the networker - california state university, northridgeepcwkshp/mft asn/networker19.pdf · csun-mft...

The Networker

In This Issue:

FROM THE EDITOR……..1

BOARD OF DIRECTORS…………….2

MISSION STATEMENT…………….2

PRESIDENT’S CORNER………………..3

FACULTY CORNER………4

BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER…………..6-8

MFCC (MITCHELL FAMILY COUNSELING CLINIC……9 ACCESS TO THERAPY….10

WORDS OF WISDOM..12-13 SAVE THE DATE……….14 CONGRATS GRADS…….15

A Biannual Publication of the CSUN Marriage Family

Therapist Alumni/Student Network Issue No. 19 Fall 2007

Welcome & Welcome Back! As my journey as an MFT Graduate Student comes to an end, I can’t believe how quickly my time here has passed… While at the same time, I am amazed at how much I have grown, both as a person, as well as a therapist. For this I owe a great deal to our many wonderful professors/mentors/future colleagues/friends, from whom I have learned so much, and still have so much to learn from. If I have any wisdom to impart to the next generation of MFT students, it would only be to trust in the process, and be open to all of the opportunities to learn and grow inherent in our program. Try not to be a passive observer, but an active participant in your education, both academic and spiritual. Get involved – Join the Alumni Student Network, it is a great opportunity to better get to know your professors, as well as your fellow students, past and present. Don’t forget to save the date, we are proud to co-host our 3rd International Conference, co-sponsored by the AHP – BUILDING TRUTH BUILDING TRUST: A HUMANISTIC VISION FOR OUR PLANET - featuring local and national speakers June 6, 7, 8, 2008. Michele McCarty, Newsletter Editor

CSUN-MFT Alumni Student Network Issue #19 Fall 2007 Page - 2 -

CSUN Marriage Family Therapy Alumni/Student

Network BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President

Teresa Jacobs, M.A., MFT

Vice President of Membership/Secretary

Diana Castle, M.S., IMF [email protected]

818.677.2549

Treasurer Heidi Kwok, M.S., MFT

Newsletter Editor Michele McCarty

[email protected]

Reps At Large Thasja Hoffmann Jennifer Graves

Camarillo Rep

Julie Berry

Conference Committee Members 1st Year

Jennie Steinberg and Cynthia Brunnick

Conference Committee

Member 2nd Year David Tuso

Third Year Rep

Michele McCarty

Faculty Advisor Stan Charnofsky, Ed.D.

[email protected] 818.677.2548

Our Mission…

The purpose of this organization is to encourage support and interaction among its members. Our goal also includes a hope to enrich the field of psychotherapy in general. The Networker is published quarterly by the CSUN – MFT Alumni Student Network. Membership is available to all CSUN alumni and students of the EPC graduate program who focused on the MFT track. The CSUN MFT A.S.N. offers many events including banquets, guest speakers, picnics, workshops, and scholarship opportunities. For membership information and to be added to our mailing list, please contact Dr. Stan Charnofsky at 818.677.2548 or Vice President of Membership, Diana Castle at 818.677-2549. The Networker welcomes feedback from all readers.

CSUN-MFT Alumni Student Network Issue #19 Fall 2007

PRESIDENT’S CORNER Welcome to the new school year 2007-2008. There are many valuable reasons to be a part of the Alumni Association. Let me review a few. Our field is growing rapidly, not only in number of licensed therapists, but in the presenting problems LMFT’s treat. Many times a ‘specialty’ is needed, meeting and networking with clinicians specializing in specific presenting problems has been of benefit to our students. Being an active member of our Alumni Association keeps members in contact

