear Friends and Colleagues,
A full third of the year has already come and gone. As I reflect
on the status of our chapter, I was intrigued to see what
would happen if I used different therapeutic orientations
as a frame.
Starting “bottom up” with a Somatic orientation, my “felt sense” (see Daniel Factor’s
fabulous article on Focusing, Somatic Experiencing, and TRM), of our chapter’s status is
one of high energy, vitality, and charge. There’s a high‐level of buzzing creative energy in
our board, committee, and SIG meetings. I am aware of a tension between the bursting
forth of new ideas for chapter improvements and growth with the practical reality of our
more limited “band‐width” for putting these ideas into action.
IN THIS
ISSUE
President’s Message
1
Editor’s Desk
1
New Logo and Design
2
TRM
3
The Sting
3
May 22 General Meeting
4
Events Sponshorship/Calendar 5
Relationship to Belief
6
Latino Support SIG
7
ExArts SIG
8
3000 Club
8
Taking a Gestalt approach, focusing on what emerges in the foreground, the first Newsletter Guidelines
16
thing that pops up is our new logo and chapter brand. This
vibrant, colorful, and artistically sophisticated design is the
...the first thing that pops up
culmination of a tremendous collaborative team effort led by
Communications Chair Rena Jacobs and executed by our
is our new logo and chapter brand.
talented graphic‐designer‐webmaster Laurel Jones. And
following the Gestalt frame, now that the need to create the This vibrant, colorful, and
logo and brand has been met, the next needs naturally
emerge; Rena and Laurel are redesigning our website, giving artistically sophisticated design is
our chapter Facebook a facelift, and will then move on to
the culmination of a tremendous
complete the newsletter renovation. The process once set in
motion is unfolding organically.
collaborative team effort
Continued on page 11
FROM
S
THE EDITOR’S DESK
By Jonathan Flier, Interim Newsletter Editor
With Gratitude and a Fond Farewell
ince August 2013 Sietze Vanderheid has been the Editor of our community newsletter. The newsletter
went through an amazing transformation under his leadership. He brought a new level of academic
rigor to add to our chapter news, presentation flyers and brief notes on up coming events. He also
brought enough discipline to get the stories over to our newsletter designer, Nurit Pereh, in time to get it online and to
you, our readers the first week of the publication month.
A few months ago Sietze gave notice that he was going to retire the position and that the March‐April issue would be his
last. Prior to that he indicated a future interest in creating an occasional publication of an LA CAMFT Journal that would
feature writers from our community with research, theoretical and editorial articles, reviews and commentaries.
Our President Randi Gottlieb, Communications Chair Rena Jacobs our new Webmaster and Designer and I have been
carrying on plans first put forth by Sietze of creating a new look and interface for our newsletter. That new design is being
actively worked on and we hope to present it in the near future.
So as the chapter reaches out into the future, we will remain guided by Sietze's intelligence and thoughtful concerns for this
important communication medium while we search for new vision and new resources from our next newsletter Editor.
If you think you might be interested in joining a newly forming team to help bring this vision to fruition, please contact
Randi Gottlieb. n
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LA THERAPIST UPDATE
LA CAMFT'S NEW LOGO AND DESIGN
By Rena Jacobs, Chair Communication Committee
Y
ou may have noticed that we’ve changed our look! Thanks to the efforts of
many, including our new graphic designer/webmaster Laurel Jones, LA CAMFT
is excited to announce the launch of our new brand. We hope the new brand
conveys all that is LA CAMFT: dynamic, vibrant, diverse community of mental
health professionals in our beloved Los Angeles. In the upcoming months, you can
expect a brand new website, newsletter, and improved communication platforms.
All of our efforts are designed at helping you to feel more joined to your community
by increasing outreach, professional opportunities, and most importantly, connection
to others.
To better introduce our new look and acquaint you with our amazing webmaster, I
interviewed Laurel Jones, our new tech extraordinaire!
Rena: Hi Laurel. Please tell us a little about yourself!
