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October 2015
 Newsletter Editor:  Heather Blessing, MA, LMFT
info@svccamft.org 
 

Letter from the Board

October 01, 2015

Dear {Contact_First_Name} {Contact_Last_Name},

We had a wonderful training last month with Tonya Elliott. Her talk was both informative and inspiring.

In invite you all to come out for the October meeting, where we will have a panel from the chapter membership as well as community presenting on the LGBTQ community. We hope this will present an opportunity for education and discussion.

Elections for the 2016 board are coming up. Please consider getting involved in the SVC-CAMFT board by submitting your name for election or appointment to our Administrative Assistant, Heather Blessing (info@svccamft.org)

There are many opportunities to get involved. Patricia St James (president elect) will be taking over in January as the new president and welcomes your involvement. She is in the process of putting together a dynamic board!

Please keep November 6Th evening open for what should be a fun joint meeting with AAMFT. Details will be forthcoming.


Peace,

Ann Leber, LMFT

president@svccamft.org

President


  This issue:
· Letter From the Board
· Legal Beagle

· We Need You - for the Board
·  Presentation Summary
· Upcoming Meeting
Information
· Upcoming Board Meetings

· Special Features
· Letters to the Editor

· Psyched about Books and Movies

· Advertising and Announcements

· Advertising Policy for the Newsletter

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President:

Ann Leber, LMFT


President-Elect:
Patricia St. James, LMFT

Past President:
Jill  Lawler, LMFT

Secretary:
Becky Counter, LMFT

Treasurer:
Beverly Baldwin, MFT Intern

Members-At-Large:

Darlene Davis, LMFT
Joseph Borders, LMFT

Program Co-Chairs:
Carol Delzer, LMFT
Kari Deitrich, Trainee

Hospitality Co-Chairs:

Carol Mahr, LMFT
Alexis Clemons, Trainee
Melinda Keeler, Trainee

Club 3000 Co-Chairs:
Sterling Evison, LMFT
Anna Garcia, Trainee
Charlotte Parks, LMFT

Volunteer Co-Chairs:
Amita Khare, Trainee
William Dickey, LMFT

Membership Co-Chairs:

Jenna Bell, MFT Intern
Marti McClellan-Morehouse, LMFT

Sponsorship Co-Chairs:
Sara Coffill, MFT Intern


Newsletter Editor:
Heather Blessing, LMFT

Legislative Chair:

Bylaws Co-Chairs:
Jennifer Lombardi, LMFT


Communication Specialist
Karen Ulep, Intern


 


Legal Beagle

dectective.pngWelcome to the section of the SVC-CAMFT newsletter, Legal Beagle written by Darlene Davis, LMFT. The chapter thought it would be helpful to keep you updated on new laws, legislative pursuits or actions, as well as ongoing legal and ethical dilemmas we all face in our career as Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Interns, and Trainees. Please feel free to ask questions that you have and I will do my best to investigate and post your answer in the newsletter. Please note that articles are based on information from CAMFT and/or the BBS and have been researched to the best of my ability. This is not meant to be legal advice.  Please contact CAMFT or Board of Behavioral Sciences for any legal matters you need assistance for. 

******************************************************************************************************

Great news SB 620 was signed by the Governor. This bill revamps the current hours for licensure requirement for LMFT’s and streamlines categories, known as “buckets” of hours needed!! Here are some of the basics:

 

·      Minimum of 1,750 hours of direct counseling with individuals, groups, couples or families.

·      Maximum of 1,250 hours of non-clinical experience. These include categories we are all familiar with such as:

o   Supervision

o   Administering/evaluating psychological tests

o   Writing clinical reports, progress notes, etc

o   Client-centered advocacy

o   Workshops, seminars, trainings, conferences

 

·      Maximum of 750 hours of counseling and supervisory contact for Trainees (no change from current law)

·      Minimum of 500 hours of experience in treating couples, families, and children

 

What this bill has removed:

 

·      Removes incentive for double counting hours for couples and families

·      Removes incentive for triple counting (up to 300 hrs) for personal therapy

 

Overall this is great for streamlining hours we can count toward licensure. Some of you that have been collecting hours for a while might be questioning what to do with all those hours you collected working with couples and families, and/or personal therapy which have accumulated towards your 3000hrs. Good news, the BBS will allow a person who is submitting hours between January 2016 and December 30, 2020 to alternatively qualify under the experience requirements that were in place on January 1, 2015. You will be able to assess which requirements work best for you. What you can’t do is mix the old requirements with the new requirements. This is a milestone for MFT’s in recording all the hard work we do with and for clients and have it count towards licensure!

