Los Angeles Chapter — California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
Voices — October 2026
LA-CAMFT's 2026 Summer Picnic in the Park
Jenni J.V. Wilson, LMFT, LA-CAMFT President 2021 & 2026
LA-CAMFT’s Annual Summer Picnic invites members and non-members alike for an "afternoon of connection and celebration" offering networking, lunching, and more for members and non-members alike.
This year over 80 attendees gathered at the beautiful Cheviot Hills Park, to enjoy outdoor activities like volleyball and cornhole, decorate masks and rocks at the picnic tables, devour Tasty Thai House entrees or Mendocino Farms salads, and/or utilize cooling misters and grounding stones at the "Chill Zone" if they felt themselves overstimulated amidst all the activity in the 90+ degree heat.
Any in-person LA-CAMFT Special Event like the Summer Picnic creates opportunities for professional and personal connections between mental health and related professionals – in all phases of their careers. I love introducing new Associates to long-time Supervisors or Practitioners who understand the ups and downs of the licensure journey, new LA-CAMFT Members to Seasoned Members who understand the benefits of chapter membership, and new chapter leaders to former volunteers and Board Members who understand the pride, commitment, and overall experience of participating in this remarkable organization at all levels.
Leadership is deeply grateful to the members, sponsors, and local businesses who generously donated an impressive array of raffle prizes with estimated values between $150-250 a piece. Every attendee received a raffle ticket with price of admission, earning extra tickets if wearing a sunhat and/or successfully completing an entire row in the Get-To-Know-You Bingo activity. More raffle tickets were available for purchase.
Giving the sun a run for its money on a hot summer day, Silver Level Sponsorship shone brightly at the picnic, with Daria Raines, Outreach Representative from Evolve Adolescent Behavioral Health, Nicole Bertucci, Outreach Representative from Within Behavioral Health, and Steven Unruh, owner of Unruh Mediation: Divorce Mediation and Psychological Services hosting sponsor tables offering swag, information, and all-around good energy.
The chapter owes a great deal of thanks to Special Events Chair Emerald Aueyong, LMFT and a dedicated team of volunteers. Nothing LA-CAMFT does happens without consideration, collaboration, and teamwork. Leadership would like to acknowledge all the hard-work of Past-President Jennifer Stonefield, President-Elect Jessica Idoine and her husband Matt, LA-CAMFT Volunteer Coordinator Ruth Castro, Communications Chair Karen Aguila and her friend Gracie, Sponsorship Chair Madeleine Seeley, CE-Networking Shiji Yuan and his partner Isab, Secretary Karen Boulanger, Finance Committee Secretary Rina Xavier, Speaker Chair Patrick McCarthy, Emerald’s husband Alfonso, Brian Cousins, Nick Bognar, Lee Daly and her daughter Alexandra, Pamela Payton, and all the other volunteers who willingly offered their time, talents, and energies to make this year’s picnic another memorable day by the magical tree.
Until next year.
Photo Credits: Pamela Payton and Jenni June Villegas Wilson.
Paz y Amor,
JJVW - Jenni June Villegas Wilson
Jenni J.V. Wilson, LMFT (she/her): As a collaborative conversationalist passionate about empowering and advocating for marginalized groups and underrepresented voices, Jenni uses an integrative approach based on post-modern principles to provide culturally-mindful and trauma-informed therapeutic services and clinical supervision. She works with creative, anxious, mixed race/culture, and co-dependent clients on improving and eliminating toxic relationships, while increasing authentic expression. She has a BA in theatre from Occidental College, an MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University LA, and is trained in EMDR, Brainspotting, and certified in Narrative Therapy. She is an accomplished writer, has produced/co-hosted multiple podcasts, worked in addiction treatment for nearly a decade, and sees the “worried well” in her private practice in Sherman Oaks. Website: www.JenniJVWilson.com
But How Does That Make You Feel?
Alexander Marshi, MA, AMFT, LA-CAMFT Voices Newsletter Editor
Welcome to the October 2026 edition of Voices, and to my first issue as Newsletter Editor.
Taking on this role has given me a new appreciation for how much quiet work sustains a professional community like ours. I want to begin by thanking President Jenni June Villegas Wilson, Web Admin Gina Balit, and the rest of the LA-CAMFT leadership team for trusting me with a small piece of it. I am very glad to be here.
