Los Angeles Chapter — California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
Calendar
Join Our Mailing List
Friday, January 16, 2026 9:00am-11:00am
Online Via Zoom
2 CE Credits
Beyond the Rainbow – Supporting Clinicians with LGBTQI+ Cultural Competence and Creating Resilience in LGBTQI+ Communities
with Davina Kotulski, Ph.D.
This workshop familiarizes clinicians with the LGBTQI+ lexicon and explores the role resilience plays in supporting LGBTQI+ clients facing political scapegoating and social backlash. It will define resilience while exploring the mutable and non-mutable factors that strengthen it. Clinicians will examine the unique vulnerabilities LGBTQI+ individuals face, address the impact of shame and fear on coping, and identify ways to foster client strength and community connection. Participants will learn how to support clients navigating internalized oppression and social stigma.
Educational Goals/Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate cultural competence when working with LGBTQI+ clients and understand what factors and strategies contribute to resiliency in both the LGBTQI+-identified individual and LGBTQI+ communities.
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:
Davina Kotulski, Ph.D. (she/her; they/them) is a licensed clinical psychologist and an award-winning self-help author. Dr. Kotulski is a widely sought-out speaker on LGBTQI+ topics and an internationally recognized LGBTQI+ rights leader. She received the Saints Alive award from the Metropolitan Community Church for her national leadership in the LGBTQ marriage equality movement and for her seminal book Why You Should Give a Damn About Gay Marriage (2004). She has a private therapy practice and is licensed in CA, OR, and WA. Her website is drdavinakotulski.com.
For more information, contact Course Organizer/CE Networking Chair Shiji Yuan.
Event Details:
For: Licensed Therapists, Associates, Students, & Related Professionals
When: Friday, January 16, 2026 from 9:00am-11:00am
8:30-9:00: Check-In 9:00: Meeting/Presentation Begins 11:00: Meeting/Presentation & Related Announcements End 11:00-11:30: Participant Announcements (optional)
If you are interested in expanding your professional networking, sign up for Participant Announcements when you register. This segment is from 11:00am-11:30am, and is an optional 1/2 hour after the presentation.
After the presentation we will provide you with a link to a simple online test and evaluation questionnaire. When the test questions and the evaluation are completed, you will be provided with an online CE Certificate that can be personalized with your name and license information and either printed or saved on your computer.
Where: Online Via Zoom (Your registration confirmation email will include the Zoom link and instructions for accessing the event. A reminder email will be sent prior to the event.)
Cost: $25 for LA-CAMFT MembersOther CAMFT Chapter Members CSCSW Members $15 for Prelicensed Members Other CAMFT Chapter Prelicensed Members $35 for Non-Members $20 for Prelicensed Non-Members
*Registration closes Thursday, January 15 at 10:00pm.*
(To be sure you receive any information we send prior to the event, please add networkingchair@lacamft.org to your known contacts or safe list and check your bulk, junk or promotions mailboxes for any emails from us about this event.)
Register online today! We look forward to seeing you on Zoom.
CAMFT Approved Continuing Education Provider 59450. LA-CAMFT is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for MFTs, LPCCs, and/or LCSWs. LA-CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.
This course meets the qualifications for 2 continuing education credits for MFTs, LPCCs, and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
To receive CE certificate: Participants must sign in/sign out, and must complete an evaluation form upon course completion. For a Course Schedule, please contact Course Organizer at NetworkingChair@LACAMFT.org.
Refund policy: 48-hour notice required for refund of fee minus $5.00 administrative cost. Exceptions can be made for 48-hour notice in cases of emergency. Contact Course Organizer at NetworkingChair@LACAMFT.org.
Accommodations for Special Needs: Contact Course Organizer at NetworkingChair@LACAMFT.org.
Grievances: Program Administrator/CFO manages all grievances—and will acknowledge, investigate and remedy grievances. Response to grievances will be made in writing within 30 days. Contact them at cfo@lacamft.org.
LA-CAMFT Diversity Committee
presents
White Therapists Fighting Racism (WTFR)
Third Sunday of Every Month
Next Meeting: Sunday, January 18, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
The goal of White Therapists Fighting Racism (WTFR) is for white-identified therapists to become effective allies in support of decolonization and racial justice in our clinical practice, therapy association, and community. Recognizing that racism is maintained when whiteness is invisible to white people, WTFR provides a forum for white-identified therapists to explore what it means to be white. While this process includes learning about structural racism and deconstructing the false narrative about race, a primary focus in the group is on doing inner work.
How Do I Join? To join this group, please click here to complete our online submission form. Once submitted, a group facilitator will reach out to you for next steps.
Open to LA-CAMFT Members and Non-Members.
For more information or if you have additional questions, please send all inquiries to the facilitators WTFR@lacamft.org.