I also want to invite you to upcoming Exam Prep Classes beginning in September 2015 that I hope will help your success in passing the Law and Ethics Examination!  Go to
www.darlenedavismft.com and www.hope-counselingcenter.org for more information. You can also contact me at dardav2@earthlink.net

 

*****************************************


Darlene Davis, LMFT Executive Director HOPE; Healthy Outcomes for Personal Enrichment MFT Stipend Coordinator for Greater Sacramento Instructor of University of Phoenix www.darlenedavismft.com www.hope-counselingcenter.org

 


SVC-CAMFT

is Holding Elections for the Positions of:

President-Elect

Treasurer

Secretary

 

If you are interested, please send an email to info@svccamft.org

by October 15, 2015.

 

(Below are the duties of each position)

President-Elect:

The President Elect shall prepare to take on the office of the presidency to perform such duties as delegated by the Board.  The President Elect shall perform the duties of the President in the event the President is unable to serve or is absent and shall also function as a President in training.  He or she shall begin formulating plans for his/her term during his/her tenure as President Elect including finding volunteers for the next term.  The President Elect will attend Board meetings (5) and the annual retreat (1).

Secretary:

The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all Board or business meetings of the association including recording what was said and done.  He/she shall maintain an accurate historical record in archives established by the board and will also work closely with the President.  He/she shall monitor Board discussions and make motions when appropriate to facilitate decision making. The Secretary will attend board meetings (5) and annual retreat (1).

Treasurer:

The treasurer shall keep and maintain or cause to be kept and maintained, adequate records of accounts of the properties and business transaction of the chapter, including accounts of its assets, liabilities, receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, capital, retained earnings, and other matters customarily included in financial statements. The books of account shall be open to inspection by any board member at all reasonable times. The treasurer will provide quarterly reports to the board of directors. The Treasurer will attend board meetings (5) and annual retreat (1).

The treasurer shall deposit, or shall cause to be deposited, all money and other valuables in the name and to the credit of the chapter with such depositories as may be designated by the board of directors; shall disburse, or cause to be disbursed, the funds of the chapter as may be ordered by the board of directors; shall render at such regular meeting of the board, or at such other times as directed by the board, an account of his/her transactions as chief financial officer and of the financial condition of the chapter; shall prepare or cause to be prepared a proposed annual budget to be presented to the board of directors prior to the annual membership meeting; and shall have such other powers and shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the board of directors or the bylaws.



SVC-CAMFT

is also looking for Board Volunteers:

Program Co-chairs, Hospitality Co-Chairs, Membership Co-Chairs, Sponsorship Co-Chairs, Bylaws Co-Chairs, Club 3000 Co-Chairs and many more positions. Send an email to info@svccamft.org if you are interested in volunteering for the board with your contact information and the position(s) or types of things you are interested in.  Join us in making SVC-CAMFT the best it can be!



  September Presentation Summary

Cultural Competency and Best Practices for Native American and Buddhist Clients (2 CEUs)

By: Tonya Elliot-Walker & Carlos Flores Jr., MS 

Native American Clients


TONYA IS COMPLETING HER PhD IN "UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA IN NATIVE AMERICAN FEMALE DRUMMERS!

Starting with a beautiful song entitled, "South Wind Brings New Things" & using a Rattle, Tonya presented a multifaceted approach to understanding & respecting the appropriate needs of NA clients.  Often, the need by third party payers & evidence based practices leaves Clinicians to choose behaviorally based models. Although CBT & DBT are well researched & implemented by all levels of Clinicians, they aren't always helpful to meet the needs of evidence-based minorities.

