If you are a member of SCV-CAMFT and would like to attend,
please RSVP at DEl@scv-camft.org.
ENTRY IS OPEN TO SCV-CAMFT MEMBERS ONLY.

Presented by Lisa Larson, LMFT

Includes 3 CE credits for LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and LCSWs.
This event will be in-person, live streamed, and recorded. A recording will be made available to all registrants. For those who can't attend live, CE credit is available by watching the recording and passing a test. There will be a half hour lunch break.

This event will be available online, as well as in person at beautiful Michael's at Shoreline, offering a delicious luncheon buffet, drinks and dessert. There is an outdoor sitting area available during the lunch break. We hope you will join us in person, to network and connect with chapter members and other bay area therapists.

This Introduction to Brainspotting mini-course introduces students to the theory, research, and best practices of Brainspotting, how it works to heal trauma and other mental health conditions, education on the importance of reaching the deepest regions of the brain in order to have resolution, and the basic ‘frames’ or techniques used to engage clients via a specific eye position, or “Brainspot,” so that they can process their trauma and be relieved of other diagnoses and mental health issues such as PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety.

"Brainspotting" is a powerful, brain-based trauma therapy that bridges the gap between the mind and the body. Brainspotting accesses the deepest regions of the brain where traumatized clients store their traumas and survival terror. It works by identifying, processing and releasing core neurophysiological sources of emotional and body pain, trauma, dissociation, anxiety, and other challenging symptoms. Symptoms of unprocessed trauma, which include chronic anxiety, insomnia, and numbing are notoriously difficult to eliminate through talk therapy.

Brainspotting is adaptable to almost all areas of specialization. It provides therapists with powerful tools which enable their clients to quickly and effectively focus and process through deep brain sources of many emotional, somatic, cognitive, relational and performance problems. Attention is given in this course to the utilization and integration of Brainspotting into ongoing treatment, including highly dissociative clients. Two peer reviewed studies demonstrated that Brainspotting was as effective as EMDR for reducing PTSD symptoms and Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms. "Brainspotting" was voted the most effective trauma treatment by the parents and survivors of the Sandy Hook massacre after a five-year study comparing over 25 therapeutic modalities.

Program Goals

After taking part in this course, participants will have greater understanding of the clinical skills required to successfully alleviate the suffering of their clients who are coping with the various signs and symptoms of unresolved  traumatic stress.  Attendees will learn how Brainspotting can heal a myriad of mental health conditions effectively along with the importance of always following their clients’ lead as they process, assuring that participants won’t exert undue influence with their own values, beliefs, or identities that may adversely impact the clients’ therapeutic process. They will go back to their practices with an understanding of this new modality, having learned the foundation of alleviating the symptoms of unresolved traumatic stress such as anxiety, depression, panic, insomnia, rage, hypervigilance, recurring nightmares, dissociation and chronic fatigue. Participants will move forward with the knowledge that they can work within their scope of practice and competence and follow the ethics of staying current with developments in their field through education and witnessing a  clinical experience of a client receiving Brainspotting. The goal for the client  is a reduction of their disturbance levels in each session and throughout the therapeutic process.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course participants will be able to:

1. Participants will be staying current in the field of brain science by being able to name the two regions of the brain most involved in regulating a dysregulated nervous system.  
2. Participants will be able to name three symptoms of being “Stuck On” (Overly Sympathetic in the Autonomic Nervous System) and three symptoms of being “Stuck Off” (Overly Parasympathetic in The Autonomic Nervous System).
3. Participants will be able to explain the difference between activated eye positions (“Brainspots”) and resource eye positions (“Brainspots”).
4. Participants will be able to identify the two times during a Brainspotting session that they should numerically assess their clients’ subjective units of disturbance (0-10).
5. Participants will be able to avoid exerting undue influence on the process and treatment of their clients by being able to name and follow the two core principles of Brainspotting by allowing “uncertainty” and “staying in the tail of the comet” while the client mindfully processes.
6. Participants will be able to identify the eight-steps of setting up a Brainspotting session.