For: Licensed Therapists, Associates, and Students
When: Sunday, January 18, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Where: Online Via Zoom (Once you complete the online submission process, you will be emailed a monthly Zoom link.)
Cost: No charge
Facilitator(s): Estelle, Randi, Hazel, and Stephen
*Registration is open and available until the group begins.*
Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Therapists Community Group
First Monday of Every Month
Next Meeting: Monday, February 2, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
The MENA Therapists Community Group is a safe place across the Middle Eastern and North African therapist diaspora to build community and a sense of belonging. We hold an inclusive space to process the impact of cultural biases experienced by people of MENA descent and the effect it may have on our work as mental health professionals. Within the process, we will strive to create healing, support, and empowerment. We will collaboratively exchange ideas, experiences and resources while acknowledging cultural differences and shared similarities. As the poet Khalil Gibran states — “The reality of the other person lies not in what he reveals to you, but what he cannot reveal to you.” — our community will create a place to be seen, heard, and understood.
Special Note: MENA Therapists Community Group meetings are intended as a place for MENA-identifying therapists to have a safe place amongst others in the same ethnic and cultural community to share and process their personal and professional experiences. Therapists from similar cultural backgrounds (e.g., South Asian, mixed identities that include MENA, etc.) are also welcome. If you are not MENA-identifying or from a similar cultural background and instead wish to join these meetings for the purpose of learning about the MENA population, we offer consultations separately. You are more than welcome to schedule a one-on-one consultation by emailing us.
For more information, contact the facilitators at mena@lacamft.org.
When: Monday, February 2, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Where: Online Via Zoom (Upon registration for the presentation, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to our Zoom meeting.)
Facilitator(s): Perla and Susan
Black Therapist Support Group
Second Monday of Every Month
Next Meeting: Monday, February 9, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
A safe place for healing, connection, support and building community. In this group, licensed clinicians, associates and students can come together and process experiences of racism (systemic, social, and internalized), discrimination, implicit bias, and micro-aggressions, along with additional experiences that therapists of African descent encounter in the field of mental health. As the late great Maya Angelou once said, “As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal someone else.” May this space, be the support needed to facilitate that journey.
For more information, contact the Diversity Committee.
When: Monday, February 9, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Next Meeting: Sunday, February 15, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, February 15, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Friday, February 27, 2026 9:00am-12:00pm
3 CE Credits
Working with Dissociative Identity Disorder
with Cristina Mardirossian, LMFT
DID is very often misdiagnosed, misunderstood, and not taken seriously. Many of these clients have been diagnosed as bipolar, borderline, schizophrenic, etc., when in reality they have a dissociative disorder. This presentation will help you understand the complexities in working with clients with DID, how to assess for it, and how to treat it.
Based on the International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSTD) Guidelines for Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder, this workshop will address current theories of Complex-PTSD and dissociation, including case conceptualization, treatment planning, and phase-oriented therapy. This workshop is geared towards mental health professionals who are interested in developing their skills in treating clients with chronic trauma-related dissociative disorders.
Participants will leave this workshop with an understanding of how to recognize signs of complex trauma and dissociation. Participants will have the tools to assess for dissociative disorders and how to structure therapy to be effective for this clientele.
Cristina Mardirossian, LMFT (she/her) is the founder and director of Pasadena Trauma Therapy, based in Pasadena, California. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and certified EMDR clinician, Cristina creates an affirming and inclusive space, deeply committed to working with adult trauma survivors facing Complex PTSD—including sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, neglect, dissociation, trafficking, and other dissociative disorders such as OSDD and DID. Her approach centers on Parts Work through an Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, helping individuals recognize their internal “parts” that hold emotional and coping responses. She believes in “All Parts All Welcome,” helping clients unburden parts shaped by trauma and reconnect with their inherent capacity for healing. Cristina employs a variety of trauma-informed modalities—EMDR, Brainspotting, the Trauma Resiliency Module, Havening Techniques®, TF-CBT, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Complex Trauma Certification (CCTP) training—to tailor therapy to each individual’s needs. Cristina is also a trusted consultant and mentor, providing speaking engagements, workshops, and diagnostic consultation services for other mental health professionals. Her website is: www.PasadenaTraumaTherapy.com
For more information, contact Course Organizer/CE Networking Chair Shiji Yuan or Past Special Interest Group (SIG) Chair Sandi Bohle.