The focus of the cultural life of the  NA client is more readily served by researching and incorporating their Rituals, Customs and World Views.  NA clients generally WILL NOT come to see a "dominant culture" practitioner unless/until every element of their own culture is exhausted!

Tonya utilizes Existential Theory as part of her Integrative Framework.  She finds it blends with many cultural paradigms AND still allows for some focus on Behavioral Changes.  Values such as understanding existential guilt & anxiety, recognizing meaning in suffering & authenticity, as well as striving to master "the concepts of the Four Worlds," social, psychological, physical & spiritual.
Some Tribes' World View recognizes the concept of wholeness utilizing the Medicine Wheel & the Four Directions, (N,S,E,W) as a foundation which is quite similar to the concepts of our Four Worlds.
 
In  the 1800's ,NA Orphanages, called Mush Halls, consisted of,  mandatory short, hair for all, watching people be killed, then put in large graves & creating alienation among family members. They were required to sing, "one little, two little, three little Indians when they counted the dead along the trails. This cumulative emotional & psyche wounding has persisted across generations

Hitler used this type of Genocide as his model for the concentration camps in WWII.
These types of characteristics, stripping an individual of his/her identity, cultural values & family members, are often seen in Cults or relationships riddled with Domestic Violence & other Abuses.

Four final bits of information:
1. Sins & Good deeds of the NA culture are passed down for 7 generations.
2. English is Linear, Cherokee is primarily Verbs. (More Connecting.)
3.There wasn't ONE Trail of Tears, there were NINE!

4.  For more information about Multicultural Counseling, Tonya recommends you make frequent visits
     to AMCD's Website, located at www.amcdaca.org.

Buddhist Clients

YOUR WORST ENEMY CANNOT HARM YOU AS MUCH AS YOUR OWN UNGUARDED THOUGHTS--BUDDHA
 
Carlos presented his personal experience as a Buddhist Monk ((x2).  Culturally, it is a huge plus to be an Ordained Monk. He began immersing himself into Buddhism 10 years ago. He spends a considerable amount of time in a monastery located in Elk Grove.  He was originally a part of the Catholic Religion, however, realizes Buddhism is more a way of life, rather simply a religion. His son is a Junior Monk. Carlos provided 2 pictures of himself in his robe & 1 of his son behind him in his robe!
Buddhist culture is male-dominated. The Buddhist Monk follows 10 precepts, Nuns follow 8 precepts & the lay person follows 5 precepts. Male Monks ordain before Female Monks.

Buddhist Culture has four Tenets.  (1)  Family Oriented (2)  Religion (3) Routine & (4) Beliefs
The Buddhist Culture automatically make provisions available to each other , No Matter Where They Are!  The Buddhist client will generally NOT come to a "Dominant Culture" Therapist unless he/she has attempted to obtain & request assistance from their own culture.  Monks don't do counseling like "we" do.

The Noble Eightfold Path includes (1) Right Speech (2) Right Action (3) Right Livelihood (4) Right Effort (5) Right Mindfulness (6) Right Concentration (7) Right View (8) Right Intention. 
Following these Paths may lead a Buddhist to Nirvana.

The lay person follows 5 precepts, while the Monks follow 10. There are also Nuns in the Culture.  They follow 8 precepts.  They generally get up @ 4 AM, meditate and chant until 6 AM & between 10-10:30 they eat breakfast.

Repetition in threes is also a ritual that helps Carlos in many instances. If a dog is barking he states, "dog barking 3 times."
A great example was, "when a driver cuts me off, I say driver cut me off 3 times and I DON'T LOOK AT THE DRIVER."

Carlos states, " At some point I lose my name."  This is done because the spirits may not know him as Carlos & may become confused. After disrobing, he returns to Carlos.   Males are also asked, "Are you a Male." "Are you free from slavery."

Shaving one's head is a not "requirement' of Buddhism, it is a Belief. Carlos does choose to shave his head. He has spent several summers in Burma, in Summer Camps, working with young men who have shown an interest in Buddhism & becoming Monks.   These experiences bring him both pleasure & peace.

