The Wealthy Spirit: Pain-Full Or Pain-Free

"It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”

                           — Claude Bristol 

In tears, Letty called me. A vibrant, happy mother and partner in her husband’s computer consulting business, she wore braces to correct the alignment of her teeth. She had been to the orthodontist and got bad news. Several things were not going as planned, and the orthodontist needed to do some major work on her teeth today. Although she was supposed to come to class this evening, she called me to cancel, fear projecting her into the pain, swelling, and suffering she expected to undergo.

“Chellie,” she said, “I need some positive affirmations for this process! I’m so depressed and scared that I can’t get my mind on anything but the pain I expect. I know that if I expect pain, I’ll get pain. Help me!”

“Good job, Letty!” I told her. “You have identified the problem, and you know what will help alleviate it. But you don’t need me to give you the affirmations—you can do them yourself.

“First, take a piece of paper and draw a line vertically down the middle. At the top of the left hand column, write ‘Fear’ and at the top of the right hand column write ‘Affirmation.’ Now start writing down every fear you have about today in the left-hand column. Write until you’ve thought of everything. After you’ve completed the ‘Fear’ column, start countering each fear with a positive affirmation on the right-hand side of the paper.

“When you have written an affirmation for every fearful thought, fold the paper so you can only see the affirmations, and start saying them out loud, with positive visions of health and good feelings. Use the mirror technique and say them aloud while you look yourself in the eye. Say them in the car while you drive to the orthodontist. Focus on them and your vision for your beautiful face with perfect teeth throughout the procedures. Every procedure is bringing you closer to your perfect vision. You may feel sensations as the doctor works, but no pain. And it will be fast and easy!”

I have used this technique myself on many occasions and had pain-free medical procedures that I was told were going to be pain-full. I remember channeling my anger at having to have the procedure into a determination not to have the pain they told me I was going to have, so that I basically hypnotized myself into a comfort zone from which I refused to emerge. The energy of emotions can be channeled this way: Feel the power of the fear, get mad at whatever made you fearful, feel the power of the anger build, control it, harness it and then channel its flow to the positive vision. You win!

Today’s Affirmation:

“I am healthy! I feel fine and I feel wonderful!”

Here’s some interesting facts about using social media:

Facebook Statistics

Do you post content on social media and then…hear crickets chirping in the background? Here’s an interesting study on Facebook pages from Facebook and journalists with findings about what gets commented on and what doesn’t. My favorite findings:

• Posts with questions generate 70% more comments than the average post. Other top producers: clever language (120% increase) and asking for input (also a 120% increase). My thinking: these ideas are simple and can be implemented now. Major bang for our social media buck.
• Passionate debates and touching emotional stories generate two to three times the increase in feedback. My vote: the former is easier to implement than the latter for B2B experts. B2C experts do need more emotional posts.
• Checking in happens around the workday: morning, noon, after work, and late at night. My observation: those in the entrepreneurial space will find traffic on the weekends, too.

Many thanks to Dale Collie, who graciously shared this study via SpeakerNet News.

I think these points apply to books, too. I read many self-help books, and the advice is usually the same, you know. Only the personal stories are different, and when I read a new book, that’s what I’m looking for – engaging personal stories that illustrate a principle, not just another laundry list of “do this, don’t do that”. I want to know what it was like, what happened, and what it’s like now (that’s the instruction given to speakers at AA meetings).

That’s the formula I used in all my Wealthy Spirit stories. I figured that a lot of people needed some help with their finances, but if I didn’t make it user-friendly through stories, they’d be turned off and wouldn’t read them. I thought if I make the stories interesting enough, people will get the financial points almost like osmosis.

How’s it working for you, Dolphins?

Prosperity Is A Habit. You Have To Practice It Every Day.

Chellie Campbell, Financial Stress Reduction Expert, is the author of bestselling books The Wealthy Spirit, Zero to Zillionaire, and From Worry to Wealthy: A Woman’s Guide to Financial Success Without the Stress. She has been treating Money Disorders like Spending Bulimia and Income Anorexia in her Financial Stress Reduction® Workshops for over 25 years and is still speaking, writing, and teaching workshops—now as Zoom classes and The Wealthy Spirit Group on Facebook—with participants from all over the world. Website: www.chellie.com.