Laurel: Originally from the Midwest (born in Kansas City, went to college in Chicago),
I moved out here to LA with my husband coming up on 8 years ago. I received my
BFA in Visual Communications from the Illinois Institute of Art ‐ Chicago in 2007
and have been working in the design field since. I am very experienced in graphic
and web design, user experience, and marketing, having worked in both in‐house
marketing departments and digital advertising agencies alike.
From a personal standpoint, I’ve been married to a super wonderful dude for 8
years and we just had our first baby in June of last year (he’s almost one!) Along
with our two rescue dogs, we’ve settled in Pasadena after having lived in Koreatown,
Culver City and Mar Vista over the years and we really love it here. I’m a big Chicago
sports fan, so Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs (NORTHSIDE!!), and of course, Dah Bears.
Little known fact: I am a huge weightlifting buff! I love working out doing Olympic
lifts (squatting, deadlifts, cleans, etc.), and I happen to be pretty good at it!
Rena: What is it you love about graphic design?
Laurel: I’ve always been interested in art ‐ creating it, learning about it, critiquing
it, innovating with it ‐ since before I can remember. I was highly encouraged by my
parents growing up, and it felt natural that I went to art school. Having the logical
brain I have, I knew it’d be very difficult to make money drawing and painting, so I
pursued graphic and web design. The more I learned in school, the more I realized
this field would hit upon all my creative and analytical needs.
Graphic design is more than just “making things look pretty”. It allows for clearer
access to information, taking into account the audience and what their needs are.
I think that’s the part that thrills me the most: undertaking a project from scratch,
understanding the audience, and then creating something beautifully designed
that leaves an impact with them.
Rena: What words come to mind when you think of the brand of LA CAMFT?
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MAY/JUNE 2015
LA-CAMFT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Randi Gottlieb, MA, LMFT......... [email protected]
Vice President
Vacant
Past President
Jonathan Flier, MA, LMFT ... [email protected]
Chief financial Officer
Billie Klayman, MA, LMFT..... [email protected]
Board Secretary
Estelle Fisher, MA, LMFT............. [email protected]
Membership Chair
Kane Phelps, MA, LMFT ............... [email protected]
Networking Event Chair
Darlene Basch, MA, LCSW ................... [email protected]
Communications Chair
Rena Jacobs, MS, MFT Intern ...... [email protected]
Special Interest Group & Special Workshop Chair
Daniel Factor, MA, LMFT ......... [email protected]
Pre-licensed Representative
Debra House, MA, MFT Intern..... [email protected]
Members-At Large
Lynne Azpeitia, MA, LMFT....... [email protected]
Sietze Vanderheide, PsyD, JD....... [email protected]
COMMITTEE AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP
CHAIRS
Newsletter Editor
Vacant
Registration Co-Chairs
Tracy Bevington, MA ......... [email protected]
Aimee Martinez, MA..................... [email protected]
Table Host Co-Chairs
Tony Davis, MA, LMFT..... [email protected]
Randi Gottlieb, MA, LMFT......... [email protected]
Expressive Arts Chair
Lori Chaikin, PsyD, LMFT, AT............. [email protected]
Hilary Kern, MA, MFT Intern, AT ........ [email protected]
Networking Event Program Chair
Roger Schwarz, LMFT, JD ................... [email protected]
Ways and Means Chair
Billie Klayman, MA, LMFT..... [email protected]
Sexuality and Gender Awareness Co-Chairs
Mary Ann Rege, MA ........... [email protected]
Michael Comlish, MA...................... [email protected]
Social Media Co-Chairs
Rena Jacobs, MS ........................... [email protected]
Alyson Stack, MS, LMFT............ [email protected]
Somatic Therapy Co-Chairs
Cathy Graf, MA, LMFT ................... [email protected]
Jonathan Flier, MA, LMFT ... [email protected]
Supervisors’ Special Interest Group
Catherine Auman, LMFT......... [email protected]
3000 Club Co-Chairs
Debra House, MA, MFT Intern....................... [email protected]
Katelyn Piceu, MA, MFT Intern ....... [email protected]
Natalie St. Cyr, MA, MFT Intern ..... [email protected]
Elections Chair
Vacant
Administrator
Christina Bielfelt [email protected]
If you are interested in any of the
committees or special interest groups,
please contact any Board member.