When: Friday, February 27, 2026 from 9:00am-12:00pm
8:30-9:00: Check-In 9:00: Meeting/Presentation Begins 12:00: Meeting/Presentation & Related Announcements End 12:00-12:30: Participant Announcements (optional)
Cost: $40 for LA-CAMFT / Other Chapter / CSCSW Members
$20 for LA-CAMFT / Other Chapter Prelicensed Members
$55 for Non-Members
$35 for Prelicensed Non-Members
*Registration closes Thursday, February 26 at 10:00pm.*
This course meets the qualifications for 3 continuing education credits for MFTs, LPCCs, and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Next Meeting: Monday, March 2, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, March 2, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Next Meeting: Monday, March 9, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
When: Monday, March 9, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Sunday, March 15, 2026 9:00am-4:00pm
6 CE Credits
(Meets BBS requirements for mandatory 6 CEs)
with Nicol Stolar-Peterson, PsyD, LCSW, BCD
This workshop, led by an expert on issues related to Child Abuse/Child Welfare, will expand beyond basic knowledge of CANRA (the Child Abuse, Neglect, and Reporting Act) by diving into real child abuse cases and applying them to the law. Issues covered will include the potential outcomes of delayed reporting or failing to report abuse, concerns around alerting perpetrators, and how to respond when abuse escalates. The presentation also explores basic and not-so-basic court issues for therapists such as how to handle requests for court letters, responding to subpoenas, testifying, and serving as a witness.
This workshop is intended for licensed and pre-licensed master’s level therapists with beginner-to-advanced experience working in the field of counseling/therapy. The workshop will educate therapists on handling a variety of legal issues they may encounter in their everyday practice, focusing on those related to child abuse and child welfare. Also covered will be how therapists can handle situations they may be called on to face in court.
At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
Nicol Stolar-Peterson, PsyD, LCSW, BCD (she/her) is a subject matter expert in Child Welfare, Child Protective Services, Forensic Interviews, and Standard of Care. She has served as an expert witness in over 100 cases coast-to-coast. She completed over 1000 child abuse investigations, interviews, and foster care and adoptive placements. She has trained over 1000 social workers in child abuse investigation and current standards and duties. Past speaking engagements have included The California Mediators Conference, and the Child Welfare Training Academy. She has been interviewed on podcasts such as “Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide,” “Private Practice Start-Up,” and more. Her website is www.nicolstolar.com.
When: Sunday, March 16, 2026 from 9:00am-4:00pm
(Check-In 8:45am; includes two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch break)
Where: Online via Zoom (Your registration confirmation email will include the Zoom link and instructions for accessing the event. A reminder email will be sent prior to the event.)
Cost:$85 for LA-CAMFT Members / Other CAMFT Chapter Members$85 for CSCSW Members$35 Prelicensed Member / Other CAMFT Chapter Prelicensed Members $100 for Non-Members $50 for Prelicensed Non-Members
From March 12-14
$90 for LA-CAMFT Members / Other CAMFT Chapter Members$90 for CSCSW Members$40 Prelicensed Member / Other CAMFT Chapter Prelicensed Members $110 for Non-Members $55 for Prelicensed Non-Members
*Registration closes Thursday, March 14 at 10:00pm.*
Due to the popularity and ease of attendance, we are once again going to present with workshop LIVE on Zoom. This presentation will not be recorded.
This course meets the qualifications for 6 continuing education credits for MFTs, LPCCs, and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
Next Meeting: Sunday, March 15, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, March 15, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Next Meeting: Monday, April 6, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, April 6, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Next Meeting: Monday, April 13, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
When: Monday, April 13, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Next Meeting: Sunday, April 19, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, April 19, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Next Meeting: Monday, May 4, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, May 4, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Next Meeting: Monday, May 11, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
When: Monday, May 11, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Next Meeting: Sunday, May 17, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, May 17, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Next Meeting: Monday, June 1, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, June 1, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Next Meeting: Monday, June 8, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
When: Monday, June 8, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Next Meeting: Sunday, June 21, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, June 21, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Next Meeting: Monday, July 6, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, July 6, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Next Meeting: Monday, July 13, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
When: Monday, July 13, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Next Meeting: Sunday, July 19, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, July 19, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Next Meeting: Monday, August 3, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, August 3, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Next Meeting: Monday, August 10, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
When: Monday, August 10, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Next Meeting: Sunday, August 16, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, August 16, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
(please note: this month is the Second Monday)
Next Meeting: Monday, September 14, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, September 14, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
(please note: this month is the Third Monday)
Next Meeting: Monday, September 14, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
When: Monday, September 14, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Next Meeting: Sunday, September 20, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, September 20, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Next Meeting: Monday, October 5, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, October 5, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Next Meeting: Sunday, October 18, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, October 18, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Next Meeting: Monday, October 19, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
When: Monday, October 19, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Next Meeting: Monday, November 2, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, November 2, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
(no meeting in December)
Next Meeting: Monday, November 9, 2026 6:00pm-7:30pm
When: Monday, November 9, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
Next Meeting: Sunday, November 15, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, November 15, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
Next Meeting: Monday, December 7, 2026 9:00am-10:00am
When: Monday, December 7, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Next Meeting: Sunday, December 20, 2026 3:00pm-5:00pm (PT)
When: Sunday, December 20, 2026 from 3:00pm-5:00pm
