by Jacqui Gerritsen, LMFT

Jacqui has been licensed since 2007. She joined the SCV-CAMFT board in 2015, initially as the Communication and Technology Director. She has a private practice in Palo Alto and San Mateo and is certified in TEAM-CBT level 2. She works with teens and adults and uses both a family systems model as well as a supportive, humanistic approach.

Happy Summer! I hope you are all taking time for yourselves and doing some self care before things pick back up in the fall. Personally, I took some time and went to Alaska, which I highly recommend. It is very quiet and tranquil there. The glaciers, mountains, and wildlife are majestic and awe-inspiring. Alaska really is the last wild, untamed part of this country. Because it is untamed, risks from the environment are very different than here. The tour guides have good advice like “if you don’t want to get eaten by a bear, don’t go where there are bears.” Which made me chuckle, but got me thinking about my personal safety in other areas, like my office.

I have been in this field since 2001 and have had to call 911 for an issue in the office twice in my career, both within the last 4 months. The first was an insurance referral, where the client neglected to tell me during the intake phone interview she was bringing an adult child in the middle of a psychotic break. Within 15 seconds of walking in, he attempted to get physical, started to rage and began swearing and screaming. He ultimately vandalized the office by violently breaking the window in the door. I was quite shaken by this but kept it together until the landlord, having seen the man acting erratically, came to check and make sure we were all ok.

The second was an aggressive process server attempting to serve a subpoena to an office mate who wasn’t in the office at the time. He refused to leave after being asked multiple times, and began opening the doors of treatment rooms with other therapists already in session. The officers showed up and escorted him out of the building.

After the first incident we, as an office, reviewed safety procedures with the Palo Alto Police and made changes they recommended. The first is a fingerprint/code lock which was installed on the office door that automatically locks every time someone goes thru. The second, we have air horns and pepper spray in each room. We also have our cell phones in session so we have a way to call for help if needed. Third, we will be installing a closed circuit camera so we can see directly from the office into the waiting room.

Have you thought about how safe you are in your office? What safety procedures do you have in place? Do you have an exit strategy for the unlikely event that a psychotic person shows up at your office? I don’t mean to frighten you with my stories. Just like insurance, it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. And I know we all have insurance.

Be Well,
Jacqui

by Jacqui Gerritsen, LMFT

Jacqui has been licensed since 2007. She joined the SCV-CAMFT board in 2015, initially as the Communication and Technology Director. She has a private practice in Palo Alto and San Mateo and is certified in TEAM-CBT level 2. She works with teens and adults and uses both a family systems model as well as a supportive, humanistic approach.

As I write this message to you I’ve just left the annual CAMFT Chapter Leadership Conference. Each year CAMFT hosts this conference for all chapter boards. It is a great opportunity to meet with our counterparts in other chapters throughout the state, and exchange information and ideas. There were so many take-aways, but most important this year is CAMFT’s participation in a review of statutes and regulations relating to the practices of marriage and family therapy. CAMFT is reviewing the language in the current MFT Scope of Practice as defined in California Business and Professions Code Section 4980.02.

Participants broke into groups where there were lively discussions throughout the room. We were asked to focus on the following questions:
• What are the breadth of job titles?
• What practices or activities need to be reflected in the definition?
• What aspects of the current scope must be retained and what should be removed?
• What needs to be incorporated?

We were guided to the various definitions for MFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs from other states. CAMFT asked that we provide our input as they begin their review. Below is the current MFT Scope of Practice for your review. I’m sure you will agree that the language is very general and vague and does not really define our work as Marriage and Family Therapists.

§4980.02. MFT Scope of Practice Defined
"For the purposes of this chapter, the practice of marriage and family therapy shall mean that service performed with individuals, couples, or groups wherein interpersonal relationships are examined for the purpose of achieving more adequate, satisfying, and productive marriage and family adjustments. This practice includes relationship and pre-marriage counseling.

The application of marriage and family therapy principles and methods includes, but is not limited to, the use of applied psychotherapeutic techniques, to enable individuals to mature and grow within marriage and the family, the provision of explanations and interpretations of the psychosexual and psychosocial aspects of relationships, and the use, application, and integration of the coursework and training required by Sections 4980.36, 4980.37, and 4980.41, as applicable."