Laurel: Modern, bright, crisp, multi‐faceted, dynamic, upward.
Rena: What's in store for the future of LA CAMFT with your involvement?
Laurel: In the near‐term you can expect better‐designed email communications
and a refreshed website with a better user experience. I hope to implement my
marketing knowledge into the website as well ‐ aiming to increase new member‐
ship and making it more of a hub for members to get their questions answered.
I also hope to work with the Board to come up with a more interactive, dynamic
newsletter experience, possibly turning it into more of a blog to live on the web‐
site; more searchable by users and search engines alike.
In general, improving the look and feel and user experience of member/potential
member facing communications from
LA CAMFT.
Rena: Anything else we should know?
Laurel: I’m honored to be apart of the
transformation of this awesome
organization, and really look forward to
working with everyone to make it truly
stand out against the ocean of other
CAMFT chapters. Onwards and upwards! n
LA THERAPIST UPDATE
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MAY/JUNE 2015
PAGE 3
Focusing on the Trauma Resiliency Model
By Daniel Factor, LMFT
”The infant organism knows (feels, is, implies) its next bit of
life process, which means how it will be with a mother and
father. It implies how its life process will be carried forward
by them. Just as it “knows” how to inhale the air into its
lungs, so it “knows” how it will be held, nursed, welcomed,
and protected. The bodily implying is always still there. If it
can generate the missing interactional events, it will.”
Eugene Gendlin, (1996). Focusing‐oriented psychotherapy:
A manual of the experiential method. New York: Guilford
F
irst, I’ve chosen to begin with this quote by Eugene Gendlin as both a
springboard and a meaningful landing point to return to, because as
I see it, Gendlin’s work (either implicitly or explicitly) is part of the
foundational lineage for many Somatic Psychotherapies available
today, which includes the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM).
Second, just like an organism, language can both reveal and conceal. And
so when Gendlin writes an "infant organism knows" he is guiding us to be
aware of not a cerebral knowing, but a vital bodily pulsing, which from its
start "knows how" to sense and receive, while needing both from others.
Gendlin uses "implying" to focus our
attention on a relational "life process" that
A TRM THERAPIST
conceals what is yet to come. Like the
flower's full fragrance held first within the
ENCOURAGES THE
concealing bud, able to be revealed only
when its unfolding blooms, and only if well
MOVEMENT OF THE
protected and well attended to.
Trauma Resiliency Model was created by
Elaine Miller‐Karas and partners. TRM was
inspired by Peter Levine’s Somatic
Experiencing® and Eugene Gendlin’s
Focusing, along with other body‐brain
sciences and theories. Gendlin is also
referenced in Peter Levin's writing,
and Gendlin himself references his
collaboration with Carl Rogers, to round
out the TRM linage. Today, TRM continues
to grow as a research informed approach
through the Trauma Resource Institute,
which now offers advanced extended
training for becoming a Certified TRM
practitioner.
TRM can be integrated with most
psychotherapy modalities and is itself
an integrated psychotherapy. However,
integrating TRM may require some
adjustments for some therapists less
familiar with somatic approaches. TRM
asks therapists who frequently utilize
interpretations or behavioral directives
or narratives, to increase their trusting
in and learning from the client's own
bodily "knowing" as
Continued on page 9
CLIENTS "IMPLYING”
LIFE PROCESS AND,
AS NEEDED,
SUPPORTS THE
RELEASING OF STUCK
NEUROBIOLOGICAL
ENERGY FROM
THE BODY FOR
HEALING AND CHANGE
THE STING
by Roger Schwarz, LMFT
LA CAMFT Program Chair
am fascinated by our constant need to
be occupied or busy; I like to think of it
as an overall addiction to busy with
technology playing a predominant role.
Brene Brown calls it crazy‐busy. If we are
always busy, we don’t have to feel the
unpleasant feelings, or pleasant ones, that
arise throughout the day ‐ we numb out.
