Welcome!
 
 
 
 
The Desert Chapter
California Association of Marriage Family Therapists 
(CAMFT)

"Promoting Excellence in Mental Health Care through Education and Community"                     

Chapter Events

 

Upcoming events

    • Fri, April 26, 2024
    • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • A Zoom Presentation
    Register

    Desert–CAMFT

    presents:

    Understanding Gender
    Affirming Care:
    Across the Spectrum and Beyond

    Presented By:
    Gretchen Cooper, LMFT

    Friday, April 26, 2024
    9:30 am – 11:30 am

    2 CE Credits

    Online Via Zoom

    Our Presentation

    The workshop will be an introductory course on gender-affirming care. There will be an introduction and positionality statement followed by a ten minute activity about challenging one's own unconscious biases when serving the LGBTQ+ community. Clinicians will learn how providers can initiate this life-saving care with their own clients through specific examples of language usage and education. Participants will gain an understanding of the do’s and don’ts regarding transgender/non-binary etiquette and terminology. Therapists will learn at least twenty different pronouns and how to use them appropriately when talking with our clients. Clinicians will learn how to change their own binary language in order to be more inclusive Therapists can engage in at least two breakout rooms/groups for smaller discussions with question prompts. These groups will assist them in uncovering their own unconscious biases to be more effective as clinicians. Therapists will gain insight on how to talk with their clients about their bodies and what specifically are safe questions to ask.

    This workshop will teach best clinical practices with clients and cite specific interventions to provide quality care. Finally the training will review specific interventions that are most effective within this community. The training will end with legal and ethical considerations, such as tips on navigating the referral process for medical support
    .

    Educational Goals

    Participants will learn the basics of the gender binary and transgender etiquette do’s and don’ts in the treatment room. Clinicians will gain insight into their own implicit biases and learn how to communicate effectively with correct terminology and how to speak in a way that does not adhere to the typical binary school of thinking. Finally, participants will be able to utilize specific interventions that have been known to be effective when working within the LGBTQ+ community.

    Objectives

    1. Identify three legal and ethical considerations regarding referrals for gender affirming care.
    2. Understanding the concept of the gender-binary and evolution of the gender spectrum and be able to list at least three gender inclusive terms.
    3. Navigate transgender etiquette and understand pronoun usage with five specific examples.
    4. Apply at least three gender affirming interventions in their own practice.


      About Our Presenter

      Gretchen Anne Cooper graduated with her BA in Philosophy from the University of La Verne and received her MA in Psychology from Phillips Graduate Institute (PGI) in Los Angeles. She is currently in private practice in California and adjunct faculty at PGI. She worked in community mental health for several years before transitioning to her private practice in 2021, full time. During her time in the county, Gretchen acquired a passion for serving individuals from a multitude of backgrounds. It was there that she developed a passion for working with LGBTQIA+ youth. Gretchen specializes in working with adults, LGBTQ+, adolescents, the unhoused and children. Gretchen is published in CAMFT’S The Therapist magazine on Gender Affirming Care in their November/December 2022 issue. She also published an article about supporting LGBTQ+ adolescents in Family Therapy Magazine in July 2023. She is a published poet in SAGE magazine and published her thesis on Animal Assisted therapy with Children on the Autism Spectrum. Gretchen enjoys surfing and spending time outdoors and performing hula with her halau. Her sister is transgender and Gretchen, herself, is also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Gretchen is currently on track to becoming an AAMFT supervisor.

      Closing date for registration is April 24, 2024 at 10pm.

      • Fri, May 17, 2024
      • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
      • A Zoom Presentation
      Register

      Desert–CAMFT

      presents:

      From Disordered Eating
      to Eating Disorders:
      Prevention and Treatment
      Strategies For All

      Presented By:
      Marlena Tanner, RDN, CEDS-C

      Friday, May 17, 2024
      9:30 am – 11:30 am

      2 CE Credits

      Online Via Zoom

      Our Presentation

      Participants will develop a working knowledge of the principles and practices involved in the assessment and diagnosis of eating disorders; including Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia nervosa (BN), Binge Eating Disorder (BED), Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED). Participants will also learn about updates to eating disorder criteria in the DSM-5-TR, as well as where to draw the line between disordered eating and eating disorders. Additional topics will include how diet culture harms all of us, why dieting doesn’t work, anti-fat bias, and Health At Every Size (HAES).