Carlos was born in El Salvador and moved to the United States at the age of 9.  At that time, English was his second language.  Both his Father & Grandfather were taken hostage, which has created a deep impact on him.  His Grandfather was released due to his advanced age, while his Father eventually escaped imprisonment.

From the onset, Carlos is calm & gentle in his speech and movement. He emphasizes that people might consider paying attention to everything around them.  He used the gym we were in as an example, pointing out such things as the Basketball Net which leads to the Balls in the corner & so on.
This is represented in Vipassana Meditation.  (1) Mindfulness of Breathing (2) Object Meditation (3) Noting

Everything tells a story, often sequential in nature, which is why observation & focus are so important. Concentration is enhanced and the mind is made stronger with regular meditation. 
A part of a main Tenet, everything around us is either doing something + or -.

There are Four Noble Truths: (1) Suffering (2) the origin of Suffering (3) the Cessation of Suffering (4)the Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering.  These are a foundation for wellness.

The Three Virtues are known as (1) Sila (Morality) (2) Samadhi (Concentration) (3) Panna (Wisdom)

There are Four Attachments (1) Positive (2) Negative (3) Direct (4) Indirect
Carlos does use different interventions such as CBT & Solution Focused, especially when doing Hospice Work.
Hospice has Five Steps: (1) Deadline (2) Attachments (3) Process (4) CBT (5) The Last Thought

Karma, the essence of Cause & Effect, reminds us that we are creating as we speak.  Some of our Karma is dissipated quickly in this life, other Karma carries on to the next Life.  Karma can change by doing Good Deeds with a goal to get to Nirvana!! It is possible that if you reach Nirvana, you will not return to this Life!!

Summary by Helen Coupe, LMFT



 

October Meeting Information

Free Pre-licensed 3000 Club Meeting

Topic:  Working with Transgender Clients
Presenter:  Heather Blessing, MA, LMFT
Date:  Friday, October 16, 2015
Time: 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM
Location:  Heritage Oaks Hospital
4250 Auburn Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95841
(map)

Workshop Information:

Discussion on how to work with Transgender Clients and resources for both the therapist and the client.

Please Register online for Free for the Pre-License meeting so we are able to plan ahead for seating.

Monthly Training

Topic:  LGBTQIA Panel
Presenter:  LGBTQIA Panel
Date:
 
Friday, October 16, 2015
Time:
9:30 AM to 12:00PM
Location: 
Heritage Oaks Hospital
4250 Auburn Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95841
(map)


Workshop Information:

This program will benefit MFT and LCSW licensees and pre licensees.

Includes: Continental Breakfast and meets the qualifications for 2 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.  Sacramento Valley Chapter of California Marriage and Family Therapist CAMFT CEPA CE Provider #62279 CE Credit will be awarded on site and to participants at completion of the course


Workshop Information:
Heather Blessing, LMFT – will address the issues of transgender and gender expansive clients and tell her own story and experience of working with the transgender community.
James Tiehm, Family Law Attorney -  specializes in working with same sex couples in family law. To provide the history and recent developments in the area of same sex law.
Ellie Zacks, Ph.D. – will share her many years of counseling experience with the LGBT  community.
Marietta Rubien, LCSW - A Family Therapist, deals with LGBT issues with children, adolescents and adults.   She integrates these issue and their impact on families, couples and children. Marietta will also share her personal story.
Carol Delzer, LMFT & Attorney – facilitator/moderator to introduce and facilitate the panel.

10:00 –11:00am Will be divided into 4 parts.  Each speaker will be asked to speak for 15 minutes on their experience in dealing with the LGBT community.
11:00 –11:10am 10 minute break.
11:10-12:00 pm Open discussion and questions from the audience plus any additional comments from the panel.


Register and pay online, register online and pay with cash/check at the door.