About the Presenter

Lisa Larson has been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist for 25 years. After seven years in private practice doing Solution Focused or "talk therapy", Lisa experienced a traumatic event that transformed the course of her life as well as her therapeutic orientation. She was trained by the founder of EMDR and later trained with the creator of Brainspotting, Dr. David Grand. She immediately recognized the power and effectiveness of Brainspotting as she witnessed her severely traumatized clients heal quickly and permanently. She learned that her years as a talk therapist were missing the most crucial piece required to heal those with trauma, the deepest regions of the brain where trauma is stored. (The limbic system, Midbrain and the Brainstem.) 

Class Schedule

This schedule may change.
Introduction, “Where You Look Affects How Feel”
○    Experiential for attendees to experience how different levels of emotional and body disturbance are experienced while looking at three different eye positions.
PowerPoint
○    Introduction to Brainspotting
○    Overview of where trauma is stored in the brain as well as the survival coping mechanisms of Flight, Fight, Freeze, Faint and Fawn, instruction on the Basic 8 Steps of Brainspotting.
Live Demonstration of the Eight Steps of Brainspotting
LUNCH
Debrief of demonstration 
Q&A, Closing

This is an introductory level course.
TARGET AUDIENCE: LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs

If you miss any of the presentation, you will not be eligible for the CEUs. This course meets the qualifications of 3 continuing education credits for LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. SCV-CAMFT is a CAMFT-approved continuing education provider (CEPA 052466).

The views expressed in presentations made at SCV-CAMFT meetings or events are those of the speaker and not, necessarily, of SCV-CAMFT. Presentations at SCV-CAMFT events do not constitute an endorsement of the vendor or speaker's views, products or services.

Event Policy Information

Presented by Kalpana Asok, LMFT 

1.5 CE credits
This event will be recorded and available to registrants for 3 months.

The topic of in-laws is a loaded one almost anywhere in the world. In the South Asian community it is a much more charged relationship, with the mothers-in-law being imbued with power that is almost mystifying. Mothers-in-law and their relationship with their daughters-in-law can make or break a family's health, with the daughters-in-law shouldering an unfair part of the burden.

Let us unpack the nuances of the relationship, its origin, the present-day difficulties, and the health of the family unit by understanding how this very important dynamic underlies many conflicted family beginnings in the culture. We will also look at ways to help a couple navigate speaking about a very explosive cultural turning point. Sexism, gendered expectations, re-plays of trauma, internalized sexism, power-plays, middle-aged coming of age, and broken dreams! Seriously though, this is a huge problem in many families and is a must-know topic in working with the culture.

About the Presenter

As an independent practitioner therapist with over 30 years of experience in the south bay area, Kalpana Asok, MS, MA, LMFT, primarily serves clients of the South Asian immigrant community which is especially large in the Bay area. She works with adults— individually and as couples. People seek her out for her skill and expertise in working with this population. She integrates a great amount of social and cultural awareness of the client's family and immigration circumstances together with clinical experience. Her book on the cultural nuances of the South Asian community has been well received both by therapists in the wider population and by young adults in the South Asian community. An area of special interest is working with gifted high-achieving adults. She is also a published poet channeling some of her reflections of identity and experiences as a South Asian immigrant, a parent, and Silicon Valley resident into poetry. She can be reached through her website at www.calmtherapy.com.

Outline with timeline

11:00  Introduction
11:10  Nuances of the topic
11:20  History and culture
11:30  Present day conflict and values
11:45  Case discussion
12:10  Review
12:20  Q & A

This is an intermediate level course.

TARGET AUDIENCE: LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs

If you miss any of the presentation, you will not be eligible for the CEUs. This course meets the qualifications of 1.5 continuing education credit for LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. SCV-CAMFT is a CAMFT-approved Continuing Education Provider (CEPA 052466).