For a profession built on connection, therapy can be strangely isolating work. We spend hours each day in conversations we are legally obligated not to repeat, and a week often passes between one fifty-minute exploration of a person’s inner world and the next. The work is fascinating and fulfilling, but it rarely feels communal, even though we know thousands of colleagues within a few miles of us are spending their days in rooms much like ours.
That is part of what makes a community like LA-CAMFT matter.
Voices gives those of us who listen for a living a place to speak: to exchange ideas, hear what our peers are experiencing, keep track of changes in the professional landscape, and, for once, get up from the listener’s chair to address a crowd of colleagues.
This month’s issue offers a few versions of that connection.
President Jenni Wilson takes us back to our 2026 Summer Picnic in the Park at Cheviot Hills, where nearly a hundred members gathered on an afternoon when Los Angeles apparently decided networking should double as heat exposure. There was food, volleyball, cornhole, art, and conversation, and, perhaps most importantly, the chance to meet one another as people rather than names attached to credentials or squares on a Zoom screen.
Professional community also means paying collective attention to something complicated before it becomes urgent. California’s possible transition to the AMFTRB National Exam is one of those things. CAMFT continues to advocate around the proposed change, the Board of Behavioral Sciences meets again in November, and pre-licensed clinicians understandably want to know what a transition could mean for people at different stages of licensure. We take a practical look at what is known, what remains undecided, and what associates should watch for next.
Our Member Spotlight features Associate MFT Nicholas Ragano, whose introduction to LA-CAMFT began with a comical misunderstanding at his first networking event and nevertheless (or perhaps partly because of it) left him feeling almost immediately that he had found his professional home.
Calling All Voices: Write for Us
A newsletter called Voices should probably contain as many of them as possible.
One of my goals as Editor is to make this publication a place where members bring forward what they are actually thinking about in their work. You don’t need to have invented a new modality or settled some enormous clinical question. Maybe you noticed something the hundredth time it happened in session. Maybe a paper changed how you understand a familiar problem. Maybe there is an ethical question you keep turning over, a population whose needs deserve more serious discussion, or something you wish someone had told you as an associate.
Those are all reasons to write.
We welcome submissions on clinical practice, ethics, research and literature, professional development, and personal reflections from the field. We also welcome Member Spotlight nominations, since some of the people doing the most interesting work in our community are unlikely to nominate themselves.
If you have an idea, review our submission guidelines or reach out directly. It does not need to arrive fully formed. Part of an editor’s job, conveniently enough, is editing.
My hope is that Voices becomes less a publication issued by an organization to its members and more an ongoing conversation among the people who make up that membership.
Most of us spend an extraordinary amount of time asking others how things make them feel. This is one place where I hope more of us will answer that question ourselves.
Alexander Marshi, MA, AMFT #159153, is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist providing psychotherapy at Integrated Therapy and Recovery under licensed supervision, with a clinical focus on couples therapy, relational communication, and family systems. He is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples and Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Levels 1 and 2), and serves as Editor of LA-CAMFT’s Voices. Learn more at alexmarshi.com.
Friday, October 16, 2026 9:00am-11:00am
Online Via Zoom
2 CE Credits
Sponsored by
Beyond Belief: Exploring Religion and Spirituality in Mental Health Care
with Leanne Nettles, LMFT
Religious and spiritual experiences and practices often have a profound impact on clients’ lives, serving as sources of hope, resilience, and meaning – and, at times, contributing to pain or harm. These experiences can shape how clients understand themselves and navigate healing. This training will provide foundational knowledge of major religious belief systems and build mental health providers’ confidence in thoughtfully approaching and integrating clients’ spiritual beliefs and experiences into assessment, diagnosis, case conceptualization, and treatment to support culturally responsive client-centered care.
Educational Goals:
Attendees will obtain an understanding of major religious belief systems and learn how to thoughtfully integrate clients’ spiritual beliefs into their mental health care.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:
Leanne Nettles, LMFT (she/her) is a clinician, educator and advocate specializing in trauma-informed and culturally responsive mental health care. She is currently a Professor at Pacific Oaks College and serves as Clinical Director of K&S Therapeutic Services, Inc. Leanne has held leadership roles including Clinical Trainer, Program Manager, and Clinical Supervisor in community mental health organizations and has presented at the CAMFT Annual Conference and the Department of State Hospitals Multicultural Conference. She integrates spirituality, multiculturalism, and expressive arts into her clinical and educational work and has provided trainings on a wide variety of topics supporting whole-person, culturally responsive care.