Early registration ends Tuesday, October 13th

Early registration rates*:

2015 Licensed Member of SVC-CAMFT, AAMFT-Sacramento, and all local chapters of CAMFT: $20

2015 Pre-Licensed Member of SVC-CAMFT, AAMFT-Sacramento, and all local chapters of CAMFT: $15

Non-Member: $30

*Add $5 for late or "at-door" registration

For information on joining SVC-CAMFT or renewing your membership for 2015 please email: info@svccamft.org

Refund Policy
Cancellations received more than 7 days prior to an event may be subject to an administrative fee to cover costs of the initial transaction.  No shows, failure to attend, and cancellations 7 or fewer days prior to an event for any reason are non-refundable, including registrations received fewer than 7 days prior to an event. No credit, refunds, or price adjustments will be given for typographical advertisement errors. A $25 fee in addition to the registration fee will be charged for insufficient funds, denied credit cards, or charge-backs. By registering for the event you agree to the terms of the Refund Policy.

Grievance Policy
is located here.

To request accommodations for a disability for any of our events contact our Administrative Assistant at info@svccamft.org




More Upcoming Meeting Information


 Month Topic Speaker Location         
 
October 2 & 3

You & Me: A Conference on Couples - an AAMFT Sacramento and SVC-CAMFT Collaborative

 
Multiple Presenters
 
Rancho Cordova City Hall
 October 16
 LGBT Panel
 LGBT Panel
 Heritage Oaks




Upcoming Board Meetings

Board Meetings are FREE for anyone to attend BUT you MUST register so we have an accurate headcount.
To Register click on the board meeting(s) you wish to attend.

Sunday, October 25, 2015 - 11:00AM - 1:00PM - Location:  TBD
Sunday, December 6, 2015 - 11:00AM - 1:00PM - Location:  TBD

 
 






Special Features

Cultural competency with LGBTQIA clients?
By: Alexis V. Clemons, MFT Registered Intern

     A few days ago, I was enjoying my Saturday morning, and decided to check my personal e-mails after a hectic week as an intern at a community mental health agency. I received an invitation to the SVC-CAMFT October monthly training, featuring an LGBTQIA panel of professionals with experience working with clients from these communities. As I began reading the workshop information, I immediately felt offended. As fast as my uncoordinated fingers could type, I shot out an e-mail to the SVC Board, expressing my concerns regarding the language that offended me. Luckily, Board members were quick to address my concerns, and an apology was given to me, as well as to others that expressed concerns about the invitation; and the terminology in the invite was swiftly changed to be more culturally sensitive.

     Although quick action was taken to address my concerns, as well as the concerns of others, there was still a sour taste in my mouth. It just didn’t seem like enough. I was starting to believe that I was fighting a neverending battle. Is cultural competency with people from the LGBTQIA communities even possible? Is this an unobtainable ideal? How do you become culturally competent with LGBTQIA clients? How do you become culturally competent with anyone?

     These questions got me thinking about a quote that I really love by Dr. Maya Angelou. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Dr. Angelou’s words are not only inspiring, motivating, and quite lovely; they’re also realistic. Realistically, becoming anything is a learning process. Becoming culturally competent is not a one or two lesson educational process by any means. The process is life-long. As a therapist, you can help yourself become more culturally competent, by doing the best you can, and then when you know better, do better. This seemingly unobtainable ideal becomes obtainable through efforts such as continuing to seek out knowledge & enhancing skills; applying the information & skills; and learning from past mistakes and offenses. I believe that we have a responsibility to our clients, our community, and our profession, to continuously strive to increase our multicultural competence. 
________________________________________

Using LGBTQIA Culturally Sensitive Language in an Ever Changing World
By: Heather Cassandra Blessing, LMFT

The irony of this article is that I had already written it, when I made a mistake and did not properly proof read our October event announcement.  So this article is even more relevant than it was before. I want to start off by stating that what is deemed culturally sensitive can change.

Lesbian
I am a lesbian, which means I am mostly sexually attracted to women.  Some lesbians (and) like spelling women as womyn or womxn so as to not have "man" as part of the word.  Unless a lesbian labels or identifies herself, it is not appropriate in general conversation to put a label on them.  In general you should also not state someone's sexuality without prior permission.  There are many terms used the LGBTQIA community.  Tomboy/Tomboi is meant as a lesbian who likes to do culturally "male" things (although many would question why those things are considered "male").  Butch is another common term, which identifies a lesbian that not only likes doing "typical male" things but also dresses more masculine than feminine.  Then there is the term femme which is a lesbian who dresses more feminine.  Inside lesbian culture, femme's often complain about being invisible  because they assumed to be straight.  Now comes an interesting issue butch-femme.