with colleagues who might provide a specialty as a resource for your client’s needs, or perhaps provide training in that specialty, perhaps provide a consultative session, thus increasing a therapist’s ability to effectively meet a client’s need. Over the years we have had great presentations on topics allowing us to become more effective therapists, de-stress in a stressful environment, as well as expand our knowledge with the ever-changing world in which we live. The association is always looking for and promoting speakers; if you have suggestions, please feel free to submit them. In an era of managed care, it is critical that we use the resources available to us through mutual connection, cooperation, and association, to insure keeping our section of the pie as LMFT’s offering mental health services. Learning to navigate the business is part of our responsibility via the alumni association. There is a business end to what we do as well as a social end. The networking, training and referral base is but a small portion…Equally as important is the social aspect. Having been a part of the association since its inception has provided an interesting insight into our students’ experiences, “growing,” and struggling as beginners, advancing into middle years of pre-licensure, and arriving into ‘adulthood’, post-licensure. The networking association provides a unique support system as one goes through the process of becoming a clinician via a fine graduate program. I once heard that …”if you love what you do, you’ll never have to work a day in your life”. That has been my experience for many years, and together we can all do our little part in helping increase joy, health, and prosperity, in our lives, as well as in the lives of our clients. Please plan to become involved in the alumni association, and celebrate accomplishments, joys, and connections, with friends and colleagues. Be sure to mark your calendars for the October 14 Bash event as well as upcoming announcements in the next issue of our newsletter. If you want to submit an announcement, present on a topic to market your practice, have or need office space, let our wonderful editor know. Have a great semester! Theresa Fordham-Jacobs, LMFT


Faculty Corner With Dr. Stan Charnofsky Greetings to all new and returning MFT's, And to our wonderful alumni as well! *Our Welcome Brunch this fall was on October 14 at the University Club, and we were honored to have Jessica Wilkins, our graduate, and Director of the Alcott Center, as our guest speaker. *Eighteen institutions, which had been "approved" but never "accredited" are now in their final year of producing MFT's, unless legislation is passed to extend their qualifications. These include: California Graduate Institute (CGI), Argosy U., Professional School of Psychology, Ryokan College, University of Phoenix, University of Santa Monica, and Santa Barbara Graduate Institute, et al. *MFT rules and requirements are being reviewed and we may see some changes in the next year. One item in question is to make all programs 60 units (which ours already is). And another is to focus more on socio-economic status and the "recovery" model of mental health, which includes follow through with consumers and various family members. *The University is experiencing enormous financial cutbacks, and our College has been affected by an annoying increase in class sizes for our seminars. Thankfully, Practicum’s remain at 10 students, but seminars have gone up as high as 30. By increasing class size, the department avoids hiring more part-timer professors, and money is saved. Our hope, and expectation, is that this is only a one-semester solution, and that we will be able to resume with our usual numbers next term. *On the positive side, we have admitted another 60 new (straight MFT's) and some dozen or so joint MFT/School Counseling and MFT/School Psychology students. We are still the largest Masters specialty on the campus--and the most vital! *Be alert to the flyers for our annual Holiday Party in Northridge. All MFT's and alumni are invited! The event is usually held around the 15th of December. * IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!! We will again host a national conference (our third) co-sponsored by AHP, the Association For Humanistic Psychology. It will be on June 6, 7, 8, 2008 and the theme is: BUILDING TRUTH BUILDING TRUST: A HUMANISTIC VISION FOR OUR PLANET. Calls for presenters will go out shortly. * The next Camarillo cohort will begin in January 2008. * Enjoy your experience this year in our challenging and rewarding program! Stan Charnofsky


Placement Notice

CDI will have openings for

trainees/interns to start this January 2008. Interviews will be held from October-December. We have finally updated our web-site. Please take a look and let me know if you would like more information.

www.childdevelopmentinstitute.org/

careers.php

Thank you, Tessa Ackermann , MS, MFT Senior Program Manager

CAMFT

California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists

Student Membership Rates

Liab ility Insura nce Professional Magazine: The Therapist

Scholarships: Six $1,000 scholarships each year

7901 Raytheon Rd. San Diego, CA 92111-1606

Phone: (858) 292-2638 Fax: (858) 292-2666

www.camft.org

L.A. Chapter: www.la.camft.org Ventura Chapter: www.camft.org/ScriptContent/Index.cfm


Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Michele McCarty & Melanie Weininger Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a debilitating mental disorder in which one perceives that a minor or imagined

defect in appearance is of grotesque proportions, and this obsession causes elevated levels of anxiety and interferes with social and occupational, and other significant areas of functioning. People afflicted with BDD often engage in extreme avoidance behaviors as well as repeated attempts and rituals to modify or camouflage the area of concern. Often these attempts to correct their perceived defect lead to an obsession with cosmetic surgery, which research has found to rarely provide satisfactory results for the patient. After cosmetic surgery their symptoms often worsen leading to an exacerbation of their original obsession or transference to a new body part. Research thus far has found that the most effective treatment for BDD is pharmacotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. In order to ensure that BDD sufferers receive the best treatment possible and avoid the possible harmful emotional and physical consequences following cosmetic surgery, it is paramount that surgeons and dermatologists become more skillful in recognizing the signs and symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and know when to refer patients to mental health professionals. Until recently, BDD has been an underresearched disorder, however, it was first mentioned as far back as 1891 by an Italian psychiatrist named Morselli who gave it the name “dysmorphophobia” and described it as a perceived feeling of ugliness, despite the reality of a normal appearance (Carroll, Scahill, & Phillips, 2002). Sigmund Freud also described a case in which a man was so obsessed with his nose, which he believed to be deformed, that he greatly neglected other aspects of his life (Neziroglu, Khemlani-Patel, 2003). The little literature on dysmorphophobia would waver over the years in terms of whether it was merely a symptom of different disorders or part of a personality disorder, and was eventually classified as a disorder unto itself when it was introduced as “Body Dysmorphic Disorder” in the DSM III-R in 1987 (Neziroglu et al., 2003). Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a relatively common, though underrecognized, underdiagnosed, and underreported somatoform disorder, in which the sufferer is preoccupied with an imagined or slight defect or flaw in their appearance, to the point where it impairs their ability to work (or school functioning), to sustain a fulfilling social life, or to maintain healthy relationships. The DSM-IV-TR (as cited in Walsh, Denton, & Wayne, 2005) defines a somatoform disorder as the “…presence of physical symptoms that suggest a general medical condition and are not fully explained by a general medical condition, by the direct effects of a substance, or by another mental disorder…” simply stated, the symptoms of the disorder give the appearance of a physical condition, yet cannot be explained medically. Seeking unnecessary dermatological treatment or cosmetic or plastic surgery is one of the diagnostic “clues” to identifying this disorder (Anderson, 2003), which is why it is so important for practitioners in these fields to be aware and informed on BDD so that they might better screen for these patients, avoid unnecessary procedures, and refer these patients appropriately. St. John (2003) asserts that “most [BDD] patients do not present to mental health care workers but are seen in primary care, dermatology, plastic surgery, and otolaryngology [ear, nose & throat] (p.1).” St. John (2003) reports that up to 2% of the entire United States population has BDD, with men and women equally likely to suffer from it, and that it affects 6% - 15% of patients in cosmetic surgery and dermatology settings. BDD usually begins in adolescence, is usually chronic in nature. Sufferers share a “marked impairment in functioning, notably poor quality of life, and a high suicide attempt rate [one study estimated that ¼ of patients had attempted suicide]” (Phillips & Dufresne, 2000, p. 235). Phillips & Dufresne (2000) also report that almost ¾ of BDD patients have never married (p. 237), and that “a majority of individuals have ideas or delusions of reference; that is, they think that other people take special notice of the supposed defect and perhaps talk about it or mock it” (236). Some possible predictors might be excessive teasing and/or humiliation as a child, childhood trauma, and having been the victim of physical or sexual assault (St. John, 2003, p. 4). BDD patients have been described as being addicted to plastic surgery, referred to in the surgical literature as having ‘minimal deformity,’ as insatiable’ surgery patients, and as ‘polysurgery addicts,’ [or as Hill (2006) calls it, ‘the distress of imagined ugliness’]. The dermatological literature terms include “dysmorphophobia, dysmorphic syndrome, dermatologic hypochondriasis, dermatological nondisease, and monosymptomatic hypochondriasis (Phillips, & Dufresne, p. 235).” St. John (2003) adds ‘hypochondriacal preoccupation with trivial lesions’ (p. 2). Body Dysmorphic Disorder is associated with compulsive, ritualistic behaviors, which can serve as diagnostic “clues,” such as camouflaging the area(s) of concern (with clothing, makeup, altered posture/body position), frequent mirror-checking [also called mirror-gazing by Hill (2006) and St. John (2003)], avoidance of social situations, constantly comparing self, particularly the area of concern, to others, skin-picking, excessive grooming, and reassurance-seeking