I
Suppose you can push a button on your
chest each time you get triggered that will
cause your brain‐mind system to freeze
momentarily giving you just enough time to
avoid the automatic way you behave when
put off by whatever the immediate irritant
might be.
And suppose this mechanism prevents you
from resuming control of your system until
you have completely cleansed yourself of
the offensive intruder that has taken you
out of your right mind.
The prospect of such a tool has me first
reeling with laughter then followed by
apprehension. I laugh imagining how
often I, and maybe most people, might be
rendered powerless by such a mechanism
and then forced to come to grips with the
everyday moments that evoke reactions
we intuitively know to be out of proportion
to whatever prompted the reaction. The
specter of a science fiction story in which
everyone is frozen in place much of
the time rattles my brain.
But think of the potential benefit. If you
monitor yourself closely for a day or two,
you’ll notice that in most instances, the
painful impulse – experienced as fear,
irritability, anger, disappointment,
helplessness, self righteousness, the list of
emotions is endless – subsides naturally to
where you might have to struggle to
remember what the trigger was.
So for a day or two begin pushing an
imaginary button on your chest when you
get triggered, even mildly triggered, and
experiment with this self‐care (and care
for others) tool. Conduct the experiment
as a scientist would, with open curiosity
and a commitment to rigorous adherence
to the protocol in order to obtain results
on which you can rely as a guide for future
self‐regulation. n
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MAY/JUNE 2015
LA THERAPIST UPDATE
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PAGE 5
Event Sponsorships
By Estelle Fisher, MFT
I
LA CAMFT Board Secretary and Sponsorship Chair
f you’ve attended any of the Los Angeles Chapter of CAMFT’s net‐
working events, or special interest group events, or the annual picnic
at Cheviot Hills Park, you will have experienced the inclusiveness and
collaboration of our LA CAMFT community. I hope you felt engaged,
connected, and welcomed in the company of your peers, no matter if
you’ve been licensed for years or are still accruing your intern hours. It takes
a wide network of volunteers to orchestrate these events, and we do it
because we feel a great sense of satisfaction knowing that we have shared in creating
an opportunity for anyone in our profession to find a bridge from the isolation of the
consulting room to the support and belonging in an extended community.
Our well‐intended efforts are not the whole story. Essential to the financial viability of every
event is the support of a dedicated and generous sponsor. Our sponsors are an indispens‐
able part of our community; resources whose nets cast wider than the events they sponsor.
They extend the sense of community beyond the doors of the Beverly Hills Country Club,
and beyond the parking lot at Cheviot Hills Park. When your client’s needs go beyond what
you can give them in the consulting room, our network of sponsors can offer support to
supplement your work with the same care and competence you yourself strive to provide.
The next time you find yourself at an LA CAMFT event (which I hope will be this coming
May 22), check out the sponsor literature table, and get to know the members of your
community.
SAVE
THE DATE
NETWORKING
MEETINGS
CALENDAR
FOR INFORMATION
AND TO REGISTER:
CONTACT
www.lacamft.org
May 22, 2015
Helping Your Clients Build Resilience
to Trauma
Elaine Miller‐Karas, MSW, LCSW
June 26, 2015
Working Experientially with Couples
in Recovery
Beverly Berg, MFT, Ph.D.
July 24, 2015
Creating Closeness at a Distance:
Depth Emotion Processing and
Telemedicine
Susan Warshow, Psy.D.
September 26, 2015
Using Spirituality in Your Practice
Andrea Polard, Psy.D.
October 24, 2015
Psychopharmachology
Richard Sinacola, Ph.D.
PAGE 6
LA THERAPIST UPDATE
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MAY/JUNE 2015
THE RELATIONSHIP TO BELIEF
I
By Tony Davis, MFT
n my experience as a therapist, clients have not
displayed a lot of curiosity about my life. There was
only one teen client who once shared his fantasy that
I lived in a huge house and soaked in a Jacuzzi with
lots of women while wearing gold watches! But even
he did not actually ask much about my life. This is somewhat
a relief, since it keeps me from having to disclose relationship
status, sexuality, where I live, ethnicity, etc. But there is one
area of disclosure that I hope to not be asked about, and
that is the area of religious belief. I am an atheist. Like many
atheists, I did not start out as one, but instead became one
after a childhood immersed in a shaming religion, and a young
adulthood centered around spirituality. While this is a relatable
journey, there are still misunderstandings
and suspicions around atheism, and I have
concerns of how that might affect trust in
I AM AN
the therapy room.