For more information, contact Course Organizer/CE Networking Chair Shiji Yuan.
Event Details:
For: Licensed Therapists, Associates, Students, & Related Professionals
When: Friday, October 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.)
"Early Bird" Cost:
$25 for LA-CAMFT/Other CAMFT Chapter Members, CSCSW Members
$15 for LA-CAMFT/Other CAMFT Chapter Prelicensed Members
$35 for Non-Members
$20 for Prelicensed Non-Members
Regular Cost (2 weeks before event for licensed members):
$30 for LA-CAMFT/Other CAMFT Chapter Members, CSCSW Members
$40 for Non-Members
*NEW FEATURE! Event will be recorded and made available afterwards!*
The CE event will be recorded and made available to watch later. CE credits can be earned by watching the recording and taking a post-test afterwards. Those who register for the live event can obtain access to the recording for a fee of $5. Those who do not register for the live event and purchase the recording only can obtain access to it for a fee of $35 for LACAMFT members and $45 for non-members. Access to the recording is not guaranteed and is dependent upon the event being captured successfully.
*Registration closes Thursday, October 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.
https://lacamft.org/event-6847520
Black Therapist Support Group
Second Monday of Every Month
Next Meeting: Monday, October 19, 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.
Open to LA-CAMFT Members and Non-Members.
For more information, contact the Diversity Committee.
For: Licensed Therapists, Associates, and Students
When: Monday, October 19, 2026 from 6:00pm-7:30pm (Check-In: 5:50pm)
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.*
https://lacamft.org/event-6475309
Guest Article
Environment Is Part of the Case Formulation
Cassidy Cousens
For much of my 25 years in behavioral health and addiction treatment, I worked in and operated conventional programs across the full continuum of care. I understood treatment partly through the environments we built around it. A predictable schedule and a consistent team gave difficult work somewhere to happen. Running programs also meant understanding why those arrangements existed, including the need to coordinate care safely and keep a program functioning from one day to the next.
Over time, I became more interested in what those environments asked of the people in them. Much of the treatment took place inside four walls, with people sitting for relatively long stretches. There was considerable emotional work happening, but a full schedule could still leave someone physically inactive, with much of the day decided for them. I began to question how that affected participation, particularly for someone already feeling stuck. More hours of treatment did not necessarily mean more opportunities to act on what was being discussed.
The gap between insight and action became central to my thinking. Someone can describe a pattern accurately and still struggle to respond differently when it returns. That is familiar territory in our work. I wondered how much the treatment setting helped us understand that gap, and how much it kept parts of it out of view. Being able to follow a program’s schedule tells us something, but it leaves open how someone will manage a day when they have to organize it themselves.
I began to wonder whether static environments could sometimes reinforce static thinking. I do not mean that sitting prevents change. An office may be precisely where someone feels safe enough to begin. I am interested in what happens when the same arrangement stops helping, yet we continue to interpret the difficulty mainly through the person. Restlessness, for example, may tell us something about the setting as well as the client. It deserves a closer look before we decide what it means.
Walking as a Medium
Movement offers another way into that question. Walking changes the physical arrangement of a conversation. There is somewhere else to look, and a pause can be part of walking together rather than a silence someone feels obliged to fill. A person may find it easier to approach a difficult subject under those conditions. For someone else, the unfamiliarity may make speaking harder. Either response can tell us something about how the setting affects participation.
The surroundings can also change what holds someone’s attention. In an office, sustaining attention can take considerable effort. Outside, wind, water, and the scale of a landscape can give attention somewhere else to settle. A problem sometimes loosens its grip, not because it has been solved but because it is no longer the only thing in view. What surfaces in that quiet may be something the person had not planned to say.
A changing environment also introduces small demands. A route is unavailable, or a plan needs adjusting. Consider the difference between asking someone how they respond to disappointment and being alongside them when something does not go as expected. The conversation can include what is happening now. We can notice whether help is welcome, whether a pause is useful, and whether the original goal still makes sense. The person has a chance to recognize their response while there is still room to influence it.
That friction matters to me. I would not want treatment to become an exercise in removing every difficulty, any more than I would want difficulty manufactured to teach someone a lesson. Ordinary circumstances provide enough material. With appropriate support, a manageable setback can offer a chance to try something different and see what follows. There is an opportunity to develop capacity through experience, alongside the work of understanding it.