(St. John D., 2003). Anderson (2003) added “taking repeated measurements, frequently changing clothes, and seeking unnecessary dermatological treatment or cosmetic surgery (p. 126). Some other diagnostic clues included by St. John D. (2003) include Extreme dissatisfaction with prior treatments Multiple consultations with dermatologists, plastic surgeons, or otolaryngologists History of multiple surgical procedures for correction of a defect in appearance Unrealistic treatment expectations Patient presents with photographs, diagrams [of area of concern], or proposed corrective procedure (p.10)Phillips & Dufresne (2000) add the “belief that the procedure will transform the individual’s life or fix all of their problems (p.240). The most frequent areas of concern are the skin, hair and nose (facial concerns). Hill (2006) reports skin elasticity, skin coloring, acne, scars, moles, and cellulite as the most notable concerns. St. John (2003) includes thinning hair, wrinkles, vascular markings, redness, swelling, and asymmetry to the list. Phillips and Dufresne (2000) add excessive body hair, and a large, or crooked, nose. Anderson (2003) reports conflicting information in the research regarding gender differences in BDD, but concordance on the idea that women seem to focus more on breasts, hips, legs, and body weight, whereas men are more likely to be concerned with their genitals, height, excessive body hair, body build, and thinning hair. St. John D. (2003) adds that women are more likely to pick their skin and that some men develop muscle dysmorphia, defined by Phillips & Dufresne (2000) as “a type of BDD in which individuals (usually men) worry that their body build is small and puny, when in reality they are typically large and muscular (p. 236).” Phillips, Menard, and Fay (2006) found in their study of gender differences and similarities that women had an earlier onset of BDD symptoms of a subclinical nature and more severe cases of BDD under the assessment of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination. However, men presented more severe BDD when assessed by the Psychiatric Status Rating Scale for Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and poorer Global Assessment of Functioning Scale scores, in addition to a lower likelihood of being employed due to psychopathology, and a higher likelihood of receiving disability due to the disorder (Phillips et al., 2006). St. John (2003) also reports that men and women are just as likely to have had cosmetic surgery (p.4). Eating disorders and BDD are the only diagnoses in [the] DSM IV characterized by a disturbed body image…Some 11% of women with bulimia and 5% of women with anorexia nervosa also meet the criteria for BDD. (St. John 2003, p. 5) Though BDD has been classified in the DSM as a somatoform disorder, many researchers conceptualize BDD, which is the most similar disorder to OCD, on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum model; this has helped lead to successful studies discovering that pharmacologic and psychological treatments effective for OCD, are also effective for BDD patients (Hollander & Allen, 2006). The research overwhelming agrees that, due to the symptomatically unrealistic, and sometimes “magical” expectations of the BDD patient, they are rarely satisfied with the results of surgical or dermatological procedures, and often merely refocus there obsession on another perceived fault or defect. Another reported possible outcome has been an escalation in symptoms, dwelling on the perceived failure of the procedure. Veale’s study found that Most patients…had multiple concerns about their appearance and reported that after 50% of the [surgical] procedures the preoccupation transferred to another part of the body…and patients were still significantly handicapped’ by new-found complaints. (as cited in Ashraf, 2000, p.2055) A surgeon in the United Kingdom performed single-leg amputations on two men suffering from apotemnophilia, a form of body dysmorphic disorder where the patients feel that they were meant to be amputees, and who have been known to cause great harm to themselves in an attempt to become one. Ironically, this is the only report found on BDD related surgeries where the patients report a satisfactory outcome, and the only reported situation where there was no refocus to another area of the body (Ramsay, 2000). BDD patients have been known to pressure, and even threaten (with bodily harm or lawsuits), dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons to perform unnecessary treatments. They have also been known to attempt self-surgery and self-mutilation. According to St. John (2003) “self-performed corrective ‘surgery’” has been attempted “using a staple gun to correct loose skin on the face, filing teeth to alter jawline appearance, and abrading skin with sandpaper to remove scars and lighten the complexion” (p. 5). Phillips, Grant, Siniscalchi, and Albertini (2001) found in their study one patient who made an attempt to perform his own rhinoplasty by replacing his nose cartilage with chicken cartilage. Discontent with the results of surgery has also resulted in violence toward the physician. “In particular, cosmetic surgery in men has been cited as sometimes generating aggression toward the surgeon, even triggering murder” (Phillips & Dufresne 2000, p. 238). Treatment is most effective using pharmacotherapy, specifically seratonin reuptake inhibitors (SRI’s), which has a high success rate with BDD patients, and also specifically helps compulsive skin picking (Phillips & Dufresne, 2000, p.235). A truly comprehensive approach would include both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. The literature supports Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as the most effective approach in the treatment of BDD, as the prevalence of poor insight would likely render a dynamically-oriented therapy approach ineffectual (Sussman, 2006). According to Allen