LA-CAMFT Diversity Committee
Presents:

Middle Eastern North African (MENA)
Therapists Community Group

Next Meeting:

Monday, December 4, 2023
6:30 pm-7:30 pm (PT)

Online Via Zoom

Free Registration

Middle Eastern North African (MENA)
Therapists Community Group

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.

Open to LA-CAMFT Members and Non-Members

Location: Zoom Meeting

DC Support Groups Survey 2023

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdE6vO2IoPkmgulC0wxlASaI8ZjaenBxkeaNccRuG2MuXvNMQ/viewform?usp=pp_url 

For more information contact the Diversity Committee,  diversitycommittee@lacamft.org.

For:
Licensed Therapists, Associates, and Students

Event Details: 
Monday, December 4, 2023, 6:30 pm-7:30 pm (PT)
Time of Check-In: 9:30 am

Where: 
Online Via Zoom
Upon registration for the presentation, you will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to our Zoom meeting.

Cost:
No Charge

Registration is open and available until the group begins.

Questions about Registration? Contact Tyana Tavakol, Perla Hollow, & Tania Osipof at DiversityCommittee@lacamft.org.

Register Here

What Famous Screenwriters Say About Rejection

"I couldn’t get past the readers in the studios. The minute the people, actually at the studios who read boring scripts all the time, actually read my scripts they’re like—this shit is awesome, send it right to us. But the readers would never let it get there."

—Quentin Tarantino

Rejection. It’s important to remember that it’s happened to every screenwriter. No one magically starts writing great screenplays. It’s a process of trial and error. You learn, you try things, you learn from your mistakes, you try it again.

How do writers stay confident in the face of rejection? It’s not easy. And it may be the greatest challenge any writer will have to face. You will have to start a screenplay knowing full well that up to a year of your life may go into it—yet, it may not sell. In fact, the odds are pretty much against it.

What are some ways to cope with the difficult odds? What do you tell yourself when you sit down to write?

How about this? I can always raise money through crowdfunding and produce the film myself. Another. I can always rewrite this as a novel and self-publish. One more. I can always sell this someday as a TV series. Why not? It happens all the time.

Another way. Remind yourself, it's not always about selling your script. No matter where you are in your career, a great writing sample is essential. You don't need to sell this script.

You have to clear your mind to write anything. You can't have a million racing thoughts in your head as you write FADE IN. So, when you sit down to write, clear your mind of all thoughts that get in the way of writing. And that includes the odds of rejection. Forget about it. That will not help in any way. It's a Jedi Mind Trick.

Fool yourself into thinking writing is fun, despite the odds of selling. It's not a lie, writing can actually be fun. It's like putting a big, giant, time-consuming puzzle together. Some people like to do the Sudoku or the Jumble. Consider the screenplay your puzzle.

What else? Another Mind Trick. Remember that your writing gets better the more your write. How else do writers improve? Right? Another way to think about it; you're keeping your mind active, and therefore combating the onset of dementia. You're keeping yourself out of trouble and off the streets.

And finally, of course; you write because writers write. That's what they do. It can be that simple. What else are you going to do? You decided to be a screenwriter.

Whatever mind trick you use to keep you going, know that you're in good company. Everyone else who's toiling over a screenplay is doing exactly the same thing.

And if you're still having trouble facing the keyboard in the face of rejection, I’ve gathered some quotes, by well known screenwriters on the subject. They share their experiences, their observations and in some cases, their advice on dealing with rejection. You might find some of them inspiring.