The demands have to remain within reach. If a person is exhausted or overwhelmed, adding challenge may only make participation harder. Slowing down, changing the plan, or stopping can be part of the work. Physical endurance is not a measure of psychological readiness. I am interested in whether someone has enough room to make a choice and remain engaged, not whether they can complete an activity that I selected.
Bringing the Work into Nature
These questions influenced my decision to create Arago Integrative Recovery, an Oregon-based, one-on-one approach that brings recovery work into natural environments. I wanted enough continuity to work through those moments as they happened, with time to return to them as the day unfolded. Movement became part of how I thought about the work itself. I have written more about that perspective in Why Movement Changes the Mind.
There are limits to what a different setting can offer. Outdoor work requires attention to a different set of details, including privacy and whether the person even wants to be there. It cannot substitute for medical stabilization or a level of care someone needs. The practical question is whether the setting supports the purpose of the work. Sometimes that means going outside. At other times it means a familiar room with a door that closes.
Back in the Office
I think these questions are useful well beyond outdoor work. In any setting, what are we able to observe, and what are we assuming about how someone manages elsewhere? Where does the person have an opportunity to practice what we are discussing? An office conversation can help prepare for an ordinary task between sessions, followed by a careful look at what actually happened. The useful connection is between the understanding reached in treatment and the circumstances in which the person needs to use it.
My years in conventional treatment remain the foundation of how I work. They also left me with questions I wanted to pursue in a different setting. I am more reluctant now to treat what happens in one room as the whole picture of how a person functions. I want to know what happens when the circumstances change, and whether we can help the person work with that change while it is happening.
About the Author
Cassidy Cousens is a CADTP-certified counselor and interventionist with 25 years of applied behavioral-health practice across the full continuum of care. In that time, he has owned, operated, and sold multiple traditional rehabs. He later founded Oregon-based Arago Integrative Recovery to offer a one-on-one alternative to conventional treatment. Learn more at www.aragorecovery.com.
Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Therapists Community Group
First Monday of Every Month
Next Meeting: Monday, October 5, 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, October 5, 2026 from 9:00am-10:00am
Facilitator(s): Perla and Susan
https://lacamft.org/event-6470352
LA-CAMFT Diversity Committee
presents
White Therapists Fighting Racism (WTFR)
Third Sunday of Every Month
Next Meeting: Sunday, October 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.
For more information or if you have additional questions, please send all inquiries to the facilitators WTFR@lacamft.org.
When: Sunday, October 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.)
Facilitator(s): Estelle, Randi, Hazel, and Stephen
https://lacamft.org/event-6513183
Upcoming Events
LA-CAMFT Events - Save the Date!
(Note: events without links may not yet be open for registrations. Please check LACAMFT.org for more information)
October 5th – 9:00-10:00am – via Zoom – MENA support group - Members and Non-Members welcome - https://lacamft.org/event-6470352
October 16th – 9:00am-11:00am – via Zoom - CE-EVENT - Leanne Nettles "Incorporating Spirituality with Treatment" - with post-event networking from 11:00-11:30am - https://lacamft.org/event-6847520
October 19th – 6:00-7:00pm – via Zoom - BTSG support group - Members and Non-Members welcome - https://lacamft.org/event-6475309
November 2nd – 9:00-10:00am – via Zoom – MENA support group - Members and Non-Members welcome - https://lacamft.org/event-6470354
November 9th – 6:00-7:00pm – via Zoom - BTSG support group - Members and Non-Members welcome - https://lacamft.org/event-6475310
November 14th – TOCMP Dishes of Diversity
November 21st – 11:00am-12pm – via Zoom - MEET LA-CAMFT – Members Only - casual virtual gathering to connect with chapter leaders – https://lacamft.org/event-6804636
November 26th – THANKSGIVING
December 7th – 9:00-10:00am – via Zoom – MENA support group - Members and Non-Members welcome - https://lacamft.org/event-6470355
December 13th – 12:00pm-4:00pm - Special Event – In-Person – LA-CAMFT’s ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY – Clearview Treatment Center, Venice, CA
CAMFT Article
Regulatory & Pre-Licensed Update: CAMFT Advocacy: The AMFTRB National Exam in California
By LA-CAMFT Editorial Team (Source: CAMFT State Leadership)
One of the most frequently asked questions among California Associate Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFTs) and trainees centers on the potential transition from the California LMFT Clinical Examination to the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) National Examination.
Adoption of the AMFTRB National Exam remains a key strategic priority for CAMFT, specifically aimed at advancing licensure portability across state lines and aligning California’s licensing requirements with standard national benchmarks.