(2006) the main element of the behavioral portion of CBT typically involves exposure and response prevention, in which the client, through exposure to anxiety-arousing situations, gradually learns to tolerate their anxiety without performing their rituals. The cognitive portion of CBT usually entails cognitive restructuring in which the client is encouraged to identify their irrational thoughts and beliefs, and their validity is challenged so that more adaptive alternatives can be found (Allen 2006). Those in the cosmetic/plastic surgery and dermatological fields need to be informed and educated regarding Body Dysmorphic Disorder, and how to properly screen for it. Anderson (2003) mentions some psychometric instruments, including the BDD Examination (BDDE), The Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ), and the Multi-dimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), however, she also points out the impracticality of these exams in the surgical and dermatological settings, including the difficulty for the untrained to score and interpret, and the time it would consume (p, 126). Katherine A. Phillips proposes the following diagnostic questions:

1. Are you very worried about your appearance in any way? If yes: What is your concern? 2. Does this concern preoccupy you? Do you think about it a lot and wish you could worry about it less? If

you add up all the time you spend thinking about your appearance each day, how much time do you think it would be?

3. What effect has this preoccupation with your appearance had on your life? Has it interfered with your job (or schoolwork), your relationships or social life, other activities, or other aspects of your life?

4. Have your appearance concerns caused you a lot of distress? 5. Have your appearance concerns affected your family or friends?

References Allen, A. (2006). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of body dysmorphic disorder. Primary Psychiatry, 13(7), 70-76. Retrieved November 25, 2006 from the PsycINFO database.

Anderson, R.C. (2003). Body dysmorphic disorder: Recognition and treatment. Plastic Surgical Nursing, 23 (3), 125-129. Retrieved November 11, 2006 from CINAHYL Plus with Full Text database. Ashraf, H. (2000). Surgery offers little help for patients with body dysmorphic disorder. The Lancet, 355, 2055-2055. Retrieved November 11, 2006, from CINAHYL Plus with Full Text database.

Carroll, D., Scahill, L., & Phillips, K. (2002). Current concepts in body dysmorphic disorder. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 16(2), 72-79. Retrieved November 25, 2006 from the PsycINFO database. Hill, M. (2006). Body dysmorphic disorder: Implications for practice. Dermatology Nursing, 18 (1), 13 -13. Retrieved November 11, 2006, from Academic Search Elite database.

Hollander, E., & Allen, A. (2006). Beauty is in the eye of the beholder: New insights in imagined ugliness. Primary Psychiatry, 13(7), 37-38. Retrieved November 25, 2006 from the PsycINFO database. Neziroglu, F., & Khemlani-Patel, S. (2003). Therapeutic approaches to body dysmorphic disorder. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 3(3), 307-322. Retrieve November 25, 2006 from the PsycINFO database.