"The MFT Scope of Practice in the 21st Century...Language for the
Future” is available for your review and comparison through this link: https://scv-camft.org:443/resources/ Documents/articles/MFT_Scope_of_ Practice.pdf. As compared with the definition for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, it is clear the that the MFT Scope of Practice must be redefined. If you have any new ideas please email me and I can share them with CAMFT. Legislative changes take time, and CAMFT is just beginning this process. We will continue to monitor their progress.

Be Well,
Jacqui

by Jacqui Gerritsen, LMFT

Jacqui has been licensed since 2007. She joined the SCV-CAMFT board in 2015, initially as the Communication and Technology Director. She has a private practice in Palo Alto and San Mateo and is certified in TEAM-CBT level 2. She works with teens and adults and uses both a family systems model as well as a supportive, humanistic approach.

Greetings from my new home office in the corner of my garage.  Here we are, almost three months into a radically transformed world.  This is a world comprised of staying at home as much as possible, wearing masks in public, and limiting our contact with anyone outside our immediate household.  While we may appreciate some parts of this change (less driving, less pollution, more time to enjoy family), others within our communities and throughout the world are struggling.  And now, on top of the pandemic, the nation is convulsing in response to civil unrest.  Uncertainty and fear about the future has created increased anxiety in all of us and those we care for.

To get a better sense of what our members are struggling with, the board recently sent a survey to members about the impacts of COVID-19.  We wanted to know what you are experiencing, what challenges you are facing, and get your ideas on how the chapter can come together to support each other.  We were happy to receive 117 responses from members.  Your responses are helping us to think of ways we can be stronger together.  Thank you so much to all who participated.
In summary, we learned that many of you have successfully transitioned to using telehealth and the various platforms you are using, while others are struggling with the technology.  Another big issue for therapists is loss of clients and wanting to find sources of new clients.  Based on these survey results, the board is working to create support for members in these areas.  Nancy Orr, our chapter coordinator, will discuss what is happening in more detail in this newsletter.  She has been incredibly involved in putting out the survey, in taking advantage of our website capabilities, and in figuring out how to offer more programs online.  Thank you, Nancy, for your hard work!

We have a lot to cover in this issue of the newsletter.  Several of our articles are longer than is typical.  Where that is true, we have included the first page of the article and added a link to allow access to the full article.  We wanted to bring you news of how members are coping with these extraordinary times.  In this issue you will read an article on how associates are dealing with shelter-in-place while finishing up their licensing process and an article by our colleague Kent Campbell, LMFT on converting his group practice to teletherapy.  You will also find Dr. Elaine Brady’s summary of her February talk on pornography addiction and an article about internet addiction in the time of COVID-19 by Alex Basche, LMFT.  We have revived the Community Focus column, giving you a snapshot of a member of our therapist community.  And we have created a new feature, “Noteworthy,” with links to articles or videos that we think you will find of interest.  Finally, for fun, we feature a few pictures of your colleagues doing teletherapy or remote work! Most recently, Dr. Marty Klein presented our first virtual webinar on Couples Therapy 2020: When Old Problems Require New Solutions on May 29 and 30 for 6 CEU hours.  He addressed the challenges of doing couples therapy via telehealth, which he said he added just for our seminar.  The webinar went off without a hitch, and we are hoping to offer more online support groups, trainings and gatherings as the year moves on.  We are working hard to meet your needs given the new realities.  Please check the SCV-CAMFT website for updates.

Our Pre-Licensed and Newly Licensed Support Groups have been meeting successfully online now for the past 3 months.  Thank you to our group leaders Junko Yamauchi, Jim Arjani, Barbara Pannoni, and Della Fernandes for doing a terrific job with transitioning over to online support groups.  We hope you will take advantage of these groups—it is easier than ever to participate right now.
Please continue to reach out to us with your concerns and ideas.  We hope to connect with each of you in the coming days.

Continue to stay safe and healthy,
Jacqui