      Educational Goals

      The overarching objective of this class is for clinicians to obtain a foundational understanding of eating disorders and to better understand how to treat these complex disorders. Effective interventions for treating eating disorders will be reviewed, including Family-Based Treatment, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. In addition, participants will learn the various ways diet culture shows up in our society and how we can collectively push back against this to help prevent problematic relationships with food, body, and exercise. Helpful resources for loved ones of those struggling with eating disorders will be shared with participants as well.

      Objectives

      1. Differentiate between disordered eating behaviors and diagnosable eating disorders using DSM-V-TR criteria.
      2. Identify one common stereotype and statistic associated with eating disorders and be able to list two comorbid mental health conditions often present in individuals with eating disorders.
      3. Explain one biological, one psychological, and one socio-cultural factor contributing to the development and maintenance of eating disorders.
      4. Propose at least one strategy aimed at challenging diet culture and reducing weight stigma in their clinical practice.


        About Our Presenter

        Marlena Tanner is a registered dietitian with over seventeen years of experience treating all types of eating disorders. She herself is recovered and holds the additional credential as an eating disorder specialist and consultant through the international association of eating disorder professionals. Early in her career, she received specialized training from Dr. Francie White who was one of the founding mothers of eating disorder treatment in the field of dietetics. In 2010, Marlena created a partial hospitalization (PHP) program at the Central Coast Treatment Center in San Luis Obispo. She was the program manager of the IOP and PHP for many years. She provided individual medical nutrition therapy, trained staff, co-led supervision meetings, and worked closely with outside providers and insurance reviews. She also led groups focused on intuitive eating, nutrition education, body acceptance, weaving in therapeutic modalities from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Response Prevention and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

        Since 2010, she concurrently ran her own private practice focused on serving the Medi-Cal population, which did not have access to higher levels of care due to insurance constraints. Over the years, she saw such a need for more eating disorder care that she expanded to a group practice by hiring and training additional dietitians, an occupational therapist, and psychotherapist. She now exclusively runs this practice called the Yellow House Project in the beautiful coastal town of Morro Bay and offers trainings to other professionals interested in furthering their knowledge in this field. She continues to carry a full client load, recently focused more on older clients and those struggling with more severe co-occurring diagnoses and complex trauma as well as children who present with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake
        Disorder (ARFID).

        On a personal note, Marlena lives on an avocado farm with her husband and 9-year-old son and enjoys writing a blog, playing tennis, and riding her road bike through the beautiful Central Coast. Her favorite thing in the world is being a mother
        .

        Closing date for registration is May 16, 2024 at 10pm.