When discussing a lesbian couple it is not appropriate to try and figure out who is "the man" or "the woman" in the relationship as the dynamics can be fluid.  This thought process has caused quite a split in thought as to whether the butch-femme dynamic is appropriate.  Some of the community find the concept of the butch-femme (masculine-feminine) relationship dynamic to be outdated and created by a patriarchal society and others in the community find the dynamic wonderful and actually look to create the dynamic with another.  There is no rule that femmes cannot date femmes or butches cannot date butches or any other concept.  Just like heterosexuals, everyone has their own attractions.  Each culture within the LGBTQIA subculture has its own terms.  So if you have a client who identifies as LGBTQIA it is important to ask the meaning of the terms they use. 

Gay
It is not culturally sensitive to use the word homosexual anymore.  As with all parts of the LGBTQIA culture some prefer to remain in the closet or not disclose their private information.  Also as important is to not assume based on stereotypes.  There are many men that may seem effeminate that are not gay or bisexual, just as a man that someone would term as a "jock" or "just a normal guy" (whatever that means), is gay.  Dragqueens are (usually gay) male performers that impersonate females, often embellishing female stereotypes.   Not all dragqueens are gay, so it is best not to make assumptions.  Queens are often very flamboyant gay men, but unless you know the person and have an understanding to how they label themselves, it is inappropriate to just point out that someone is a Queen or is being a Queen.  While there are a lot of stereotypes and subcultures in the gay community, if you are not in that subculture, it is inappropriate to use many of the terms.  If you have a client who uses terminology that you are not familiar with, ask.  As with all cultures and subcultures (not just LGBTQIA), our clients will have a unique view of their culture.

Bisexual
Bisexual has been a term that has a history of negative stereotypes in both the LGBTQIA culture and the public at large.  Often those in the LGBTQIA community will call bisexuals "fence sitters" or other such terms believing that they just cannot make up their mind.  Others consider bisexual people as unable to be monogamous and just wanting to have "sex with anything that moves".  Both of these ideas are a negative stereotype.  Some consider bisexuals just people who are attracted to people and they don't pay attention to gender, others consider bisexuals as more like in the middle of the Kinsey Scale.  Plenty of research has been done on fluid sexuality and many people consider themselves bisexual if they have had a relationship with both sexes (not at the same time).  It is important to look at our biases and stereotypes when we look at sexual orientation or gender and realize what is right for us and how we define ourselves, is not necessarily right for someone else nor how they would define themselves.  Again it is important to ask people how they identify or relate to such labels. 

Transgender
I want to start off by stating that what is deemed culturally sensitive can change.  One of the most obvious terms that is still is hotly debated is transsexual vs. transgender.  Many of my friends who transitioned more than a decade ago use the term transsexual.  I just discussed it with one and she said transgender bothers her because she has always identified her gender as female so therefore using the prefix trans and then gender would have meant she changed genders but she did not.  She states that she is a transsexual woman because what she changed was her sex.  She had sexual reassignment surgery where they changed her sex from male to female therefore she is a transsexual woman.  On the flip side many others feel that when you use the word sex as in transsexual, it alludes to there being a sexual issue when this has nothing to do with sex (as in the act) or sexual orientation.  They feel they are a transgender person as they are expressing their gender in a different way than they were born and therefore they are a transgendered person.

When working with the transgender community it is common to her the term cisgender woman or cisgender man.  the cis pre-fix means on the same side so I am a cisgender female or cigender woman as in the body I was born with matches my identity and my gender expression (also female).  By using the term cisgender it automatically puts transgender people and cisgender people on the same level as you are basically saying someone who has the same gender as their body and someone who has a different gender than their body.  Otherwise you are phrasing things in terms as a subculture.  For example, if you are discussing whether transgender students can use a certain bathroom, you have separated out a subclass of students rather than talking about bathroom that are for cisgender students and transgender students.  Often used instead of cisgender is non-transgender.

