LACPA MEMBERS GET GREAT BENEFITS!
Ψ   FREE Participation in LACPA’s Listserv
Ψ      FREE CEs at LACPA’s Lunch & Learn Series & other Committee Events
Ψ      FREE subscription to The Los Angeles Psychologist, LACPA’s quarterly award-winning magazine,
mailed to you or available online
Ψ      Opportunity to participate in LACPA’s various Committees: Continuing Education, Diversity, Ethics, Finance, Local Advocacy Network,
Nominations/Elections/Awards, Publications, Student Leadership,
Arts/Creativity/Culture, Colleague Awareness Resources & Education, Community Outreach, Disaster Response, Networking
Ψ      Special fees for LACPA members at the 2023 35th Annual Convention,  In Person 10/21/23!                               
Ψ      Reduced fees for LACPA members for Live Continuing Education Courses & On-Demand Library
Ψ      One FREE 30-word Group Therapy Ad in each Los Angeles Psychologist & on LACPA’s Website 
Ψ    Opportunity to feature a business card in The Los Angeles Psychologist
Ψ      FREE listing in the LACPA Website Community Member Search
Ψ      Access to list professional credentials in the "Find a Therapist" web search at lacpa.org
Ψ      Advocacy on behalf of local psychologists
Ψ      Networking with professionals in activities such as the Fall Party; Book, Film, or Hiking Clubs, Member & Networking Events
Ψ      Enhancement of professional development through Special Interest Groups such as Assessment, Child/Adolescent,
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Conscious Aging, Ecopsychology, Depth Psychology, Neurocognitive, Sexuality/Sex Therapy
or Sports & Performance Psychology
Ψ      FREE Job Board & Resume Postings on LACPA’s website
Ψ      FREE ethics consultations
Ψ    Opportunities for professional leadership within the psychology community
Ψ  On-Demand Library with CE Series, Convention, and Lunch & Learn Presentations
Ψ Join LACPA Connect Facebook Group, Instagram, LinkedIn & Twitter to post and interact with fellow members
Questions on how to access your benefits?
Call 818-905-0410 or email [email protected]

Summer 2023 President’s Column
Miriam Hamideh, Ph.D.
Over the course of the pandemic, LACPA swiftly adapted to the changing conditions, facilitating internal and external engagement despite limitations. While LACPA continues to accommodate online and hybrid events, we are slowly but surely organizing more in-person educational, networking, and community events to reestablish personal connections. By hosting events and actively collaborating with other organizations, LACPA provides a community for all psychologists.

In May, LACPA hosted its Spring Membership event, organized by the Diversity and Networking committee, which was a combination of healing practices and networking with colleagues. We are also planning to have the LACPA Fall Membership event in person. 

All of our goals and efforts will hopefully coalesce during LACPA’s 35th annual convention in October. With the theme, “Creativity, Resilience, Balance,” we will reflect on the strength we exhibited in the face of many changes and challenges, extracting lessons and establishing objectives for the future. We are excited to feature keynote speaker, Dr. Dan J. Siegel, who will be presenting on the subject of “Wholeness of the Self in Psychotherapy.”

I hope to see you at my Presidential Talk on June 27th at 6:00 pm. This will be an opportunity for LACPA members to meet and share our personal and collective goals for LACPA. My presentation,“Uncertainty in Clinical Practice,” will focus on the anxieties we feel as clinicians to adequately explain and treat complex conditions, particularly  dual-diagnosis patients. There are ways to achieve comfort even in states of discomfort, through what Doris Brothers terms a “psychology of uncertainty.” What has underscored all my years of clinical practice are curiosity, humility, and ongoing collaboration with colleagues. This allows me to offer a more dynamic and proactive approach to psychotherapy that is responsive to the needs of each of my patients. 

Sadly, as I write this article, yet another mass shooting has taken place at an elementary school in Nashville. We are living in a time and place where gun violence and mass shootings are feared and felt by all. As psychologists, it is our obligation to find ways to help heal these traumas. Last March, LACPA partnered with the Los Angeles Public Library to host an educational and support event on “Coping with Mass Violence.” The event, presented by Richard Espinoza, Psy.D., addressed the effects violence has on our collective well-being, and provided community members with coping strategies when faced with stress and trauma. On March 25th, LACPA’s Disaster Response Committee co-hosted a gathering with Pelican Cove Counseling Center to support the community of Monterey Park and other communities after the devastating shooting in January. The presenters offered insights into the effects of mass trauma, and provided techniques for understanding and healing in a way that resonated with the community members. 

My presidential theme, Creative Resilience: Harnessing Uncertainty to Achieve Balance, address the significant challenges we face, and reflects on  our collective power to heal. Thank you to our standing and special committees, and our SIG leaders who all work to strengthen LACPA as an organization, fortifying our connection amongst ourselves, and with the community.  
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