President's Message — Nikki Gabriel, LMFT

So Much to be Excited About!

In February, the Board participated in CAMFT’s Chapter Leadership Conference, the event was virtual again this year, but even so it offered an opportunity to learn and connect with chapter leaders from across the state. The conference is an opportunity to reflect on what our mission and goals are as a chapter, and discover creative new ways to continue to build upon the strong foundation we have in place. My main takeaway from this year’s event was the concept of micro-volunteering. I love it! This fits in well with my goal to get more of the membership active in volunteering with the chapter. I know how busy we all are and how challenging things have been during the pandemic, but what if someone can get involved in a small way, gain recognition, and be a more active part of the chapter. Throughout 2022 we will continue to present micro-volunteering opportunities to the chapter members in an effort to boost participation.

In addition to volunteering, the chapter has many wonderful committees and special interest groups. These have not been as active during the pandemic, but are starting to make a return as we adjust to life with COVID-19. I want to highlight our diversity committee, which has been increasing in activity since the beginning of 2020, and brings us our diversity highlight during the membership meeting portion of our monthly events. We are excited about this opportunity to learn and grow together, and look forward to more chapter members participating and sharing their diverse backgrounds.

The pandemic has left us virtual for 2 years as of March 2022, and with that, in some ways, feeling a little less connected than when we were able to meet in person. This year we hope to have all social events in person, and work toward membership meetings being in person again before the end of the year. The benefit of the virtual experience has been a financial gain for the chapter as we are without meeting space and food expenses.  As a board, we are working to find ways to re-invest those excess funds back into the chapter and increase the value of your membership. We will continue to offer free CE events in 2022 with the Law & Ethics, and State of the Profession. There may be more free events for members as well. We will also continue investing in the next generation of therapists by offering the student scholarships to make chapter and state memberships more affordable to those just starting their careers as therapists.

There is so much to be excited about as we head toward Spring even if some aspects of life and the pandemic appear to continue to throw challenges into our path. Hoping to see you in person at some point before the end of 2022!

Nikki Gabriel is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist taking a short break from her practice to take on the role of new Mom. She assists teens and adults in learning to manage anger, anxiety, depression, and confidence issues by utilizing interventions from an eclectic background. She enjoys helping people discover new ways to solve problems, develop healthier behavior patterns, and improve communication skills. Nikki can be reached at 818-473-0088 or nikkigabrielmft@gmail.com.