Another recent debate is the terms gender non-conforming vs. gender expansive.  Both mean the same thing - that the person does not match our "binary" system of how we define people as male or female.  The idea of a "Tom Boy" is considered gender non-conforming or gender expansive.  So the reason for the debate about the terms - non-conforming gives the idea that we should conform to certain standards and that this person is refusing to conform whereas expansive means that it is expanding over the current definition and does not have as negative connotation as non-conforming.

Pronouns - it is important to know which pronouns someone feels are correct for them.  I have on my intake sheets in my private practice the lines:

Gender ______________ Preferred Name________________ Pronouns________________

I do not give options (like check marks or boxes) just a place for them to write in what they feel is relevant to them.   Some pronouns are like She\Her and He\Him and other pronouns are They\Them or Ze\Zim.  A pronoun is an identifier and just like a name it helps identify and define the person  so it is important to ask someone how they want to be identified.

What is most important is to ask a person what words they wish to use and how they describe their life and self.

A resource to use is http://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender for up to date terms and what is considered culturally sensitive at present.  However, always remember that there are generational differences and regional differences in many terms to when in doubt ask. 

Queer/Questioning
Queer is a cultural sensitivity quagmire.  The original definition of queer was something strange or an oddity.  So when it became something people labeled people in the LGBTQIA community, it was considered derogatory.  But as with many words, some of the LGBTQIA community has taken the term back and it can mean gay or it can mean somewhere in the middle or fluid.  Such as someone may say they are genderqueer, meaning they either do not wish to define their gender or they are neither male nor female but somewhere in the middle.  Others use queer to describe their sexual orientation meaning cannot be defined.    Questioning is of course anyone who exploring their gender and/or sexuality.  Some have found that they feel their gender or sexual orientation is fluid and may change so they are questioning where they are at the moment.

Intersexed
What used to called hermaphrodite is now termed intersexed.  There are at least 16 known conditions from chromosomal to issues with hormones which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male.  Whether the genitalia is noticeably different or whether puberty or infertility diagnoses the condition, being intersexed creates an issue of the person not being able to be defined as a binary (male/female) sex.  Some may look exactly like a particular sex, but internally or chromosomally not be that sex.

Asexual
Someone who has no sexual attraction to anyone.  This is not celibacy as celibacy or abstinence as both of those are a choice, to be asexual is to not be sexually attracted to any sex, so they are not gay, lesbian, heterosexual or bisexual.

As I have said throughout this article, the most important thing is to ask the person you are working with how they define themselves and what words, pronouns, labels and cultures they feel part of.  We must as always treat our clients like the unique individuals they are.

_____________________________________________

The views expressed in the Special Feature Articles do not necessarily reflect the Sacramento Valley Chapter of CAMFT or CAMFT. They should be understood as the personal opinions of the author. No information in this articles will be understood as official.  Other views and commentary are welcome and will be published as long as they are respectful and stick to the topic.

 


Letters to the Editor
Welcome to the Letters to the editor Section.  We want to hear what you want to say about SVC-CAMFT, CAMFT, current events and issues.  Please see below guidelines on submitting a letter.



 We Have No Letters to the Editor!  Let your voice be heard!  Write a letter to the editor!
__________________________________

 Letters to the Editor Guidelines
  • You must be a current SVC-CAMFT member.
  • You cannot be a SVC-CAMFT board member or employee.
  • It must be no more than 250 words.
  • You must send in your full name so I can verify that you are a member.
  • If you wish your name not to be published please indicate.
  • Any letter published without a name will be listed as Anonymous MFT or Anonymous pre-license or Anonymous Associate
  • All letters must be respectful and without inappropriate words or phrases including name calling.
  • Please send your letters to newslettereditor@sacramentovalleycamft.org
  • If you do not get a response back within 2 days that it has been received please email back.
  • ALL LETTERS RECEIVED WILL RECEIVE A RESPONSE THAT IT HAS BEEN RECEIVED AND WILL BE IN THE NEXT NEWSLETTER.
  • If there is a problem with the letter (language, misspellings, length or appropriateness) you will receive an email back with the reason for the rejection and a chance to fix the problem and send it back in. 