As we know, clients often seek out therapists
who at least somewhat mirror themselves
in regards to gender, sexual orientation,
and ethnicity. As therapists, we know that
this is not essential to doing effective
work, but I can understand why it might
comfort a client who is nervous about
starting therapy. When it comes to
religion, however, I find it less important
for clients to find a match, and that is
a good thing. Still, most assume their
therapist believes in something, despite
research showing that those who are
"unaffiliated" currently rank as the third
largest group behind Christians and
Muslims. (Unaffiliated includes not only
atheists, but also agnostics and those who
call themselves "spiritual".)
So I asked he if she ever talked to God the way she talked
with me‐‐if she ever shared how angry and upset she was at
the state of her life, or how scared she was about the possibility
that things might not improve for her. She told me that she
was not sure what I was proposing, so I modeled an example
for her. I "pretended" to rage at God, spilling out fears of
abandonment, wondering why my loyalty had been so poorly
rewarded. I "told" God that I was nervous about talking to
Him this way, and that I was concerned He would now be
disappointed in me, but that I had to speak up because I
felt so alone. I finished by telling Him of my need for more
attention and care, and letting him know what I was willing
to do to warrant that. In other words, I modeled having a
conversation with God.
ATHEIST.
LIKE MANY ATHEISTS,
I DID NOT START OUT
AS ONE, BUT INSTEAD
BECAME ONE AFTER A
CHILDHOOD IMMERSED IN
Apparently, this indicated to my client
some expertise on the topic of prayer,
but that was not the basis of my
demonstration. Relationship was the
basis. For me, there was no conflict
between the client's beliefs and my
lack of them, since I saw her dilemma
as being relational. Her difficulty with
prayer was approached as a communica‐
tion challenge‐‐how to stop talking at
God and start talking with Him.
At the end of the session, I answered my
client's question by disclosing that I was
religious as a youth (not untrue at all)
AND A YOUNG ADULTHOOD and that I had experimented myself with
how to pray. But the closer truth is that
CENTERED AROUND
I just saw her difficulty with God as a
relationship problem rather than a faith
SPIRITUALITY.
issue. She was not questioning her
faith, she was questioning God's
responsiveness. My atheism never
So what do I do when presented with issues of faith in
once got in the way of assisting her with this issue, since as
sessions?
therapists, are we not all well schooled in relationship? n
A SHAMING RELIGION,
"Where did you learn how to pray so well?" The question
came at the end of a session with a client I had been seeing
for a couple of years during one of my internships. We had
been working on some recent setbacks she had suffered in
her life in the areas of health, family, and financial security. I
knew from our work together that she was a deeply religious
woman, and that she prayed daily. And yet she was coming in
presenting as angry and bitter at the turn of events. While I
didn't blame her for her mood, I struggled with how to assist,
given her limited resources (she was elderly, ill, and without
money). So one day I asked her how she prayed. Her eyes
opened wide at the question, and she eagerly answered
saying that she asks God for what she wants: health, better
relationships with family, and money. She also shared that
he "did not seem to be listening" lately.
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MAY/JUNE 2015
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MAY/JUNE 2015
News from
LA CAMFT’s Expressive Arts Special Interest Group
he Leadership team of LA CAMFT's ExArts Sig has been
formed and they are hard at work planning programs and
presentations for our community. From their picture above you
can see the team embracing the ExArts cultural values of
how having fun builds cohesion, increases productivity and
intellectual and emotional resources.
Below is their mission statement.
The mission of the LA CAMFT Expressive Arts Therapy Special
Interest Group is to have a community to network and support
the expressive arts therapies through experiential workshops
to enhance both our personal and professional lives so we can
continue to learn and grow, transcending healing into our
clinical work.
