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by Junko Yamauchi, LMFT, Director of Support Groups
Our chapter currently runs four support groups. Pre-Covid time, we had two groups in the north locations and another two groups in the south locations. Since the pandemic, we have been offering all-online support groups, which allows us to serve more people, some even outside Santa Clara County.
I am the Director of the Newly and Pre-Licensed Members Support Groups. I was also one of the facilitators of the support groups, until recently. I really enjoyed meeting with pre-licensed therapists and was inspired by them in person and online for the last 2.5 years. I am excited that we now have two new leaders starting in June.
Before introducing two of our long-running leaders, I would like to recognize Barbara Pannoni who led her newly-licensed group from October 2019 to April 2021. Here is her message:
“I loved facilitating SCV-CAMFT's South Bay Newly Licensed Clinician Support group! It has always been important to me to support other clinicians through all phases of their development. Seeing members support each other, exchange ideas, create alliances and refer to each other was wonderful. Members of the group gained confidence in themselves and got crucial information from each other to support them in this professional chapter.”
Now I’d like to introduce our amazing and passionate group of leaders. I came up with fun questions for them hoping you would get a sense of who they are. I wrote the questions and the leaders answered via email.
Our current leaders are Jim Arjani and Della Fernandes. In this issue, you will learn a little bit more about each of them through the interviews that follow. The two new leaders who have just come on board, Natasha Kazmi and Sarangan “Saru” Sivanesan will be featured in our September issue. Stay tuned!
Jim Arjani has been leading the pre-licensed group since June 2018. His group meets on the 1st Friday of the month 11am-1pm.
Who are your clients and are you accepting new clients at this point?
I work with adolescents, adults, couples and families. I have a group practice, Mountain View Therapy, and get the opportunity to work with some wonderful therapists. Currently, I am not accepting new clients.
What books/movies/podcasts do you recommend for fellow therapists?
One Second Ahead, by Rasmus Houggard is a book I would highly recommend for therapists. It has great practical advice on how to be mindful throughout the workday.
Which non-therapy related books/movies/podcasts do you enjoy?
I really enjoy watching Saturday Night Live, especially the political satire.
What are the quotes, phrases, and sayings that you often use in session?
When working with couples, I often find myself reminding them that being right is not more important than the relationship.
What do you do to take care of yourself?
I try to take care of myself by going on walks, daily meditation, and talking to my friends and loved ones.
If you were not a therapist, what would you like to do for a living?
I would probably be a writer if I was not a therapist.
Describe your dream vacation.
My dream vacation would be to go on an around-the-world cruise and stay in one of the luxury suites.
Which theoretical orientation do you use the most?
I use EMDR a lot and have found it to be very effective with most of my clients.
How has the pandemic changed your professional life?
The good thing is I can stand while doing telehealth sessions, so it has really helped me to reduce my lower back pain. I spend more time on self-care and take on fewer clients as a result of the pandemic.
Anything else you would like to share about yourself with our readers?
I have really enjoyed being the facilitator for the pre-licensed support group for the past three years.
Della Fernandes has been facilitating the newly-licensed group since January 2019. Her group meets on the 3rd Saturday of the month from 1pm to 3pm.
Who are your clients and are you accepting new clients at this point?
Yes, I am accepting new clients. I enjoy working with couples who want to keep their marriage together and individuals navigating career challenges and transitions. I especially enjoy working with high functioning Asperger’s (ASD) partners who pair up with neurotypical partners. I also enjoy working with men, c-suite professionals, tech, and legal professionals. My Masters in Personnel Management and prior work experience in Human Resources and Organizational Development, have helped me work with my clients collaboratively, in navigating relationships and overcoming stress, anxiety and other workplace challenges.
What books/movies/podcasts do you recommend for fellow therapists?
I recommend The Therapist’s Guide to Clinical Intervention by Sharon L. Johnson. If you’re working with clients on the autism spectrum, The Science of Evil on Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty by Simon Baron-Cohen and The Journal of Best Practices by David Finch are really good books.
As for movies, I'd like to recommend in particular season 1/episode 5 of the Netflix series Wanderlust, which demonstrates the technique the therapist uses to help the client unravel grief from her past that continues to haunt her present. The podcast I listen to and recommend is Hidden Brain by Shankar Vedantam.
Which non-therapy related books/movies/podcasts do you enjoy?
Non-therapy books that are on my night stand now are: Amazing Possibilities by Matthew Kelly, Making Peace with Change by Gina Brenna Butz, and The MIT Technology Review. The Netflix series I am currently enjoying is Jack Whitehall: Travels with my Father, Rita, Schitts Creek. The podcasts I enjoy are NPR news, Marketplace, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, and Fresh Air.
What are the quotes, phrases, and sayings that you often use in session?
The quote I go back to a lot in session is Robert Frost's poetry line:
“We dance around in a ring and suppose,
But the Secret sits in the middle and knows.”
What do you do to take care of yourself?
I enjoy long walks, hikes, drives to new trails and places, good food, light conversation, and time with family and friends.
If you were not a therapist, what would you like to do for a living?
I'd love to sing, act, dance, design clothes, and paint.
What would you do if you won one million dollars?
I would start a therapy teaching and practicum institution in Goa, India, and travel.
Describe your dream vacation.
I’d like to have a series of experiences living in unusual hotels, like the Ice hotel, the Manta Resort at Pemba Island, Zanzibar, The Levin Iglut in Finland and so on.
Which theoretical orientation do you use the most?
I primarily lean into CBT techniques, but customize treatment plans using Object Relations, Erickson's theories, Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Imago, and Gottman. I also use Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Transactional Analysis.
How did you become a therapist?
People always intrigued me. My favorite place to go to as a child was the receiving lounge of an airport. I would be fascinated to observe the body language of people at airports and watch them communicate when they welcomed or said farewell to their loved ones. This curiosity opened the door to the study of psychology. At the time I was launching my career in India, therapy was associated with a fair amount of stigma, so being a therapist would not have been a wise choice. So I opted for a related subject, Human Resources and Organization Development, which is also a passion. I returned to Psychotherapy, which was my first love, after coming to the United States.
How has the pandemic changed your professional life?
It has given me more time for contemplation and learning. I have a better appreciation for technology. However, I find myself more exhausted than when I saw clients in person. The pandemic has also opened a window into my personal life. I have begun to realize that the faith foundations laid by my family and teaching institutions as well as the discipline of daily prayer and reflection has helped me stay content during the difficult times. In one of my night prayer reflections, I came across Colin Brady’s statement regarding his individual skiing trek in Antarctica on that long arduous journey by himself – he says and I quote “I was locked in a deep flow state (fully immersed in the endeavor) the entire time, equally focused on the end goal, while allowing my mind to recount the profound lessons of this journey”. It left me with food for thought in exploring my experiences through the lens of resilience and how I could help my clients reframe this year’s experiences through the same lens.
Anything else you would like to share about yourself with our readers?
I come from Goa in India, which is a prior Portuguese colony and has a blend of western and eastern cultures. I grew up partly in Bahrain (in the Middle-East) and partly in India. The diversity that life exposed me to has allowed me to appreciate and understand various cultures. It has also allowed me to learn how to create an eclectic life from the wisdom of many cultures and this influences my therapy techniques and strategies with cross-cultural marriages, teams, and clients.
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