President's Message by Barbara Calvi, LMFT, President

Summertime

So summer is fast approaching. As a chapter, we have five meetings under our belts and the year is almost halfway over. There is so much the board still wants to accomplish for this year and we are now already getting into June. Will we get it all done? You possibly have a similar experience in your own life. There may be a lot more you want to do this year in your personal life. There may be more education and training you want to experience for your professional life; more you want to do relative to the areas of marketing and business to grow your practice and ensure the business end is taken care of and running smoothly.

This reminds me of a topic I hear often from therapists this time of year. Summer is a tricky season in our field. Kids are out of school, parents are carting them around to camps, people go on vacations; schedules become chaotic, unpredictable, and complicated. In short, many families, individuals and couples either take an extended break over the summer or their attendance to sessions can be very sporadic. The bottom line is; it can really affect our bottom line. And this is the issue I hear about often . . . the decline in income beginning in mid to late June and the return to school; usually until the week after school begins to be exact.

Every year there are therapists who white knuckle it, waiting for summer to be over, for clients to return so they can relax and breathe again. Like many school teachers who are paid by school districts over a 10 month period rather than year-round, it is wise for therapists to do a little planning too. Business management experts agree planning for less income during the slower months is the best remedy for the financial pitfall of working in this field.

Some experts recommend calculating your projected income for the year, including the lower numbers for the summer months, and divide that number by 12 months. Then, regardless of how much more money you earn over your projected income for any given month, stick to the original numbers. Keeping in mind, you may end up with months, other than summer, in which your income is lower than what you projected.

The goal is to ensure your business and life run smoothly through the entire year. And, who knows, you may just end up with a surplus at the end of your fiscal year. What a welcome bonus. I wish you all a fulfilling and joyful summer!

Barbara specializes in couple's therapy and has a particular interest in working with couples struggling with recovery from infidelity, couples who are parenting a child with special needs, and couples who get stuck in hostile and destructive cycles. She has been trained in both Imago Relationship Therapy and the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy with Ellyn Bader at the Couple's Institute and also does attachment work based on Diane Poole Heller's Dynamic Attachment Re-patterning Experience Program. She is currently in training in Peter Levine's model of Somatic Experiencing and is looking forward to helping hostile and aggressive couples recover more quickly and stop the cycle of trauma they inflict on each other. Barbara can be reached at 818.917.9184 or email to Barbaralcalvi@gmail.com.