Chapter News Summer 2025
"Being part of SGV-CAMFT has given me a deep sense of community and connection with diverse, thoughtful clinicians. It’s incredibly rewarding to not just belong but actively participate in and contribute to a more inclusive, engaged, and supportive professional network." Jessica Lan, LMFT, SGV-CAMFT Board Member, Asian Therapist Community Group Facilitator  President's Message (Originally published May 30, 2025 in the 2025 Summer Quarterly Newsletter) Dear SGV-CAMFT community, As we transition into summer, I am acutely aware this year of the movements that my clients, friends, and family are making as they enter this season. This is a time of transition, recovery, rest, boredom, restlessness, celebration, joy, and so many other rich experiences. In this time I am especially thankful for each of you and the important work you do in this community. I’m really excited that we currently have 6 different groups that meet each month that bring therapists together so we can connect with and support each other. I am also excited that we have other events in the works including a networking event, a community social, a summer music listening series, a CE training, and a professional development workshop. Be on the lookout for information coming out soon about our revamped Rudy Hayek Scholarship that will be supporting prelicensed therapists with the costs of preparing for their L&E and clinical exams! We are aware that our in-person groups that have registration limits due to limited physical space are often full and waitlisted. On one hand that lets us know that our community really wants and needs in person connection and community. On the other hand that also means that our current capacity is less than what is needed. If you have any desire to host a group of your own for SGV-CAMFT please feel free to reach out to me at president@sgvcamft.org. We would love to partner with you and make it easy for you to help support this community of therapists. I love leading my Curious Clinician group not just because it is fun and rewarding to host, but also because I get to choose topics that are interesting to me! Thank you all for your gifts and presence that you offer the communities that you belong to. If you ever want to connect with me and grab a coffee feel free to reach out! Have a lovely summer! With care, Michael Mann SGV-CAMFT President president@sgvcamft.org
Asian Therapist Community Group | Spring 2025 Creating Space Where It's NeededMessage from Jessica Lan, LMFT, Asian Therapist Community Group Facilitator (Originally published May 30, 2025 in the 2025 Summer Quarterly Newsletter) Thank you to all who joined us for our Asian Therapist Community Group in May. The meeting focused on Letting Go of Stress. It was a joy to share this restorative experience with all of you in such a calming space, and your presence helped make it a significant evening. Reflecting on our community's journey reminds me how much this space is needed. Mental health conversations are growing, but for many, especially in the Asian community and here in the San Gabriel Valley, finding spaces that honor and protect our shared identities can be challenging. One of the most uplifting parts of this journey has been the support from the local community, therapists, and businesses. Seeing members show up, share openly, and hold space for one another has been powerful. So many of us crave connection, understanding, and culturally relevant conversations around mental health. As an Asian therapist, I know firsthand how representation matters—not just in the therapy room but in community spaces as well. I'm grateful to be building something that helps fill that gap, and I hope to keep expanding these conversations in meaningful and accessible ways. If you haven't already, please register for our community group on May 31 at 9:30 AM where we'll get a chance to catch up and further connect. I'm excited to be able to close out AANHPI Heritage Month with a casual morning get-together. Happy AANHPI Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month! - Jessica Lan, LMFT |
3000 Club co-chair Emerald Aueyong represents SGV-CAMFT leadership at the 2025 CAMFT Conference
May 2-3, 2025
Photos include Emerald with state leadership representatives and presenters: Ann Tran-Lien, JD Managing Director of Legal Affairs, Dr. Dana McNeil, PsyD, LMFT, Joy Alafia, Executive Director of CAMFT, Leigh Ann Greenfield, LMFT.
Spring 2025
"My experience reaching out to chapter membership has been deeply gratifying and has been strengthened my belief that chapter membership provides support when therapists need it most.
You are not alone. There is a community for you."
Lacy Tannous, LMFT, SGV-CAMFT member volunteer
Letter from the Editors
Dear SGV-CAMFT community,
Spring time has come and what a vibrant season of growth and connection it's been!
Highlights of the season so far include: continuing education about the therapist’s role in disaster response with Natasha Morisawa, LMFT; ongoing in-person and virtual support from the 3000 Club for pre-licensed therapists; Kathryn Bikle's Dream Circle exploration; and the first Curious Clinician discussion group, that bravely dived into the topic of the intersection of politics and therapy.
It has been a full month and we are so excited to continue creating spaces this Spring for us to come together and connect as a community of therapists. This season, we would like to highlight the work of Jessica Lan, LMFT, who enacts the SGV-CAMFT mission to provide a educationally, emotionally, and professionally supportive atmosphere for members in her work as host of the Asian Therapist Group for SGV-CAMFT members. We are are excited about her upcoming partnership with a yoga studio. Check our website and emails for event updates.
Board Leadership Changes
The SGV-CAMFT board has welcomed fresh perspectives and energy over the past year with the addition of new members. We also want to express our deep gratitude to Kathryn Bikle, who has faithfully served as our board president for the last five years.