“You have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.
Put blinders on and plow right ahead.”
—George Lucas

“The good ideas will survive.”
—Quentin Tarantino

“Everybody passed on Memento. It was a really unique road. I don’t think I’ll ever have a moment like that in my career. We took a huge knock, back as far as we could go. But we came back from it with sheer good fortune.”
—Christopher Nolan

“If you’re not failing now and again, it’s a sign
you’re not doing anything very innovative.”
—Woody Allen

 “To aspiring writers, I would tell them that we live in a wonderful time where you’re able to make your work visible, easily. If you think about it, even ten years ago or twenty years ago there was a middle man, there was a publisher, there were studios, there was this world of rejection letters. Now we’re in a place where we have the technology and the ability to go shoot our own movies or put stuff on YouTube,
or a blog, if you’re a writer, or self-publish.”
—Diablo Cody

“Often, you have to fail as a writer before you write that bestselling novel or ground-breaking memoir. If you’re failing as a writer—which it definitely feels like when you’re struggling to write regularly or can’t seem to earn a living as a freelance writer—maybe
you need to take a long-term perspective.”
—J.K. Rowling

"You only fail if you stop writing.”
—Ray Bradbury

"I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat."
—Sylvester Stallone

"If I went by all the rejection I've had in my career,
I should have given up a long time ago."
—Mike Myers

"The first rejection that 'Dexter' got, I was like, 'OK. This hasn't worked.
Let's try something else. I'll go get a teaching job or something."
—Jeff Lindsay

"We all learn lessons in life. Some stick, some don't. I have always learned more from rejection and failure than from acceptance and success.”        Henry Rollins

 “It’s probably not a good idea to put too much of your self-esteem
on something like this, because, really, you can make
a bad movie and it can be well received, and you can make
a good movie and it can be badly received.”
—Wes Anderson

“Don’t lose faith in what you are trying to do, even though you will get pummeled emotionally left and right.
There are a lot of NOs to any YES. And that’s OK.”
—Jennifer Lee

“John [Cassavettes] was rejected by studios, he borrowed money
and did movies with his own money. You’re either courageous or not.
You have to find a way.”
—Ben Gazzara

“You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.”
—Ray Bradbury

“Any reviewer who expresses rage and loathing for a novel is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor
and attacked a hot fudge sundae.”
—Kurt Vonnegut

“Don’t give up. You’re going to get kicked in the teeth. A lot. Learn to take a hit, then pick yourself up off the floor.
Resilience is the true key to success.”
—Melissa Rosenberg

If nothing else, these quotes will reinforce the notion that rejection is just part of the process. All writers live with it daily. What made these writers different? Somehow, they were able to stay focused, shake off the knocks, and continue to do their best work. Resilience appears to be the key.

David Silverman, LMFT, treats creative and highly sensitive individuals in private practice in LA. Having experienced the rejection, stress, creative blocks, and career reversals over a long career as a writer in Film and TV, he’s uniquely suited to work with gifted, creative and sensitive clients experiencing anxiety, addiction or depression. For more information, visit www.DavidSilvermanLMFT.com.

LA-CAMFT Therapists of Color Mentorship Program: Call for Therapist of Color (TOC) Mentors

During our “Anti-Racism as a Movement, Not a Moment” Roundtable in August 2020, we came together as a therapeutic community to discuss and address racism and discrimination. We collaborated on what LA-CAMFT can do to be an actively and overtly anti-racist community. We specifically identified needed supports that we as therapists of color and as a therapeutic community wanted to see provided. One of the many needed supports identified was a Therapists of Color (TOC) Mentorship Program.

In January 2021 a group of students, associates and licensed therapists of color formed the Therapists of Color (TOC) Mentorship Program Committee and met on a monthly basis to discuss and begin the creation of this program. The committee spent quality time on the purpose statement, guidelines, interest form, marketing, launch date, and more. The development of the program are the contributions of the following committee participants: Akiah Selwa, Destiny Campron, Jenni Villegas Wilson, Leanne Nettles, Lucy Sladek, Maisha Gainer, Matthew Fernandez, Nehemiah Campbell, Perla Hollow, Rachell Alger, Raven Barrow, Stara Shakti, and Tina Cacho Sakai.

