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President's Message

by Dominique Yarritu, PhD, LMFT

Dear Colleagues,

Today I am writing my last message to you as president of the chapter. It has been quite an adventure, starting with collaborating on the newsletter in 2020 at the heart of covid, moving to chair of the editorial committee, and to the board as president-elect in 2021. My impetus to participate in the newsletter was to write about various topics through the lens of depth psychology and to get published as I was working on my doctoral dissertation. However, I quickly discovered that the juice was to be found in meeting you and share with the membership what I found so inspiring about you, your work/craft, and your approach to therapy. I have thoroughly enjoyed the various positions I have held on the board: it was very exciting to connect with some of you, entice a few members to join me on the board, find new speakers, revamp many areas of our chapter, and finally move it through covid and its aftermath. I have tried my hardest to lead with soul in mind, followed Psyche's vagaries, and hope to have succeeded.

I would not have been able to implement all the new features of our chapter without the members of the board over the past three years (here) and want to thank them wholeheartedly for all their contributions. It would take too long to list all of their accomplishments, but as we transition into 2024, I leave you all with yet another great team. Liliana Ramos, LMFT will be interim president while Ursula Jorgensen will be the president elect. We are welcoming Marté Matthews, LMFT as the director of programs, Kusum Punjabi, AMFT as the director of DEI, and Amanda Cortez, LMFT as the treasurer. Three other board members are completing their terms at the end of the year: Moitreyee Chowdhury, LMFT, Evelyn Lomio, LMFT and Mikella Polito, AMFT.

The board is still looking for a secretary, a director of support groups, a director of membership, and a director of technology and communications.

There will be many new programs and features coming your way in 2024; stay tuned to our website or through our social media feed on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This is another big transition for the chapter and a new beginning. So, as I turn the page and move to a new chapter of my own, I would like to say goodbye to you all by sharing a few verses of my favorite poet, poetic writer, and philosopher John O’ Donohue from his piece titled
For a new beginning:

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.

Have a wonderful holiday and a restful break.