The 4 Principles of Pricing for Profits

How much should you charge for your services?
How do you ask for a raise?
What should you give away for free? 

Timing is everything. 

It’s not the best time to ask for a raise when you just screwed up a big project.
Or when the company just lost half their business because of the pandemic.
How to you maintain your price as an entrepreneur when the competition starts giving theirs away for half-price? Or free?

THE 4 PRINCIPLES OF PRICING 4 PROFITS! 
The ideal income is a thousand dollars a day—and expenses.
                                                     Pierre Lorillard 

When do people need you the most? 

If they want what you have—they’ll pay anything to get it.  

If they don’t want what you have—free isn’t cheap enough. 

I’ve been teaching the Financial Stress Reduction Workshop for 30 years. First in person at my office, then at my home, then as a teleclass and now it’s on Zoom. 

I’ve taught it through recessions, expansions, during 9/11, during the crash of 2008 and now during the pandemic. 

My posted prices have always gone up—but sometimes I have a special discount or a package of services, or a special offer for something new that isn’t as expensive. 

I post my prices for all my services on my web site, which a lot of coaches don’t do. I like to know that the price of a service is going to be in the ballpark of what I can pay, so I expect other people do, too. 

Here are the 4 principles of pricing:

1. You have too much work and not enough time.  
   
   Success is yours! Everyone admires and appreciates you. You are in demand. Now you find yourself working until the wee hours night after night trying to get all the work done. This is the perfect time to get a raise—you are obviously worth it! If you are self-employed, you may lose a few clients when you increase your rates, but you will make up for that by making more money working fewer hours for the clients you retain.
   
   
2. A market survey shows your pricing is lower than average.  
   
   If you are on salary, you should always be aware of the going rate of pay for your job position with your skill set and experience. The Small Business Administration has stated that the number one reason small businesses go under is that they don’t charge enough for their product or service. If you are underpriced, you will burn out working long hours for survival wages. 
   
   
3. Your boss or client is doing great financially, and you helped.  
   
   You don’t ask for a raise when the company has just posted a big loss, is downsizing, or is in the middle of a change in direction or management. Timing is everything. You want to ask for a raise when you have just helped your boss or client increase profits through your new advertising campaign, when you’ve made the deal to get the new computers at a discount. 
   
   
4. You just received special recognition or publicity. 
   
   Whenever you win an award, get a prestigious appointment to a board, get profiled in a newspaper or magazine article, or appear on television make sure to let all your clients know about it. When your clients regularly see you achieving success and notice, they will recognize that you have moved up the world and are worth more money.  

Ready? Then fill up the hold with cargo, batten the hatches, and go sailing for a bigger sale.

Today’s Affirmation: “I have perfect timing for getting perfect pay!”

Chellie Campbell, Financial Stress Reduction Expert, is the author of bestselling books The Wealthy Spirit, Zero to Zillionaire, and most recently From Worry to Wealthy: A Woman’s Guide to Financial Success Without the Stress. She is widely quoted in major media including Redbook, Good Housekeeping and more than 50 popular books. She has been treating Money Disorders like Spending Bulimia and Income Anorexia in her Financial Stress Reduction® Workshops for over 25 years. Her website is www.chellie.com.

LA-CAMFT

Presents

A Special Interest Group Workshop

Friday, May 27, 2022

9:30 am-12:30 pm (PT)

Via Zoom

3.0 CEUs

The Manadoob Learning System:
A Social and Emotional Learning Program

June Salin and Dr. Monique Garcia

Manadoob is an inquiry-based, social, and emotional learning system that guides each child to design a life of self-esteem, empathy, and creative expression. Through the use of story, craft and individualized interpretation, the characters — both human and animal — celebrate diversity and inclusion instilling a sense of belonging in all children while creating a non-threatening environment in which they can share and explore.

Event Details: 
Friday, May 27, 2022, 9:30 am-12:30 pm (PT)

Where: Online Via Zoom
After you register you will be emailed a Zoom link the Thursday before the presentation.

More information and register today by clicking the Register Here button below.

Register Here

LA-CAMFT Therapists of Color Mentorship Program: Call for Therapist of Color (TOC) Mentors (June 1 Start Date)

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. 

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. 

Interest Form Due Dates and Mentorship Start Dates: 

• June 1st for 6-month mentorship to start July 1st.
• Sept 1st for 6-month mentorship to start Oct 1st.
• Dec 1st for 6-month mentorship to start Jan 1st.

Interest Forms submitted after the Due Date will be placed on the list to begin with the next quarter cohort.

With Gratitude and Solidarity, 

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

Zen and the Stages of Screenwriting Growth: Master Level, Stage 5

It takes a lot of work, patience, resilience, years, and luck to make it to the final stage of screenwriting.

            The "Master Stage."

We're talking about writers like the Coen Brothers, Stanley Kubrick, Woody Allen, Pedro  Almodóvar, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Francis Coppola, Jane Campion, David Lynch, Paddy Chayefsky, Nora Ephron, Billy Wilder, James Cameron, and Quentin Tarantino.

The funny thing about the way this process often starts for us—is that as rookies we often choose one of these guys—the proven Gods of Cinema—as the writer we want to emulate . We don’t mess around with truly gifted writers who do "just fine"—like Nancy Meyers or Joss Whedon. We want to be great! Really great!

We all have that favorite film that got us interested usually made by one of the masters—The Godfather, Citizen Kane, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Piano, Fargo.