 

                                                           
Psyched about Books and Movies

Welcome to "Psyched about Books and Movies!"  Each month we include a book or movie review by one of our readers.  Please see below guidelines on submitting a review.  Happy reading!


Title:  Straightlaced - How Gender's Got Us All Tied Up
Rated: NR
Released: 2009
Reviewer:Heather Blessing, LMFT 
Review: Great educational movie that shows teens and young adults and how they perceive gender, sexuality and stereotypes.  Right now, until October 18, 2015 you can view it for free at this link - http://www.newdaydigital.com/free/?authorization=AFFD9AC72B53823D818EA0F5CC746968
There are many interviews with a diverse population of students who discuss peer, social and cultural pressure to conform or not conform to certain beliefs.  This is a great video to share and talk about with teen clients or just to give a therapist an idea of what these youth feel about gender, sexual orientation and fitting in.

 

Book/Movie Review Submission Policy

All reviews are not to exceed 1000 key strokes.
Your review should include the title, a short synopsis about why you like or dislike it, and the author’s name & publication date. You can also include a picture of the book and/or movie. After review, we will publish your review in our next newsletter. Reviews submitted that are longer than 1000 characters will be returned for editing. It is best to type your review in a Microsoft Word document to note how many key strokes (characters with spaces), how big your review is, and for your own record keeping. You can then copy and paste it into the online submission form located here (http://www.sacramentovalleycamft.org/Newsletter.html) To learn more about checking your review for key strokes, spelling grammer and size click below: (http://www.sacramentovalleycamft.org/How_to_check_review_in_microsoft_word.doc).

It is your responsibility to check for spelling and grammar errors.  Reviews must be received by the 20th of the month in order to appear in the next newsletter.

You can submit your review by: Visiting our webpage: www.sacramentovalleycamft.org

Mailing it in: P.O. Box 163385, Sacramento, CA 95816

 





Advertising and Announcements



 
JOB OPPORTUNITY AT THE COGNITIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY CENTER OF SACRAMENTO VALLEY

The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Sacramento Valley in Roseville is seeking a Licensed Therapist or experienced Registered Intern for an employment opportunity in our newly opened Roseville office. We specialize in evidence-based therapy for anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders in adults, children and teens. Please visit http://cognitivebehaviortherapycenter.com/mft-therapy-jobs-sacramento-roseville  to learn more about the job opportunity and our center as well as how to apply.


REPRESENTING VICTIMS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE


Law Offices of Joseph C. George, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist (PSY 7480)
Attorney at Law (SBN 119231)
Free consultation.
Website: www.psyclaw.com
Telephone: 916.641.7300





 

Advertising Policy for the Newsletter

All ads and reviews are not to exceed 1000 key strokes. Chapter members advertise at no cost. Non-members can advertise about employment opportunities at no cost. Non-members, non employment-related ads follow these rates:

 

$10 for 200 key strokes

$20 for 201-600 key strokes

$30 for 601-1000 key strokes

Full page and ½ page ads are not accepted.

 

All ads contain text only; no graphics will be included.

Ads submitted that are longer than 1000 characters will be returned for editing. It is best to type your ad in a Microsoft Word document to note how many characters, how big your ad is, and for your own record keeping. Please visit our site to find more information on how to use Microsoft word for editing. You can then copy and paste it on our online submission form located here (http://www.sacramentovalleycamft.org/Newsletter.html)

It is your responsibility to check for spelling and grammar errors.

 

Ads must be received by the 25th of the month in order to appear in the next newsletter. Ads are placed in the order that they are received.

 

You can submit and pay for your ad by:

 

Visiting our webpage: www.sacramentovalleycamft.org

Mailing in payment: P.O. Box 163385, Sacramento, CA 95816

Emailing the Newsletter Editor: newslettereditor@sacramentovalleycamft.org

Thank you for contributing to the newsletter!Un

 
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