ExArts SIG Leadership Team: From Left John Mews, Co‐Chair
Lori Chaikin, Stella Dunn, Michelle Bee and Co‐Chair Hilary Kern
One member of the committee wrote this brief note on her
experience being on the team.
Hello my name is Michelle Bee and I want to share with you my experience as a new member of the LA CAMFT
Expressive Art Therapies Committee. A few months ago, a close colleague and friend told me about this committee.
I could feel her excitement and enthusiasm that inspired me. I live in Lancaster that is 66 miles away and decided to
give it a try. After attending one meeting I felt like I was home. I was surrounded by a group of therapists that innovate,
celebrate, create and collaborate with tremendous joy. I had no idea there was such a rich and supportive place for me
to share my professional purpose with a group of therapists who surrender to the artistic process. We come together
and blend therapy and art as a way of life. We are all passionate and committed to learning and sharing expressive art
therapies with our community. I am so thankful for this group and our dedication to expanding our vision.
Designed to Soar,
Michelle Bee, LMFT n
The
T
he last LA CAMFT
3000 Club event,
Third Thursday, was
held at The Spot Cafe
on April 16th. This
group meets monthly
to support each other
through the various
stages on the road to
licensure. The 3000
Club is a wonderful way
to build community
and connect with other
pre licensed members
of LA CAMFT.
3000 CLUB
LA THERAPIST UPDATE
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MAY/JUNE 2015
Trauma Resiliency Model
Continued from page 3
a driver of healing and change. As Gendlin wrote, "Much more
therapeutic change can happen if the body participates.”
Science offers guidance for this in the simplistic neurobiology
description of 'top‐down' vs. 'bottom‐up' processing. 'Top‐
down' refers to the activity of cerebral processing (and literally
the top layers of our brain), which includes the inhibiting of
emotional charges swelling up from below; and 'bottom‐up'
refers to the deeper and lower down structures of our brain
and peripheral nervous system, where the motivating swell
of emotion arises from to communicate its "knowing" to our
cerebral layers.
Language once again can
conceal or reveal, so we must
take a moment to slow things
down to notice that 'top‐down'
vs. 'bottom‐up' is not an
either/or proposition, but a
simplified way to point to a bi‐
directional flow of "knowing" in
its differing forms. But, the
inhibiting role of 'top‐down'
activity, which serves us well
for the development of self‐
regulation, can also deploy
consciousness blocking strategies — or what is traditionally
called psychological 'defenses’.
Science has expanded our understanding of psychological
blocking 'defenses' by identifying protective modes activated
by differing levels of stress and threat, and rooted in 'bottom‐
up' autonomic neurobiological processes. This expanded
understanding provides alternative ways to assess a broad
continuum of somatic, behavioral, and psychological symptoms
and even personality organizations. This expanded under‐
standing attunes us to the differences of ‘top’ and ‘bottom’
functioning, and how each contributes to symptom constella‐
tions, orienting us to use interventions in ever more informed
and selective ways.
Rather than cognitively treating neurotic avoidance reactions as
born from hidden belief structures, or confronting a perverse
refusal to face reality born from object‐relation conflicts
needing insight, as examples, a TRM therapist encourages the
movement of the clients "implying” life process and, as needed,
supports the releasing of stuck neurobiological energy from
the body for healing and change. When the time is right, this
may begin as an invitation to the client to track a body sensation
arriving just now, or to slowly repeat a spontaneous gesture
just noticed.
While the client's attention is focusing in on their own bodily
"knowing", the TRM therapist closely follows, careful to not
interfere. With intuitive attunement, the TRM therapist might
ask the client if there is something there now needing or
wanting, something there to be said or do (or not!), some‐
thing now unfolding into its ever more explicit form. This
PAGE 9
continues as a delicate "interactional event”. The "implying"
unfolds and forms in response to being sensed and received,
as it "knows how" when seen and heard, even while still
concealed in its pulsing implicit form.
When trauma reprocessing is the focus, a client, when ready,
is invited to allow forward what remains concealed and un‐
discharged from a time when life‐preserving biological
systems took over for living. When all is ready, the body and
mind becomes "filled in" with what is now reenergizing into
its actionable form: a self‐organizing ready again defense‐
response once blocked from completing its protective charge.