The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speaker and not, necessarily, of SCV-CAMFT. SCV-CAMFT can not be held liable for any damages arising from recommendations or advice given by our speakers or any actions or decisions arising out of the content of this presentation. Presentations at SCV-CAMFT events do not constitute an endorsement of the vendor or speaker's views, products or services.

Event Policy Information

Presented by  Michael Griffin, JD, CAE

Learn from CAMFT's expert attorneys in a 2024 series of Law and Ethics webinars to support your practice.

Can't attend the webinar? No problem! The webinar will be recorded, and your registration will have access to the recording for 3 months.

Discount for Chapter Members
Members of a local chapter will receive a $5 discount on the Law and Ethics webinars. It's our way of saying thank you for being a valued part of the chapter community.

Chapter members:  $60
CAMFT members:  $65
Non-members:  $85

REGISTER HERE

The workshop will discuss key issues involved when working with suicidal clients, including:
The incidence of suicide, statistical and demographic data, avoiding liability, standards of care; identifying risk factors for suicide and undertaking reasonable protective actions, the “Zero Suicide Model,” relevant exceptions to confidentiality, relevant ethical standards and issues involving documentation.

The workshop will discuss key issues involved when working with dangerous clients, including:
Standards of care, the “duty to protect” based upon Tarasoff v. Regents of Univ. of Calif., (1976) and Civil Code §43.92, the meaning of “patient communication” based upon Ewing v. Goldstein, Ph.D. (2004) and Ewing v. Northridge Hospital Center, (2004), the “duty to report,” based upon Welfare and Institutions Code §8100(b)(1) and §8105(c), and relevant exceptions to confidentiality.

Measurable Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to:

• Explain how the standard of care applies when working with a suicidal patient.
• Provide one or more examples of appropriate documentation when working with a suicidal patient.
• Provide one or more examples of risk factors for suicide.
• Provide one or more examples of reasonable preventive measures when working with suicidal patients.
• Describe one or more examples of exceptions to confidentiality when working with a suicidal patient.
• Describe one or more examples of the “duty to protect,” based upon Tarasoff v. Regents of Univ. of Calif., (1976) and Civil Code §43,92.
• Describe one or more examples of the “duty to report,” based upon Welfare and Institutions Code §8100(b)(1) and §8105(c).
• Describe one or more circumstance(s) where an exception to confidentiality may apply when working with a dangerous patient.
• Identify one or more ethical standards which apply when working with a suicidal patient.

About the Presenter

Michael Griffin, Esq., LCSW has been a member of the CAMFT legal team since 2007. A graduate of the USC School of Social Work and Chapman University School of Law, Mr. Griffin earned his LCSW in 1982 and his California license as an Attorney in 2002.  He has a broad professional background in various mental health settings (including Western Youth Services in Orange County, California, and Rady Children’s Psychiatry Dep’t in San Diego) as a clinician, administrator, supervisor, clinical case manager, school program coordinator, and outpatient clinic director. In addition to his work for CAMFT, Mr. Griffin is a practicing psychotherapist with adults, adolescents and children in Laguna Niguel, California.

TARGET AUDIENCE: LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs

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Presentation by Jaclyn Long, LMFT

No CE credits. Snacks will be provided.
*Note: No walk-ins as we will be capping the number of participants at 40 for space reasons.

Join us for an inspiring journey of accessing the deep wisdom within as you explore your Self and Parts. In this nourishing mini-retreat, Jaclyn Long will treat you to a Somatic IFS-informed yin yoga class - with soothing music, very gentle floor poses and a compassionate invitation to be with all of the different parts of you that arise as we move and breathe together. After a short break and a chance to connect with others, you'll be invited to flow into Self-led movement. Jaclyn will guide you on a lyrical journey of moving with, remembering and reclaiming important aspects of yourself, your body and your inner life. Give yourself this opportunity to connect with your Self, with your parts and with each other!

