March 2020 E-NEWSLETTER

Dear Members,

Diversity and inclusion are important values for CAMFT because fostering respect, empathy, and dynamic interaction in emotionally safe environments is strongly associated with mental wellness and productivity. I am excited to share with you some ways that CAMFT is supporting diversity through its activities.

The CAMFT Annual Conference is incredibly exciting this year. Two of our three keynote speakers are ethnic minorities and half of our speakers represent diverse populations. Some of the amazing speakers I’m looking forward to include:

• Luke Wood, opening keynote, “Black Minds Matter”
• Tarane Sondoozi, plenary speaker, “Pink Lemonade: Post Traumatic Growth and Wellness”
• Joe Zarate-Sanderlin, “Non Binary Gender and Therapy”
• Ali Mattu, “Getting Mental Health Out of Your Office and Into the World”
• Talal Alsaleem, “Cyberinfidelity: Treatment and Conceptualization”

It’s going to be a difficult decision to choose which sessions to attend! I encourage you to register for the Annual Conference. Early bird pricing ends on 3/15/2020, so sign up now to save 10% off the regular price.

In addition to the conference, CAMFT is supporting diversity through its efforts for Pre-licensees. The student and Associate MFT groups have higher rates of ethnic minority members than CAMFT’s clinical member populations, reflecting the changes in California’s demographics. CAMFT hosted its initial Pre-licensee Conference in September 2019. The conference sold out and was a big hit with attendees in the Los Angeles region. The Board voted in December to increase support for Pre-licensees, releasing a statement on paying Associates as a best practice of supervision, illustrating CAMFT’s commitment to seeing more Associate MFTs getting paid for their work.

This past month, CAMFT made a statement opposing how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is using confidential information of children, obtained in therapy in the refugee/asylum process at the border, to deny asylum to unaccompanied minors. CAMFT’s objection is consistent to our prior pronouncements against the separation of parents and children at the border and the poor treatment of refugee families. CAMFT is dedicated to supporting the mental health of children and families.

Diversity will continue to be a priority for CAMFT. Stay connected with us through social media to stay up to date on these issues. And be sure to visit the CAMFT website regularly.

Regards,

Nabil El-Ghoroury, Ph.D., CAE
Executive Director
nel-ghoroury@camft.org | Twitter: @drnabil