For single event traumas, this can happen all at once or it can
take several or more passes to work its way all the way
through. When Relational Trauma
is the focus, the process unfolds in
the time that it takes, with patient
providing, allowing the “knowing”
inside to sense and receive as it
“knows how” to do.
The Trauma Resiliency Model guides
us to trust our organism as a “knowing”
agent of change. TRM therapists
provide relational supports to a person
and their body as a whole, so that any
concealed life process may "generate"
what it will, unfolding as it "knows
how" how to do. This "knowing" is "implied" from the start
and remains “always still there" and still able to do, as
Gendlin so eloquently revealed with his words. n
TRM therapists
provide relational
supports to a person and their
body as a whole, so that any
concealed life process may
"generate" what it will,
unfolding as it "knows how"
how to do. This "knowing" is
"implied" from the start and
remains “always
still there" and still
able to do...
PAGE 10
LA THERAPIST UPDATE
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LA‐CAMFT’s
mission statement
The Los Angeles Chapter of CAMFT
strives to be a multiculturally diverse
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MAY/JUNE 2015
LA THERAPIST UPDATE
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MAY/JUNE 2015
President’s Message
PAGE 11
Continued from page 1
From a Systems Theory framework, the family is reconfiguring
now that dad got a new job (elected to CAMFT Board as
Director at Large) and handed the reigns over to mom.
Congratulations Jonathan! With you on the CAMFT board,
we look forward to ever increasing transparency, healthy
governance, and improved relationships between CAMFT
and the local chapters.
Taking a Narrative lens, we declared that this was the year to
build chapter sustainability by developing an infrastructure to
fully support a growing thriving chapter. We are most definite‐
ly “living into” our “story” by creating a full‐year calendar of
speakers thanks to the leadership of Darlene Basch and Roger
Schwarz. The full‐year narrative continues as Estelle Fisher
leads the effort to create an annual calendar of Sponsorships.
According to Group Theory terminology, the LA CAMFT leadership
team is forming, storming and norming – though there really
isn’t a whole lot of storming going on which is indicative, I
believe, of good succession planning prior to the new members
coming onto the board.
From a Developmental perspective – we are definitely in a fast‐
paced growth mode. We started the year with one active
Special Interest Group ‐ Somatic Therapies, co‐chaired by Cathy
Graf and Jonathan. We now have a revitalized 3000 Club under
the leadership of Deb House, Katie Piceu, and Natalie St. Cyr,
which has begun to hold casual gatherings for pre‐licensed
students and interns every Third Thursday. The Expressive Arts
SIG, co‐chaired by Lori Chaikin and Hilary Kern, has been quietly
building a core leadership team and is now planning its first
workshop. We have added two new Special Interest Groups
broadening the chapter’s thematic, geographic, and ethnic
reach. Warm welcome to Sandra Espinoza and Gloria Santos,
co‐chairs of the Latino Alliance and Support SIG, and to Victoria
Goldfarb and Judith Weigle, co‐chairs of the Constructive
Uncoupling/Therapy, Mediation, and Law SIG. Membership is
growing thanks to phenomenal outreach from Membership
Chair Kane Phelps. Our chapter revenue is increasing under
careful management of CFO Billie Klayman. And finally, a welcome
to Judith Weigle, most recently appointed board member, and
to Becky White, our newly hired recording secretary.
We are also experiencing developmental growth pains such as
having an increased number of workshops and not yet having
found our sweet spot balancing more events without losing
attendance at our monthly Networking Meetings. We outgrew
one of our primary workshop venues and haven’t yet found a
replacement that meets all of our growing needs. We lost
Sietze our longtime board member and current Newsletter
Editor before we were quite ready to transition to our bulletin‐
style newsletter and do not yet have a Newsletter Editor to
take his place. Thanks Jonathan for temporarily stepping back
into that role. Finally, we still have two critical board positions
needing to be filled. Anyone interested in joining our chapter’s
dynamic leadership team, please contact me. I would love to
talk with you. n
PAGE 12
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