What to bring:

• Comfortable clothes - with layers in case you get hot / cold
• Yoga mat (Jaclyn has some extras if you don't have one)
• Blanket to sit on and/or cover yourself with
• Water bottle
  

Flow of events:

12:45-1pm: Check in, sign waivers, set up yoga mats
1pm: Introductions
1:05-2:45pm: Somatic IFS-informed Yin Yoga
2:45pm-3pm: Break to enjoy conversation with your colleagues and a light snack.
3-4pm: Somatic IFS-Informed movement session

After the mini-retreat, you are welcome to linger and chat, as you integrate this nourishing experience.

If you have any questions, please contact Nancy Orr at mail@scv-camft.org. Also, let Nancy Orr know if you have any other needs / accommodation requests.

About the Presenter

Jaclyn Long, LMFT is a Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist, Somatic IFS Therapist and Certified Yoga Teacher.  Jaclyn is also the Founder & Director of Mindful Child & Family Therapy - a trauma-informed group practice with offices in Los Altos and San Jose as well as Collective Self Energy - offering Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy, Retreats & Courses. She has been supporting children, teens & adults as a therapist since 2003. Her yoga classes include IFS meditations, chanting, breathwork, and Somatic-IFS informed yin yoga, with very gentle modifications for all levels to enjoy. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Beginners are warmly welcome and highly encouraged. This class will lean toward very gentle, nourishing poses to provide an inclusive experience.  For more info on Jaclyn: https://mcaft.com/staff/jaclyn-long/ For more information on upcoming IFS retreats visit: www.CollectiveSelfEnergy.com/retreats or www.mcaft.com/retreats

The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speaker and not, necessarily, of SCV-CAMFT. SCV-CAMFT can not be held liable for any damages arising from recommendations or advice given by our speakers or any actions or decisions arising out of the content of this presentation. Presentations at SCV-CAMFT events do not constitute an endorsement of the vendor or speaker's views, products or services.

Event Policy Information

Presented by Amanda Cortez, LMFT and Hakikat Sahota, LPCC

1 CE credit. This event will not be recorded.

Our workshop delves into the important interplay between faith-based identities and mental health. We'll explore religious coping and religious trauma, highlighting how faith can offer support and present challenges in clients' mental health experiences. Emphasizing empathy and self-reflection, we aim to equip mental health providers to create inclusive and safe spaces for diverse faith communities, acknowledging the nuances beyond our own biases. Join us to deepen your understanding of how faith intersects with mental health, empowering us to engage diverse communities in our care.

We begin with a warm introduction, sharing our roles, clientele focuses, and personal anecdotes to set the stage for meaningful exploration of faith-based considerations in multicultural counseling. Central to our discussion is recognizing faith's intricate role in mental health, urging attendees to delve deeper into its complexities.

As the workshop continues, we analyze the impact of faith-based beliefs on mental well-being, including religious trauma and coping mechanisms. By exploring the benefits and obstacles of faith-based beliefs, we aim to share resources on the interplay between faith and mental health.

Equipping our audience with practical strategies is crucial. We provide tools and resources to navigate clients' belief systems with sensitivity and respect, emphasizing the importance of facilitating clients' exploration of their faith and self-definition of beliefs. We aim to empower providers to practice self-discovery and recognize biases within faith-based communities.

A self-reflection activity will encourage participants to engage in introspection, recognizing their biases and strengths for building rapport. This pause in our workshop helps providers reflect on their areas of growth when working with diverse communities.

In the final segment, we offer practical tools and resources for engaging with faith-based communities, including assessments and ways to create safe spaces. Our workshop concludes with an invitation for anonymous questions and case studies, fostering a collaborative environment of shared learning and growth.

We hope this workshop encourages mental health providers to begin their journey of understanding, self-reflection, and empowerment as they navigate working with faith-based communities.

