Outgoing President's Message

Lauren Ogren, LMFT

2024 Marin CAMFT President

Dear Marin CAMFT Members,

Happy New Year! I like to take the beginning of the year to reflect upon the prior year, and set goals for the year ahead. In this increasingly divisive time that we live in I've noticed that it can feel like I'm screaming into the void and not able to enact the positive changes that I would like to in this world. If I focus on this, it can feel overwhelming and daunting. When I reflect back and look at the times that I felt positive, effective, and happy, I noticed that all of those are when I'm connecting with the community around me. And that is my continued goal for 2025, as I have concluded my time as President in 2024, and, following our recent election where I stepped up to serve again, I now return to the role of President-Elect where I will be supporting Liz Clark as the new Marin CAMFT president in 2025, and get ready for my subsequent term as President in 2026.

Some of the highlights of 2024 in my role as president have been the in-person events where I got to speak with members and my board colleagues, as well as the changes that we are moving forward with at the Marin chapter, which includes our new offering of asynchronous CE courses that will be available through our website within the month. I want to thank Peter Sadler, our 2023 President, Adam Cohen, our 2021- 2022 President, Jennifer Agostinelli, our departing Membership Director, and Cassandra Beck, our departing Pre-Licensed Director, for their incredible help, support, and service to our chapter during my president year.

Looking ahead, I am excited to continue on with our current board of volunteers who have also worked so hard alongside me, including Liz Clark, our new President; Nicole Lako, our Treasurer; Bonnie Kaufman, our Secretary; Rachel Barr, our Marketing Director; Norman Hering, our Programs Director; Katharine Spencer, our Community Director; and Ryan Plumb, formerly our Pre-Licensed Director and now taking on the Membership Director role. I also appreciate the ongoing contributions over so many years from our listserv moderator Susan Pease Gadoua; Therapy Groups List editor Renee Owen; Scholarship Chair Elaine McMahon; and Trauma Resource Team Co-Chairs Beth Leib and Kathleen Ries. My priorities are to work with this amazing group to continue to build community, and I encourage each of you as members to come and join us.

My goal as President-Elect this year is recruiting members like you to join the board or join a committee, and to encourage micro volunteering in order to help this chapter continue. Many hands make light work, and the more members we have on the board, the more we are able to accomplish. Also, this volunteer run board is a delightful way to spend some time and energy!  Being on the board has impacted my life in positive ways through the connections that I've made with other board members, and also positively impacted my private practice through referrals and personal connections for consultation. I am a better version of myself at this point thanks in part to these connections made. 

We do not know what this year will bring, however, I do know that when I engage in my immediate community, I am able to enact change that I can see and feel. I encourage any of you who are feeling disconnected, discouraged, or are just curious to reach out to any of us board members and ask how you can engage more with Marin CAMFT. 

With sincere thanks,

Lauren Ogren

2024 President & 2025 President-Elect, Marin CAMFT

Incoming President's Message

Elizabeth Clark, LMFT

2025 Marin CAMFT President

Hello Marin CAMFT!

I would like to begin by thanking the people who had confidence in me to recommend that I run and am now consequently serving as your President for 2025. I am honored to accept the position despite my very limited experience running an organization. I plan to do my very best to represent those who may or may not have more experience than myself. I would also like to thank my predecessors who led us through the pandemic, who have demonstrated mastery at getting members involved, and who have placed Marin CAMFT on stable financial ground. Each of these past presidents have informed not only my hopes for the future, but the hopes of other board members and all of you.

Finally, I would like to thank you, the Marin CAMFT members, for electing myself and the incredibly dedicated 2025 Marin CAMFT board. Thank you for electing to increase member dues. We did not make that decision lightly and we were gutted to learn that for legal reasons, we had to begin charging our pre-licensed members. We, the Marin CAMFT board, worked tirelessly to develop programs, scholarship opportunities, and to plan more networking events in 2025 to increase the value of your membership. Stay tuned and read on!

In addition to offering all the live and virtual continuing ed programs you need for each license renewal cycle, Marin CAMFT will offer asynchronous CEs beginning this month. That means you can get those CEs at your leisure by watching a pre-recorded training when you want. Read on for more information on this new on-demand option or check out the website for the latest updates.

For our pre-licensed community, we have partnered with the Therapist Development Center to offer $2,000 in scholarships, which you can learn more about in the Pre-Licensed Update below. This in addition to the three scholarships that our Scholarship Committee diligently awards pre-licensed members every year. I want to thank our pre-licensed members who are key to the continuing success of Marin CAMFT. You offer fresh ideas, new energy, and current clinical experience. You are also our most poorly compensated boots on the ground. I’m thrilled to support you however possible.

Now for my big ask to you, the Marin CAMFT member that has read this far: Come forward to participate in volunteer opportunities! Consider joining the board, or one of our excellent committees. Lend us the benefit of your expertise. If you wish to present about a topic related to clinical mental health or know someone who does—reach out to any one of our board members or ideally, our board member of the year and Director of Programs, Dr. Norman Hering. (Congratulations, Norman! We would be lost without you.)

This is a volunteer organization. Its strength comes from you. We all have to attain and maintain work-life balance, but the bigger picture is this: This organization is a representation of this profession. Your input, hard work, energy, financial contributions, and time are critical to maintaining Marin CAMFT and this profession’s relevance. The people of Marin County need to know who we are and what we can do for them.

My goals for 2025 are to see the development of our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Acceptance Committee. I am so grateful to the members who approached me at our Fall Celebration with an interest to participate and lead this project that I am very passionate about. I would like to ensure the continued success of our Trauma Resource Team. They are the backbone we absolutely need in order to stand tall. I would also like to increase our presence in the community whether that be at local health fairs, cultural celebrations, and college campuses. Let’s spread the word—far and wide—that marriage and family therapists in Marin are humans who care about their community and will do what it takes to lift up other humans. Everyone deserves to see and be seen. 

Elizabeth Clark

2025 President, Marin CAMFT