The LA-CAMFT Therapists of Color (TOC) Mentorship Program exists to help address inequities experienced by professional mental health therapists of color and intersections with other historically marginalized groups. The first of its kind amongst CAMFT chapters, LA-CAMFT is committed to ensuring quality mentorship for therapists of color by therapists of color. The mentorship program is intended to help bridge the gap of identifying and creating opportunities for growth and advancement in the field, guide clinicians across various stages of professional development, increase accessibility and sustainability in the field, and assist therapists of color to confidently provide services from their culturally authentic self.  

At this time, we are Calling for Therapists of Color (TOC) Mentors who are committed to this mission and more:

• Qualifications: Licensed in the State of CA (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, PSYD, etc) 
• Commitment: 6 to 12 months with the option to continue independently.
• Frequency: 1x per month or mutually agreed-upon schedule of meetings, which may occur via phone, virtual platform, email exchanges, or face-to-face meetings.
• Types of Mentorship Relationships: 1-on-1 and/or group mentorship (your choice) .
• Mentors do not need to be LA-CAMFT Members. 

Interest Form Due Dates and Mentorship Start Dates: 

• 6-month Mentorship duration is from June 1st — November 30, 2023. 

Interest forms submitted before or after the listed dates above will not be considered during the matching process. 

Here are some of the many rewards for being a Therapist of Color (TOC) Mentor:

• Guide, teach, and inspire the next generation of TOC mental health professionals.
• Establish and promote a culture of support within our profession.
• Build intergenerational relationships.
• Contribute to new developments in the field.
• Receive LA-CAMFT benefits for volunteering your time, knowledge and wisdom. 

If you are interested in becoming a Therapist of Color (TOC) Mentor, would like to receive more information and/or receive the Interest Form, reach out to us at tocmentorshipprogram@lacamft.org. 

With Gratitude and Solidarity, 

LA-CAMFT Therapists of Color (TOC) Mentorship Program Committee

LA-CAMFT’s Declaration
of Inclusion, Diversity, and Anti-Racism

Psychotherapy can be transformative in a democratic society, and can open intellectual inquiry that, at its best, influences and results in lasting positive change. In recognition of our shared humanity and concern for our community and world, LA-CAMFT loudly and overtly disavows all racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, classism, ableism, ageism, and hate speech or actions that attempt to silence, threaten, and degrade others. We in LA-CAMFT leadership hereby affirm our solidarity with those individuals and groups most at risk and further declare that embracing diversity and fostering inclusivity are central to the mission of our organization.

As mental health professionals, we value critical reasoning, evidence-based arguments, self-reflection, and the imagination. We hope to inspire empathy, advocate for social and environmental justice, and provide an ethical framework for our clients, our community, and ourselves.

We in LA-CAMFT leadership are committed to:

(1) the recognition, respect, and affirmation of differences among peoples

(2) challenging oppression and structural and procedural inequities that exist in society, generally, and in local therapeutic, agency, and academic settings

(3) offering diverse programming content and presenters throughout our networking event calendar, as well as in our workshops, trainings, and special events

While we traverse the turbulent seas of the important and necessary changes taking place in our country, in order to form a “more perfect union.” we wish to convey our belief that within our community exists an immense capacity for hope. We believe in and have seen how psychotherapy, therapeutic relationships, and mental health professions can be agents of positive change, without ignoring or denying that the practice and business of psychiatry, psychology, and psychotherapy have historically been the cause of great harm, trauma, and emotional toll, particularly for people of color and other marginalized groups. We are committed to doing our part to help remedy that which we have the position, privilege, and/or resources to do so.

At LA-CAMFT events, all members are welcome regardless of race/ethnicity, gender identities, gender expressions, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, disabilities, religion, regional background, Veteran status, citizenship, status, nationality and other diverse identities that we each bring to our professions. We expect that leadership and members will promote an atmosphere of respect for all members of our community.

In a diverse community, the goal of inclusiveness encourages and appreciates expressions of different ideas, opinions, and beliefs, so that potentially divisive conversations and interactions become opportunities for intellectual and personal growth. LA-CAMFT leadership wants to embrace this opportunity to create and maintain inclusive and safe spaces for all of our members, free of bias, discrimination, and harassment, where people will be treated with respect and dignity and where all individuals are provided equitable opportunity to participate, contribute, and succeed.