About the Presenters

Amanda Cortez
I work with adolescents, individuals, and families. I am certified in Brainspotting, trained in IFS and am passionate about working with trauma survivors.
I am passionate about providing treatment for individuals who would like to explore parent-child attachment dynamics as adults, exploration of holding self-compassion in relationships with friends, intimate partners and/or family, and who may have a history or trauma. I work with individuals, teen, couples and family therapy. My specialities include treating depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, parent/teen conflict, mother/father-daughter/son relational dynamics, mood disorders, sleep disorders, trauma, sexual identity, bi- racial dynamics and body positivity. In therapy, I integrate whole wellness and health, build upon your strengths, work towards inspiring creativity within yourself as I believe everyone is the author of their own
lives.

Hakikat Sahota
As an LPCC and Clinical Director, I have worked with children and families from diverse backgrounds, guiding clients at various developmental levels. I specialize in working with children, adolescents, and adults in providing individual and family therapy. My specialties include treating depression, suicidal ideation, anger management, anxiety, building distress tolerance, mood disorders, grief counseling, trauma- informed approaches, behavioral issues, and attachment in children and family conflict. I also embed multicultural competence and cultural factors throughout my work with children and families. I have worked with children and families from diverse backgrounds, guiding clients at various developmental levels through their behavioral & emotional stressors. I am continuously adapting treatment plans to ensure that clients’ strengths are utilized as tools to help cope with their mental and emotional challenges. I value flexibility & perspective-taking in the process of therapy.

Outline with timeline

Introduction of Speakers: 5 minutes
Introduction of Topic: 7 minutes
Positive & Negative Impacts: 10 minutes
Religious Coping: 7 Minutes
Religious Trauma: 7 minutes
What defines faith: 3 minutes
Introspection activity: 5 minutes
Intentional Therapeutic Spaces: 10 minutes
Q&A: 10 minutes 

This is an introductory level course.

TARGET AUDIENCE: LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs

If you miss any of the presentation, you will not be eligible for the CEUs. This course meets the qualifications of 1 continuing education credit for LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. SCV-CAMFT is a CAMFT-approved Continuing Education Provider (CEPA 052466).

The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speaker and not, necessarily, of SCV-CAMFT. SCV-CAMFT can not be held liable for any damages arising from recommendations or advice given by our speakers or any actions or decisions arising out of the content of this presentation. Presentations at SCV-CAMFT events do not constitute an endorsement of the vendor or speaker's views, products or services.

Event Policy Information

Presented by Dave Jensen, JD

Includes 6 CE credits for LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and LCSWs.
This event will be in-person, live streamed, and recorded. A recording will be made available to all registrants. For those who can't attend live, CE credit is available by watching the recording and passing a test. There will be a half hour lunch break.

This event will be available online, as well as in person, offering lunch, drinks and dessert. We hope you will join us in person, to network and connect with chapter members and other bay area therapists. 

After twenty years of practice in the area of mental health law, both at CAMFT and in private practice, and in BBS proceedings as well as civil lawsuits and family law cases, I am amazed how the same sorts of issues keep surfacing.

In this 6-hour presentation, which will fulfill your law and ethics requirements for renewing licenses, attorney Dave Jensen will review laws that keep coming up in his cases, including what can happen to you and your license if you violate them.  

Topics covered include informed consent, evaluating patients for suicidal ideation, terminating the therapist-patient relationship, defining the patient, communicating with third parties, and other surprises. 

About the Presenter

Mr. Jensen worked in-house for the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) for many years, where he assisted CAMFT’s members in understanding and complying with their legal and ethical requirements. A popular and engaging presenter, Mr. Jensen has given numerous workshops throughout the state on compliance issues for psychotherapists. In addition, to providing workshops for local chapters of CAMFT, he also conducts trainings for nonprofit agencies, government agencies, and universities. He has also assisted psychotherapists in forming professional corporations and nonprofit corporations.

TARGET AUDIENCE: LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs

If you miss any of the presentation, you will not be eligible for the CEUs. SCV-CAMFT is a CAMFT-approved Continuing Education Provider (CEPA 052466). This course meets the qualifications of 6 continuing education credit for LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and/or LCSWs. SCV-CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.