As conversations with the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) continue, here are the essential updates and what they mean for candidates currently on the path to licensure:
1. Has California Transitioned to the National Exam?
Not yet. The BBS has delayed its formal discussion of a potential transition to the AMFTRB National Exam until its November 2026 Board meeting.
For clinicians currently accumulating hours or preparing for exams, the existing California LMFT Clinical Examination remains fully in place. No immediate changes to the examination process are expected, and candidates eligible to test should proceed under existing California exam protocols without delay.
2. When Will Candidates Learn More?
Further updates are anticipated following the BBS Board meeting in late November 2026. CAMFT leadership is closely monitoring developments and will distribute updates to chapter leadership and members as soon as outcomes from the board discussion become public.
3. What Is CAMFT Doing to Advocate for Portability?
CAMFT remains actively engaged with BBS decision-makers to champion adoption of the AMFTRB National Exam. CAMFT has specifically requested that any regulatory, operational, or administrative concerns contributing to timeline delays be reviewed publicly with stakeholders during the November meeting. CAMFT continues to explore all administrative pathways to bring national exam portability to California clinicians.
Practical Guidance for Candidates
If you are preparing for your licensing exams today, do not pause your studies or delay your application process:
Nicholas Ragano, AMFT
If there's one thing that's shaped both my career as a therapist and my experience with LA-CAMFT, it's the value of genuine connection. Whether I'm working with a teenager who's convinced no adult understands them, or collaborating with colleagues, or networking with a fellow professional, I've found that meaningful relationships are where growth begins.
I'm currently an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, and my clinical work has primarily focused on children, adolescents, and young adults. Those experiences—along with facilitating a domestic violence treatment group—have shaped my belief that people make the most progress when they feel understood before they feel challenged. I also try to bring warmth and humor into the therapy room whenever it's appropriate, because while therapy can involve difficult conversations, it doesn't have to feel cold or intimidating.
One fact about myself that often surprises people is that, before becoming a therapist, I spent years streaming on Twitch, playing video games, and building a community. Even today, I enjoy staying familiar with the games, music, and culture many teenagers are immersed in—not because I'm trying to be the "cool therapist," but because I genuinely enjoy understanding their world. The connection teenagers build with their online communities can be incredibly meaningful. Teenagers are also incredibly perceptive, and they can usually tell within a few minutes whether someone is authentically interested in getting to know them. I think taking the time to understand the things that matter to them helps build trust and creates a space where meaningful conversations can happen.
My introduction to LA-CAMFT couldn't have been a better reflection of the organization. I showed up to my first networking event excited, but when I checked in, they couldn't initially find my name in the system. While I waited, I spoke with the amazing LA-CAMFT members working the event and eventually I started handing out name tags, stickers, and pins to attendees. What could have been an awkward first experience ended up being one of the reasons I immediately felt at home. Everyone I met was welcoming, approachable, and genuinely interested in connecting. I remember driving home thinking, "This group feels different."
Since then, I've continued to attend LA-CAMFT events, trainings, and networking opportunities, and I've really enjoyed getting to know other members and learning more about the profession beyond my day-to-day clinical work. The Motivational Interviewing training gave me practical tools that immediately influenced my clinical work, and the Leadership Retreat left me feeling energized and excited about my future in this field. More than anything, I've appreciated the chance to build real connections with other clinicians—hearing their experiences, learning from their perspectives, and feeling part of a larger professional community.
As I continue to grow as a therapist, I'm excited to keep building those relationships in a more intentional way. My hope is to develop connections that last beyond events and trainings—so that over time, I can support fellow CAMFT members through referrals, collaboration, and consultation. I'm grateful to be part of a community that values connection and generosity, and I'm looking forward to continuing to grow alongside it.
Nicholas Ragano is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT #162121) employed by Nick Bognar Therapy. He works with children, teens, and young adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, and self-esteem using CBT, IFS, and Narrative Therapy. Supervised by Nick Bognar, LMFT #99915. Learn more at www.nicholasragano.com.
LA-CAMFT invites two members each month to be featured in the Member Spotlight section of Voices - a new member (less than 5 years), alongside a long-time member (5+ years). Candidates are chosen by current chapter leadership based on their regular participation in and contributions to LA-CAMFT. If you are an LA-CAMFT member and would like to be considered, please reach out to MembershipChair@LACAMFT.org and introduce yourself with the subject line “Member Spotlight Consideration” for more information.
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