Phillips, K.A. (2000). Body dysmorphic disorder: Diagnostic controversies and treatment challenges. Bulletin of The Menninger Clinic, 64(1), 1-18. Retrieved November 11, 2006, from Academic Search Elite database. Phillips, K.A. & Dufresne, R.G. (2000). Body dysmorphic disorder: A guide for dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons. Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 1 (4), 235-243. Retrieved November 11, 2006, from

CINAHYL Plus with Full Text database. Phillips, K., Grant, J., Siniscalchi, J., & Albertini, R. (2001). Surgical and nonpsychiatric medical treatment of patients with body dysmorphic disorder. Psychosomatics: Journal of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, 42(6),

504-510. Retrieved November 14, 2006 from the PsycINFO database. Phillips, K., Menard, W., & Fay, C. (2006). Gender similarities and differences in 200 individuals with body dysmorphic disorder. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 47(2), 77-87. Retrieved November 27, 2006 from the PsycINFO

database Ramsay, S. (2000). Controversy over UK surgeon who amputated healthy limbs. The Lancet, 355, 476-476. Retrieved 11/11/06 from Academic Search Elite database.

St. John, D. (2003). Imagined ugliness: Body dysmorphic disorder. Physician Assisstant, 27 (7), 15-28. Retrieved November 11, 2006, from CINAHYL Plus with Full Text database. Sussman, N. (2006). Body dysmorphic disorder: More common than you think. Primary Psychiatry, 13 (7), 13-14. Retrieved November, 11, 2006 from PsychInfo database.

Walsh, S., & Denton, W. (2005). Clinical issues in treating somatoform disorders for couple therapists. American Journal of Family Therapy, 33(3), 225-236. Retrieved November 25, 2006 from the PsycINFO database.


MFCC

The Mitchell Family Counseling Clinic (MFCC), located

on the CSUN campus, serves the community at large and is part of the Teaching, Learning, Counseling Consortium (TLCC), which offers a trans

disciplinary model of service.

We have been involved in an ongoing trans-disciplinary case study and look forward to future opportunities which provide comprehensive, enriching

and valuable experiences to our TLC team members and to the clients we serve.

MFCC currently has:

- Two parenting groups with a focus on supporting children’s academic success - A group for “Adults Living With Asperger’s”

The above-mentioned groups have enjoyed much success and positive feedback and support.

. We hope to re-start a group for “Siblings of Children with Special Needs”

This is a much needed group and had a great first round, so we just need to get the word out to start the next round of sessions~

MFCC is in the process of starting a Parenting Group in Spanish

And we are always ready to form needed and wanted groups.

We offer counseling services at Magnolia Science Academy, which consists of middle and high school students. The individual and peer counseling programs at MSA have been highly regarded. The peer-counseling program

was developed and implemented by one of our counselors.

We also work at Samaritan Center for the Homeless – another prized experience for us as individuals, as well as family, community, and society members.

MFCC offers Groups, Individual, Couples, Family, Child, and Adolescent counseling (including Play Therapy

and Sandplay). We have services in Spanish, Farsi, Armenian, and Japanese.

We are planning various, interesting local outreach and fundraising events – so stay tuned!

For more information about MFCC, please contact Donna Pioli at (818) 677-2568.


ACCESS TO THERAPY BRINGING WELLNESS INTO YOUR LIFE AT THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME OR OFFICE

ACCESS TO THERAPY, a remote-counseling/therapy service providing professional support to individuals and organizations using the latest real-time ‘face to face’ live videoconferencing

technology. Access to Therapy delivers one-on-one counseling and therapy to individuals anywhere in the world via Broadband Internet, for people needing professional guidance, anonymity, and instant

24/7 support. • Access to Therapy delivers highest-quality cognitive and emotional support to homebound

individuals, office-bound executives, celebrities, individuals and families living in remote areas, and military personnel who need professional attention and advice, but are unable to go to a

therapist’s office or don’t have time to visit a therapist, or are out of town.

The Need ~ The Solution: Many people today often suffer from stress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, drug and alcohol abuse, psychophysical pain, anger and other forms of distress – but fail to receive professional support.