The views expressed in presentations made at SCV-CAMFT membership meetings or other SCV-CAMFT events are those of the speaker and not, necessarily, of SCV-CAMFT. Presentations at SCV-CAMFT events do not constitute an endorsement of the vendor or speaker's views, products or services.

Event Policy Information

Presented by  Alain L. Montgomery, Esq.

Learn from CAMFT's expert attorneys in a 2024 series of Law and Ethics webinars to support your practice.

Can't attend the webinar? No problem! The webinar will be recorded, and your registration will have access to the recording for 3 months.

Discount for Chapter Members
Members of a local chapter will receive a $5 discount on the Law and Ethics webinars. It's our way of saying thank you for being a valued part of the chapter community.

Chapter members:  $60
CAMFT members:  $65
Non-members:  $85

Register Here

During this three (3) hour presentation, CAMFT Staff Attorney Alain Montgomery, JD will examine issues related to rendering mental health services via telehealth to help providers adopt sound legal and ethical practices around the use of telehealth. The workshop will review the legal standards of practice for telehealth and review sections in the CAMFT Code of Ethics that address telehealth best practices. Additional topics include matters related to rendering services to clients via telehealth who are physically located in other states and/or other countries and discuss the technical safeguards that protect client information when using videoconferencing technology.

Measurable Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to:

• Identify the preliminary and ongoing requirements to initiate when providing mental health services via telehealth;
• Determine when it is lawful to render mental health services via telehealth to a client who is not physically located in the state of California; and,
• Identify the technical safeguards that protect client information when using videoconferencing software
  
  

About the Presenter

Alain Lance Montgomery, Esq., is a member of the State Bar of California. Alain received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley and a Juris Doctor degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Prior to joining the CAMFT legal department, Alain worked in public interest law as a legal advisor for the Superior Court of California where he helped self-represented parties navigate the complexities of small claims litigation. As a member of the CAMFT legal department, Alain has served as part of the support staff for the CAMFT Ethics Committee and has represented the Association at various state regulatory board meetings. After graduating from college and before attending law school, Alain worked as a ski instructor at Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort.

TARGET AUDIENCE: LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs

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Presented by Kristin W. Roscoe, Esq

Learn from CAMFT's expert attorneys in a 2024 series of Law and Ethics webinars to support your practice.

Can't attend the webinar? No problem! The webinar will be recorded, and your registration will have access to the recording for 3 months.

Discount for Chapter Members
Members of a local chapter will receive a $5 discount on the Law and Ethics webinars. It's our way of saying thank you for being a valued part of the chapter community.

Chapter members:  $60
CAMFT members:  $65
Non-members:  $85

Register Here

As we enter the holiday season, there is no gift less desired by a therapist than being served with a subpoena. In this three-hour webinar, attendees will learn the purpose of different types of subpoenas, how to digest a subpoena, steps to take in responding to a subpoena, and the role of the psychotherapist-patient privilege.

Measurable Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, attendees will be able to:

• Analyze a subpoena to determine who issued the subpoena, what type of documents or testimony are requested, and the appropriate next steps in responding to a subpoena seeking records or testimony.
• Identify the holder of the psychotherapist-patient privilege, when it is appropriate for a therapist to assert the psychotherapist-patient privilege on behalf of a patient, and when such an objection is not appropriate.
  

About the Presenter

Kristin W. Roscoe, Esq., CAMFT Staff Attorney, takes CAMFT member phone calls regarding law and ethics issues and contributes articles on those subjects to The Therapist. Before joining CAMFT’s legal team, Kristin represented healthcare systems and professionals in professional negligence litigation at La Follette, Johnson, DeHaas, Fesler & Ames. Since entering the legal profession, Kristin has worked in various capacities presenting to and advocating on behalf of her clients both in and outside of the courtroom. Kristin received her B.A. from The College of Wooster in 2006 and graduated from The American University Washington College of Law with her J.D. in 2012.

TARGET AUDIENCE: LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, LEPs

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