The Art of Integrating Expanded States of Consciousness

With Cristin DeVine, LMFT & Jennifer Allen, LMFT, ATR-BC

Hilton Garden Inn, Monterey

CE Luncheon Event on Friday, September 30, 2022

11:30 AM - 2:00 PM

Clinicians - get ready! With Michael Pollan’s recent Netflix documentary on psychedelic medicine and MAPS research showing consistently promising results using MDMA for PTSD, more people are seeking these experiences to ease suffering and expand consciousness... 

MORE DETAILS & RSVP

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Hello MC-CAMFT Chapter Members!

I have some stark news to relay, and I also have some really good news.

At the end of July we held a State of the Chapter event. It was a lovely, sunny Saturday morning in Veteran’s Park. We spent some time in the beginning simply having some breakfast and connecting with one another. It was wonderful to welcome a few new members to our chapter, as well as see lots of familiar faces. However, the main purpose of this event was a serious one. I, on behalf of the board (and with the support of other board members present) sought to more deeply understand what members value about the chapter, and to check in to see if in fact the chapter is still something that is important to our membership. I was happy to get a resounding “yes” from those who were present. People shared that they value the opportunity for connecting with one another, along with meeting new colleagues. People also expressed that they value the opportunity to continue their education in the context of a local community.

With this common ground of valuing our Monterey County Chapter, I then began to report on the reality of our chapter status. The main points I shared were that we have had vital roles on the board vacant- Programming Chair has been vacant for 2 years and CE Chair has been vacant for over a year. Additionally, we have people on our board who have dedicated their time for a stretch, and they are ready to move on- Myself as President, Susan as Treasurer and Rochelle as Secretary. These 3 positions are part of the executive leadership, and thus, they MUST be occupied in order for a chapter to exist according to our by-laws. This means that if no one is inspired to take on these positions by Nov 1st in order to be on the chapter ballot and confirmed to start in the new year, our chapter will be inactive and possibly move towards dissolution.

Here is where the good news comes in! From this event, a committee was formed. The aim of this committee has been to reach out to each member, and engage in conversation similar to our large discussion inquiring about whether each of you still values the chapter. Again, the feedback has been a resounding “YES!” So, from there our committee then asked for willingness to take on these vacant positions. I am happy to report that members of our chapter have stepped up to take on most of these roles! That being said, we are still in the process of confirming their interest, so if you have been considering offering your talents to the board, there is still plenty of opportunity to do so. Please reach out to me and let me know: jennifer@shamanhealingmonterey.com

I’d like to take a moment to specifically thank the members of our committee who dedicated their time to individually reaching out to our membership: Mary Sue Abernethy, Meg Grundy, Pamela Hughes and Catherine Rodriguez. Making those calls was no small task! It also demonstrates that one can contribute time to the chapter in important ways even without fully taking on a board position, and I hope that as future opportunities to support our chapter arise, others are encouraged to help in a similar way! I’d also like to extend sincere appreciation to everyone who participated in our conversation at the State of the Chapter event, as well as each person who took the time to respond to our committee calls. Thank you! Thank you! If you haven’t received a call yet, you will. If you have received a call but haven’t had a chance to respond, please still do so!

Lastly, I am also really excited that we are moving forward with our first in person CE luncheon since January 2020!! Our own local clinicians, Cristin DeVine and Jennifer Allen are presenting on the Art of Integrating Expanded States of Consciousness at the end of this month- Sept 30th to be precise. You’ll find more information about that event in this newsletter and registration is open on the website! I hope to see you there! May you be well, 

Jennifer Farley

FOR PRE-LICENSED THERAPISTS

The Monterey Chapter CAMFT is a great way to start your professional connections in your new career! Join us and be a part of a group of peers supported by your professional community as you journey through your 3000 hours to licensure. First, become a member of CAMFT. Then become one of our valued chapter members by going to our membership application page. You'll be supported by:

• NETWORKING ACTIVITIES with Pre-Licensed and Licensed Members.
• TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES from short to day-long programs.
• JOB SEARCH SUPPORT with links to active job search sites.
• MENTORING: Find a mentor. 
• RESOURCES for the Road to Licensure.
• CHAIR SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE: Contact Catherine Rodriguez at crodriguez.therapist@gmail.com.

FIND A MENTOR

Are you a therapist? We can help connect members or would-be members to an established therapist for the purpose of mentoring in setting up a private practice or becoming connected to the professional community available in our area. Read more.