      Past events

      Fri, February 23, 2024 Ketamine Therapy as a Catalyst for Healing and Transformation
      Fri, December 01, 2023 Neurodiversity-Affirming Assessment and Counseling for Kids, Teens, and Adults with ADHD
      Mon, October 23, 2023 Suicide Prevention: A Roadmap to Safety
      Fri, September 29, 2023 Part 2: Clinical Application of the Internal Family Systems Model
      Fri, September 22, 2023 Part 1: An Overview of the Internal Family Systems Model
      Fri, September 15, 2023 Using Relentless Empathy in the Therapeutic Relationship: Connecting with Challenging and Resistant Clients
      Thu, July 20, 2023 July 2023 Law & Ethics Webinar
      Thu, June 29, 2023 CAMFT 2023 State of the Profession
      Fri, June 16, 2023 June 2023 Law & Ethics Webinar
      Sat, April 22, 2023 When They Say Porn is the Problem: Clinical Conceptualizations and Treatment for this Phenomenon Grounded in Mental Health
      Fri, March 24, 2023 Navigating the Road to Licensure
      Fri, February 24, 2023 Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety
      Fri, October 21, 2022 Continuing the Community Conversation: How the Focus on Economic Growth and Prosperity (the “new” capitalism) Undermines Mental Health and Ways Therapists Can Advocate for Change
      Wed, October 05, 2022 CAMFT State of the Profession
      Fri, September 23, 2022 Incorporating Contemplative Energy Practices for Sexual Trauma Survivors Into Therapeutic Work
      Fri, August 19, 2022 Fundamentals of Art Therapy and How it Can Help You Break Through Blocks in Treatment with Children
      Fri, July 15, 2022 Emotional Sobriety as a Catalyst Toward Sustainable Sobriety
      Mon, June 27, 2022 (Session Two) 2022 Law & Ethics Workshop
      Mon, June 27, 2022 (Session One) 2022 Law & Ethics Workshop
      Mon, June 27, 2022 (Sessions One & Two) 2022 Law & Ethics Workshop
      Fri, May 20, 2022 What You Need to Do to Set Up and Manage a Private Practice
      Wed, May 18, 2022 Navigating the Road to Licensure (Recorded Event)
      Fri, May 13, 2022 Navigating the Road to Licensure
      Fri, March 18, 2022 The Fire That Does Not Burn
      Fri, January 21, 2022 Shifting Bravely with Holli Kenley, LMFT
      Sat, November 13, 2021 State of the Profession with CAMFT Executive Director, Nabil El-Ghoroury, PhD, CAE
      Mon, October 25, 2021 Recorded Session: Law & Ethics
      Fri, October 22, 2021 Law & Ethics
      Fri, October 15, 2021 Grief: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
      Sat, October 02, 2021 Navigating the Road to Licensure for Pre-licensed
      Fri, September 17, 2021 Mental Health Aspects of Diagnostic Immigration Evaluations
      Wed, July 21, 2021 Recorded Session for: Millennials Are the Therapy Generation: Discussing Working with Millennials in Psychotherapy
      Fri, July 16, 2021 Millennials Are the Therapy Generation: Discussing Working with Millennials in Psychotherapy
      Fri, June 18, 2021 Stuck with Couples? Why Your Awesome Individual Therapy Skills Don't Work for Couple Clients
      Sat, May 22, 2021 Recorded session: Working with Polyamory in Therapy: Your Most Pressing Questions Answered
      Fri, May 21, 2021 Working with Polyamory in Therapy: Your Most Pressing Questions Answered
      Fri, April 16, 2021 Grief: You, Me and All of Its Manifestations
      Fri, March 19, 2021 Mediation: Helping People Break-Up Nicely
      Fri, February 19, 2021 Working with Shame and Anger in Gestalt Therapy with Children and Adolescents AND General Meeting and Networking
      Fri, January 15, 2021 General Annual Meeting of the Desert Chapter
      Fri, January 15, 2021 Using Action Methods (Psychodrama) In Groups
      Sat, December 12, 2020 Law & Ethics Part 2: Progress Notes (recorded)
      Sat, December 12, 2020 Law & Ethics Part 3: Treating Minors with their Consent (recorded)
      Sat, December 12, 2020 Law & Ethics Part 4: Child Abuse Reporting (recorded)
      Sat, December 12, 2020 Law & Ethics Part 1: Depositions (recorded)
      Fri, December 11, 2020 Safe to Love Again: Couples Therapy and the Four Feelings of Attachment
      Fri, November 20, 2020 Effective Somatic Practices for Virtual Therapy in the Age of COVID-19
      Fri, November 13, 2020 Law & Ethics Workshop Part 4: Child Abuse Reporting
      Fri, October 16, 2020 Use of Social Media for Business Growth - A Free Zoom Presentation
      Fri, October 09, 2020 Law & Ethics Workshop Part 3: Treating Minors with their Consent
      Fri, September 25, 2020 Law & Ethics Workshop Part 2: What are Progress Notes?
      Fri, September 18, 2020 Introduction to Systematic Affair Recovery Theory (SART)
      Fri, August 21, 2020 "EMDR Basics"
      Fri, July 17, 2020 Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples with Wanda Garner
      Fri, July 10, 2020 Law & Ethics 2020: Part One
      Fri, May 15, 2020 Common Misconceptions About Self-Care and How to Optimize Self-Care