Access to Therapy provides 1) hotline support, 2) psychological assessments, 3) brief and long-term cognitive therapy, 4) mood and energy-management, 5) help with decision-making, etc. in order to

fulfill this urgent need. • Counseling Sessions are linked via desktop, laptop computer, or TV set anywhere with a high-

speed Internet connection. All sessions are private and confidential.

One-On-One Personal Help: Using the latest technology in broadband Internet connections and video teleconferencing, our

specialists communicate with you through your computer monitor or television set in the privacy and comfort of your home, hotel room or office. You and your mental health specialist get to SEE and

HEAR each other in real-time, live video stream, for full responsiveness and whole body communication.

Professional Staff:

Access to Therapy employs carefully-selected licensed and credentialed professionals and consultants in a variety of fields promoting mental health emotional stability, and life coaching helping

individuals improve their inner quality of life for achieving success in personal life and business. • Our quality of life professionals include psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and life

coaches plus crisis-management, stress-relief and substance-abuse specialists

Our Support Pledge: As mental health professionals, our aim is to restore and promote wellness through listening with acceptance, responding with empathy, and consulting with realistic wisdom and specific support

suggestions. Our intent is to help generate harmony and balance for people who are struggling with multiple stresses and pressures of work and family life. This support can be achieved through a)

once-only consultations, b) on-going sessions, or 3) as-needed basis.

Contact: [email protected], or call 818-640-1515


Start With Yourself Author Unknown

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits. I dreamed of changing the world.

As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I

shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country. But, it too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would

have none of it.

And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed my self first, then by example I would have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able

to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world…


Words of Wisdom

In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Familiarity breeds contempt - and children.

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made. Franklin D. Roosevelt

All great change in America begins at the dinner table.

Ronald Reagan

When you cease to exist, then who will you blame? Bob Dylan

Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that

distinguish one man from another. Ernest Hemingway

I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all

exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now? John Lennon


Words of Wisdom (cont.)

All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. Thomas Jefferson

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.

Socrates

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. Albert Einstein

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

Leonardo da Vinci

Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? Abraham Lincoln

Genius is eternal patience.

Michelangelo

Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it. Henry David Thoreau

I taught them everything they know, but not everything I know.

James Brown

Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got. Janis Joplin


Save The Date

California State University, Northridge and The Association For Humanistic Psychology are proud to host it ’s

3rd Annual Conference

An International Conference featuring local and national speakers. The theme is:

Building Truth, Building Trust: A Humanistic Vision For Our Planet

For Everyone With An Open Heart

All Who Long For A Peaceful World All Who Yearn For A Politics Of Trust

Students, Helpers, & Psychology Practitioners

Continuing Education Hours For MFT’s, LCSW’s, & Psychologists Workshop Hours For Graduate Students

Join us in this international gathering of seekers and learners, coming together to

explore new and exciting perspectives on psychology, human behavior, worldviews, creative modes, and to engage in dialogue about the human condition.

Previous guest speakers have included Gerald Corey, Natalie Rogers, Ilham Al Sarraf, Maureen O’Hara, Jordan Paul, Rie Rogers Mitchell, and Tom Greening,

among many others…

June 6, 7, & 8, 2008


Congratulations to our Spring 2007 Graduates!

Margaret Koury

Linette Astourian

Brigitte Dunn

Amalia Rinkenberger

Vickie Sharp

Jill Barker

Lisa Potter

Harmony Rousseau

Kristin Hoefflin

Michael Dow

Elaine Manners

Amy Skidmore

Michelle Bracken

Nicole Davina Mevorakh

Marina Gavriel

Kim Mai Do

Jannaee Brummell

Colleen Kelly

Ashot Tadevosian

Lucy Gulatyan

Kevin Moccardini

Ryan Burns

Joanna Rodriguez

Paige Chase

Renu Singh

Pia Latoi Turner

Camarillo Graduates

Alissa McGovern

Yessica Aranda

The Networker

the networker - california state university, northridgeepcwkshp/mft asn/networker19.pdf · csun-mft...

Documents