THE ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER – CHANGING WITH THE TIMES
By Jodie Shea, President
Over the past few years, the Orange County chapter has gone through many changes. From new board members to new events, we have attempted to survey the current needs of therapists in our area and to continually offer something of value. We would love to share with you some of what we discovered and where we may be heading next.
Orange County (OC) tends to be known for its beaches, wealth, and tourism. When people think of the OC, they imagine a certain luxurious lifestyle that, while something of awe and does exist here, is often only a portion of the therapists and populations we serve. One of the ways that we shifted to embrace this over the past few years was by seeking more diverse board members, speakers/topics, and events. Examples include creating a diversity director board position, maintaining CE events on working with diverse populations, increasing discussions about taboo topics such as sex therapy or ethical non-monogamy, celebrating diversity and heritage months, and adding accommodations at events for those of different physical and mental abilities. This has not always been easy, as change often invites resistance, but we are rooted in our beliefs in respect for all. Overall have seen positive feedback and a more diverse community on our board and at our events.
Another large change has been shifting from monthly CE events at a local restaurant to more of a quarterly schedule. Most people these days are just trying to survive and finding the time to come to an event, socialize, and reschedule clients can feel overwhelming. Although we attempt to be mindful of board member bandwidth, we have been more aware of the privilege needed to attend our events, which normally take place on a Friday morning or afternoon. There also seems to be more of a longing for connection in today’s world, and this, at times, was lacking when we often combined socializing or networking with a CE event. One of our long-time board members, Terry Heptinstall, has been organizing a monthly licensed clinician social event for years, and the attendance of these has increased and remained stable throughout 2025. In addition to maintaining this event, we began to offer CE hybrid events at a donated location to reduce price and be able to offer recordings of the presentation, an extended webinar to add more depth of training and also recorded, and also a freeform social event at a café. These events are run quarterly and have been highly successful; therefore, we plan to continue this next year.
We are continuing to keep in mind the high cost of living in Orange County while also acknowledging the value of in-person connection. Changing venue and food offerings to more affordable options has allowed us to continue to offer great events while making them more accessible. Our chapter offers highly discounted rates to events for Pre-Licensed and members, and is considering changing to an all-inclusive membership in 2027 to increase buy-in from members. Other affordable events we will attempt to reinstate in 2026, or in the near future, are hikes for informal connection, longer trainings or retreats, and small group events, such as a book club, clinical focus group, or consultation group.
Change is inevitable and can feel both draining and energizing. The Orange County chapter has been making an intentional effort to stay rooted in our values while adapting to the changing needs of the therapists and populations in our area. We hope that sharing some of our process will inspire you, as some of you have also inspired us!