      Fri, April 17, 2020 Challenges to Moving Your Clinical Practice Online.
      Fri, March 20, 2020 Cancelled due to Corona-Virus: Effective Marketing and Social Media Marketing For Private Practice
      Fri, February 21, 2020 Death with Dignity: Transforming End of Life Experiences
      Fri, January 17, 2020 January Annual Meeting
      Fri, December 20, 2019 Holiday Social
      Fri, December 06, 2019 Law & Ethics Workshop with David Jensen
      Fri, November 15, 2019 November Networking Meeting: It Happens to Boys with Carol Teitelbaum
      Fri, October 18, 2019 Focusing: What It Is and Clinical Applications
      Fri, June 07, 2019 Feeling Frazzled? [Open to Interns, Trainees and Supervisors]
      Fri, May 17, 2019 Mirror Mirror on the Wall--Do You Have a Narcissist in Your Practice?
      Fri, April 19, 2019 Discover the Four Financial Pitfalls Your Clients Need to Know
      Fri, March 29, 2019 Your Attitude Determines Your Success! How to Rediscover Your BadAss Self!
      Thu, March 07, 2019 Healing Addiction Workshop
      Fri, February 08, 2019 Treatment Resistant Depression
      Thu, December 20, 2018 Holiday Party 2018!
      Fri, October 26, 2018 The Psychotherapist as a Creator of Outcomes
      Fri, September 28, 2018 Fall Networking Social
      Fri, September 28, 2018 Therapist Practice in a Box
      Fri, September 14, 2018 Good Grief!!
      Fri, August 17, 2018 Art Therapy With Children
      Wed, May 23, 2018 Using Psychological Evaluation to Promote Growth and Maximize Potential: A Workshop Using Psychological Evaluation to Promote Growth and Maximize Potential: A Workshop
      Fri, May 04, 2018 Spring Social Event
      Tue, April 17, 2018 Cannabis Workshop
      Fri, March 09, 2018 Road to Licensure 41550 Eclectic St. Palm Desert, CA 92260
      Fri, February 23, 2018 "Dr. Marsha Linehan's Dialectical Behavior Therapy"
      Fri, December 15, 2017 December 2017 Social
      Fri, November 17, 2017 Bi-Polar Workshop
      Fri, October 13, 2017 Power Down & Parent Up: Screen Dependence and Raising Tech-Healthy Children
      Fri, July 07, 2017 July Networking Social
      Fri, June 16, 2017 Law and Ethics with Michael Griffin from CAMFT
      Fri, May 19, 2017 State of Recovery in Coachella Valley - A No Charge Event
      Sat, February 25, 2017 An Introduction to Biofeedback
      Fri, December 02, 2016 Holiday Networking Social
      Sat, November 19, 2016 The 3000 Club Presents: The Road to Licensure
      Fri, November 04, 2016 Sexual Health in the Coachella Valley
      Fri, September 16, 2016 Engaging Clinicians in the Steps and Stages of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
      Sat, August 06, 2016 The 3000 Club Presents: The Basics of TF-CBT - The Who, What, and How of Trauma Focused Evidence-Based Treatment
      Fri, July 22, 2016 July Networking Social
      Fri, June 17, 2016 “The Psychotherapist as a Creator of Outcomes!” with David Jensen
      Fri, April 22, 2016 Spring Networking Social
      Fri, March 25, 2016 CANCELLED - The 3000 Club - March Potluck Social
      Fri, March 18, 2016 WHY YOU BURN OUT: The Open Door Dinner Lecture Series
      Sat, February 27, 2016 The 3000 Club - Winter Workshop - "The Therapist's Toolbox"
      Fri, January 29, 2016 *** First Networking Social for 2016 ***
      Fri, December 04, 2015 ICD-10 Workshop
      Fri, October 09, 2015 Jirvana Workshop
      Sat, October 03, 2015 **CANCELLED** - 3000 Club Workshop: Workplace Options Panel Discussion
      Fri, September 18, 2015 3000 Club Networking and Social Potluck
      Thu, September 10, 2015 Breaking the Link Between Trauma and Addiction through Advanced Mindfulness Techniques”
      Fri, July 10, 2015 Summer Networking Social
      Sat, June 20, 2015 "Road to Licensure"
      Fri, April 17, 2015 DSM-5 Workshop with Garry Raley
      Thu, March 19, 2015 Resilience and Compassion Fatigue
      Fri, February 06, 2015 Therapy Business Breakthrough by Casey Truffo
      Wed, January 14, 2015 Compassionate Attentiveness by Saleem Noorali, LCSW
      Mon, December 08, 2014 Eating Disorders by Dr. Heather Gaedt
      Wed, December 03, 2014 Desert CAMFT Holiday Social
      Mon, November 10, 2014 DBT by Beth Freimuth
      Thu, October 09, 2014 Terry Gatewood: Sexual Addiction 101
      Fri, August 15, 2014 "Psychodrama and Experiential Therapy"
      Fri, June 27, 2014 Law and Ethics: What the Law Expects from Me? Part IV
      Tue, May 13, 2014 “Feelings? What are they and how do we deal with them” with Carol Teitelbaum, LMFT
      Thu, May 01, 2014 CAMFT 50th Anniversary The Gold Standard: Integrating Mental Health and Community
      Sat, March 29, 2014 “Off The Rollercoaster, Seven Steps to Help Gamblers and their Families Build Trust and Stability”
      Wed, January 29, 2014 2014 Desert CAMFT Board Installation
      Tue, January 28, 2014 Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Lung Cancer


      © Desert CAMFT