We value your voice in this process. If you feel that our leadership or programming falls short of this commitment, we encourage you to get involved, and to begin a dialogue with those in leadership. It is undeniable that the success of LA-CAMFT relies on the participation, support, and understanding of all its members.

Wishing good health to you and yours, may you find yourself centered in feelings of abundance, safety, belonging, and peace.

Standing together,
The LA-CAMFT Board of Directors and Diversity Committee

Voices Publication Guidelines for 2024

Calling all community writers and contributors!

Are you searching for a unique platform to express your passions and showcase your expertise in the Marriage and Family Therapy field? Look no further, as we welcome your input!

Following are the due dates and publication guidelines for submitting articles and ads for the 2024 calendar year to Voices, LA-CAMFT's monthly newsletter:

Upcoming Voices Newsletters	Submission Deadlines
February	January 1
March	February 1
April	March 1
May	April 1
June	May 1
July	June 1
August	July 1
September	August 1
October	September 1
November	October 1
December	November 1

 

 

LA-CAMFT Publishing Guidelines for Voices

• All submissions are DUE by the 1ST of each month.
  • Around the 15th of each month, you will receive the editor’s call for articles for the next edition of VOICES.
  • This editor’s call will allow contributors to have up to 2 weeks to put together all the material for submission by the 1st of the month.
  • Around the 25th of each month, you will receive the editor’s second and last call for articles, reminding contributors to submit completed articles by the first should they wish to be included in VOICES.
  • In this last call for submissions, the editor will include a list of the content planned for the next edition of VOICES. This editorial list will note submissions received as well as submissions expected but not yet received and which must be received by the 1st in order to be included.
  • Any submissions received after the 1st, will be included in the following month's edition of VOICES.
• ARTICLES are 500–1000 word submissions by LA-CAMFT members, sponsors, speakers, or recognized experts in their field. Only universal file formats, like Word (.doc and docx.) will be accepted as submissions. If an article is submitted in a “.pages” format, it will be returned to the submitter.
• HYPERLINKS in articles must be individually typed into the body of the article by the writer and must be included at time of submission. It is the responsibility of each writer to “type in” the hyperlink(s) in their own work when the article is submitted. Putting “LIVE LINK” in the body of an article won't work. When multiple links are being included, this must be made clear by the writer as to where each link is to be featured.
• IMAGES: All personal headshots or images must be attached to an email as either a JPEG, PNG or TIF. Images pasted into an email are not acceptable since the quality of such photos is diminished. Any images received in the body of the email may result in delayed publication of the submission.
• AUTHOR TAGLINES: Author taglines are a short paragraph of 50 to 75 words after the end of the article in which the author is identified. It includes the author's full name, pertinent professional credentials, a short business description, and website address with a HYPERLINK. Email addresses and phone numbers are not included — the only exceptions are lacamft.org emails. All taglines are limited to 75 words, MAXIMUM. This word count includes the author's name and website.
• IMAGES OTHER THAN PERSONAL HEADSHOTS. There is an issue about images. When you submit an image other than a personal headshot, you must provide proof of how you obtained that photo. Following is a link that covers the importance of copyright issues, but especially so when it comes to anything “Internet.” (Sued for Copyright Infringement)
• AN ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN:
  • Helpful tips, strategies, analysis, and other specific useful clinical, educational, business or professional marketing or networking information.
  • A review of literature or arts (reviewer not related to or in business with the creator of the item being reviewed).
• AN ARTICLE MAY NOT CONTAIN:
  • Reference to commercial products or services being sold or distributed by author;
  • Information that is only useful if the author’s book or other materials are purchased
  • Suggestions that the reader attend the author’s workshop, conference or podcast for more information;
  • Any other material that could be construed as an advertisement, rather than an article;
  • Language that could be construed as defamatory, discriminatory, or offensive.