When we start out we’ve got to be the next Copploa, or Tarantnio. Five years later, we just want to be Nancy Meyers or Joss Whedon. We pray we can only be as successful as those guys.

The true master screenwriters rise up out of the ranks of the best professionals. These writers realize it’s about always moving forward. They don’t stop learning because they’ve been produced. They don’t stop writing because they’ve hit a wall.

They realize that writing is a marathon, not a sprint. They know how track the market and to stay relevant.  Along the way, they’ve learned to reinvent themselves, to stay in touch with changing tastes and trends. They make a point of figuring out how to remain employed for ten, twenty years.

They’ve learned to network, and more importantly to create relationships—and there is a big difference.

And through it all they keep getting better at writing. They find ways to improve; they join writer’s groups, they take more classes, they crave more feedback, and they set higher goals.

They meet with other professional writers, discuss their projects, and keep shooting for the next level. Some move into producing, or directing, which can make them better writers still.

They choose to write about universal, important, relatable themes like freedom, isolation, corruption, oppression, love and loss—and they also find something completely original to say about those issues.

What truly sets them apart from the rest is the ability to move audiences—to tears, to laughter—to both, and to win over their hearts and minds, to create a spiritual experience simply by weaving a series of scenes together in a darkened theater.

They create a movie-going experience that stays with the viewer. Their films are studied as works of art. They become a part of a greater legacy—of film history. Their works are still able to move audiences who see them decades later. Their writing, like a great novelist’s, is timeless. It translates across language and culture.

The path to becoming the master screenwriter stretches long and far—it takes patience. It can take as long as ten years—or more. However, I don’t believe it has to. The more you know—the faster your progress will be.

Now you know what to expect. That’s a huge advantage in a town where writers are mostly guessing what their next move is.

Stay open to feedback, ask other writers how they would make your stories better, learn from others how to make the fixes that will make your screenplays better, and have patience and persevere. Know that for every Tarantino, there was a Kubrick ahead of him. Find your inspiration—and be smart about how you follow their path.

Should you reach this stage, and I hope you do—there will be perks. You'll be famous, wealthy, respected—and some things will come easier. Setting up meetings with agents, producers, actors, and directors shouldn't be difficult. More people will answer your calls. Selling your scripts will probably be easier.

However, the actual act of  screenwriting will not magically get easier. There are still going to be problems. You're still going to get studio notes, though probably not as many. Some people will still say your writing sucks.

You're still going to complain about changes to your scripts, or lousy casting or disappointing box office. They're still going to complain about the blank page. No matter who you are and what you've accomplished—some things never change.

David Silverman, LMFT, treats anxiety and depression, especially in highly sensitive individuals in his LA practice. Having experienced the rejection, stress, creative blocks, paralyzing perfectionism, and career reversals over a 25 year career as a Film/TV writer, he’s uniquely suited to work with gifted, creative, and sensitive clients experiencing anxiety, depression, and addiction. David received training at Stanford and Antioch, is fully EMDR certified, and works with programs treating Victims of Crime and Problem Gamblers. Visit www.DavidSilvermanLMFT.com.

LA-CAMFT Online On-Demand CEU Courses from Charter for Compassionate Education

LA-CAMFT is excited to announce new additions to our online on-demand CEU offerings from Charter for Compassionate Education. Starting in April, you can find links to these great online CEU courses on the LACAMFT.org Home Page under the Information tab:

Emotional Intelligence for a Compassionate World (On Demand) (Barbara Kerr) (20 CEUs)

Maybe you’ve thought about how empowering it could be to join with others who are willing to take action for a more compassionate world.

And maybe you’ve recognized that building Emotional Intelligence skills could be helpful to you in your work with clients, your personal relationships, as well as in building a more compassionate community where you live.

Emotional Intelligence skills and competencies can become the fertile ground for a more compassionate world. The skills that contribute to Emotional Intelligence can lead to the development of empathy and compassion—in individuals, in families, in the workplace, in communities, and among the interconnected societies of people throughout the world.

During this course, you will discover your own Emotional Intelligence strengths, learn ways to add to your Emotional Intelligence competencies, and consider practical ways to apply your skills to build a more compassionate world.

Compassionate Integrity Training (CIT) (10 Week Live Course) (30 CEUs)

Have you ever wondered how you could cultivate the compassion called for in the world or help others cultivate that compassion? Compassionate Integrity Training (CIT) is a great place to start!

CIT is a resiliency-informed program that cultivates human values as skills, so we can thrive as individuals, and a society, within a healthy environment. By learning skills to calm our bodies and mind, becoming more emotionally aware, learning to practice compassion for ourselves and others, as well as engaging with compassion in complex systems, we can build towards compassionate integrity: the ability to live one’s life in accordance with one’s values with a recognition of common humanity, our basic orientation to kindness and reciprocity.

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

Attention LA-CAMFT Members!
2022 LA-CAMFT Board Meeting Dates

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at a LA-CAMFT Full Board Meeting? LA-CAMFT members are invited to attend monthly Full Board Meetings hosted on Zoom.

May 13
June 10
July 8
August 12
September 9
October 14
November 11
December 9

Online Via Zoom

Voices Publication Guidelines for 2022

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 2022 calendar year to Voices, LA-CAMFT's monthly newsletter:

Upcoming Voices Newsletters	Submission Deadlines
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