Welcome to the Pre-Licensed Support Corner!

The idea is to have a space or corner so to speak, specifically to address the needs, issues, and concerns of pre-licensed members. If you are interested in submitting an article or would like to suggest a topic of interest please email Aileen Hong at aileenmft@gmail.com.

You are invited to join San Gabriel Valley Chapter of CAMFT. As you probably know, CAMFT is the organization for California Marriage and Family Therapists. Each area of California has a local chapter. Membership in CAMFT is required to be able to join a local chapter. The San Gabriel Valley Chapter covers a large geographical area North and East from Los Angeles to Pomona Valley.

Why Join?

• SGV CAMFT has dedicated licensed members serving a pre-license liaison to assist students, trainees and interns.
• Pre-licensed members receive email updates on available job openings with pertinent contact information.
• Receive information assisting you throughout your journey towards licensure as you gather your 3000 hours.
• Special networking meetings to meet other pre-licensed members. SGV CAMFT has regular meetings to provide 1.5 hours for your workshop hours towards licensing.
• SGV CAMFT is a great way to start your professional connection in your new career! To join, download the SGVCAMFT Membership Application (PDF). Please explore this SGV CAMFT website and see the Newsletter articles written with you in mind.

Aileen Hong, Co-Chair, Pre-Licensed Committee

Dear Pre-Licensed Members of SGV CAMFT,

As Co-Liaison for the Pre-Licensed Members at the San Gabriel Valley Chapter of CAMFT, I help organize our activities and announce our upcoming events. Like most of you, I am a Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern who is full of questions over how to navigate through my pre-licensed years.

I received my MFT training at Fuller Theological Seminary's School of Psychology, and now I see clients at Westminster Counseling Center (www.WestminsterCenter.org) to help them with emotional and relationship issues. In collaboration with Westminster Presbyterian Church, I enjoy providing premarital counseling for couples getting ready for marriage.

Besides counseling, I serve as Executive Assistant at Fuller’s Institute for Relationship Education (FIRE) to teach relationship workshops in churches and Christian organizations. Through the California Healthy Marriage Coalition, I am a certified instructor for World Class Marriage seminars.

Through the wonderful people at CAMFT, I’ve learned that there are lots of ways that we can use our MFT training. There are many professional options to explore and to integrate with your unique interests. Without a doubt, you have something to offer to the world in your own distinctive way. So come join us in our pre-licensed activities--I look forward to getting to meet you!

Warmly,
Aileen Hong

Jennifer Duke, Co-Chair, Pre-Licensed Committee

Jennifer Duke, is happy to participate in San Gabriel Valley CAMFT as co-chair of the pre-licensed committee. Jennifer is a marriage and family therapist and works with a small team at the Della Martin outpatient services at Huntington Hospital as a licensed program therapist. At Della Martin, she runs process groups, anger management, and coping skills groups for people diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar and other chronic mental health concerns. She also uses her skills with individuals and couples at Westminster Center to help people achieve their highest potential and find joy in love, work, and play.

Jennifer’s training in Jungian principles and cognitive techniques provide a solid base of her work. She also draws from EMDR, Neuro linguistic programming, schema therapy, family systems therapy and others. For symptom management, and especially for mood emergencies, she regularly uses audio visual entrainment, binaural beat and other “digital meditation” systems. Jennifer is a professional harpist and regularly treats clients at Della Martin with improvised scripts and music for guided imagery. She also uses sand play in group settings.

Jennifer received her master’s degree at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Counseling Psychology. Her Master’s thesis was placed on the recommended reading list for the school and can be viewed at www.jenniferjaneduke.com/. The title is Subatomic Psychology: The effect of twentieth century physics on western epistemology.

Jennifer has been very dedicated to education and has taught workshops for professionals at Huntington and at Westminster. Her topics have included sand play, neurotechnology, and recent innovations for borderline personality disorder. Jennifer has run a series of workshops for the community on managing anxiety around money, and has taught coping skills for caregivers at Huntington’s Senior Care Network. She continues to use her passion for sharing knowledge and information with the pre-licensed group and can be reached via email at jenniferduke@earthlink.net or jennifer.duke@huntingtonhospital.com.