While she is looking forward to a well-deserved break, we are delighted to announce that the board has approved Michael Mann, our former treasurer, to step into the role of president. Additionally, we are pleased to welcome Joe Hovemeyer, who has been actively involved in sponsorships alongside Bethan Land, as our new treasurer.
Volunteer Appreciation
We are also deeply grateful for our volunteer members, including Lacy Tannous and Annelise Asch, who have been for reaching out to members impacted by the fire.
Whether it is through hosting groups or reaching out to community, the consideration, warmth, and gratitude of our member volunteers are what makes SGV-CAMFT the wonderful community it is.
If you are interested in becoming more involved in leadership or volunteer work, please email info@sgvcamft.com; we look forward to connecting with you.
Wishing you all a warm and thriving spring,
Michael & Erin
SGV-CAMFT Communications & Marketing Chairs
President's Farewell
Message from the (Past) President Kathryn Bikle
Spring has sprung! New growth is appearing everywhere. Green “peach fuzz” is popping up on the barren mountainsides, the charred limbs of some fire-ravaged trees are bursting into leaf, and daffodils and iris are blooming in the gardens of those whose homes were lost in the Eaton Fire.
New growth is also appearing in our San Gabriel Valley Chapter of CAMFT! We have enthusiastic new board members to welcome (more on that below!) as well as some congratulatory thank you’s to extend to Michael Mann our former Treasurer, who is stepping into the role of President, and Joe Hovemeyer, former Community Outreach Co-Chair who is stepping into the role of Treasurer! I am looking forward to taking a back seat in the role of Past-President.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to have served SGV-CAMFT as President for now going on five years. We made through COVID together by pivoting to online events and programs. We began to emerge with an emphasis on developing regular Special Interest Group (SIG) gatherings that could meet outside, or inside when appropriate.
Now it’s a new day with more freedom to meet in person and guess what? Our chapter is thriving with lots of new SIG’s and upcoming events designed to bring us together in community face-to-face! I’m happy to step aside and let this new burgeoning energy move forward under Michael Mann’s care! He has been working very hard with Erin Kaller, our Secretary and other board members to jumpstart a new era for this chapter! I’m so looking forward to see what is in store for SGV-CAMFT in the near future!
Thank you for supporting me as your president during my tenure in office. I will still be available to support from the sidelines. But for now, let’s welcome Michael Mann and Joe Hovemeyer in their new Executive Committee positions and get this party started!!
Truly yours,
Kathryn Bikle
Winter 2025
Letter from Editors
It has been a busy month for SGV-CAMFT board members as we gathered to reflect on how we can continue to service our chapter members in the upcoming year.
At the state-wide CAMFT Leadership Conference on February 8, 2025 in San Francisco, board members celebrated the on-going hard work and dedication of Michael Mann, our current SGV-CAMFT treasurer, Communications and Marketing co-chair, and longtime leader in the SGV-CAMFT community.
The following weekend, on February 15, the board gathered at our annual SGV-CAMFT retreat in Monrovia, where we envisioned how we can best support you, our chapter membership, in leadership roles.
In the upcoming year, the board is especially excited to announce renewed and emerging opportunities to connect in community with SGV-CAMFT members.
Among the changes include an expanded 3000 Club schedule, which will include in-person and virtual gatherings, as well as the the Curious Clinician Discussion Group, hosted bi-monthly with alternating Pasadena and Glendora locations.
SGV-CAMFT members can also look forward to quarterly newsletters and updates in the Chapter News section of our website for behind the scenes photos of board events and other community gatherings.
If you are a member interested in participating in SGV-CAMFT leadership and would like to help up expand our capacity to serve membership, we warmly invite you to email us.
Sincerely,
Erin Kaller & Michael Mann
Communications & Marketing Co-chairs
SGV-CAMFT Board Retreat
CAMFT Leadership Conference (CLC)
SGV-CAMFT board members celebrate Michael Mann for his leadership at the 2025 Chapter Leadership Conference (CLC) in San Jose, CA.
January 2025
An Open Letter to Our SGV-CAMFT Community
To the wonderful mental health professionals of San Gabriel Valley,
As individuals and professionals, we are grieving as these destructive fires have ravaged our communities.
Like other mental health professionals in our community, we are personally juggling the complexity of our own emotions at this time, including our sadness and concern for friends who lost homes, while also trying to hold space for clients. At the same time, we are also trying to look up from our struggles and see how our community is coming together in support and hope.
There are many organizations that have stepped forward who are equipped for the immediate crisis work that must be done now. SGV-CAMFT is not a disaster relief organization; it is not within our scope to act as one.
But when the news cycle moves on; the firefighter camps outside the Rose Bowl pack up; the FEMA truck drives to another city; and the public consciousness shifts the next disaster, SGV-CAMFT will be here for you.
We look forward to gathering in community again in safety, in hope, and in healing.
-
Michael Mann, SGV-CAMFT Treasurer
Erin Kaller, SGV-CAMFT Secretary
January, 2025
Share Your Voice with Us
To contribute to SGV-CAMFT publications, including Current Events and the quarterly newsletter, please contact the Communications & Marketing Committee. |
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