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• Support group for Social Work students and ASW’s (November 2025)

  • When
    Thursday, November 20, 2025
  •  
    5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
  • Location
    ONLINE ZOOM Meeting

  Register

  Please join us at our next support group for Social work students and ASWs.

  Feeling lost, stressed, excited? Don't have time for the self care everyone keeps talking about? You are not alone! 

  Bring your questions and concerns, share your journey and connect with others, through this open group for any social work student or ASW in need of support.  The group will meet with members once a month to discuss topics related to being a social work student or graduate in pursuit of a clinical license.

  The forum will provide a semi-structured discussion in a safe and encouraging space. Topics are expected to be broad in range but may include: internships, managing hours and licensing exams, supervisors and supervision.  The goal of this group is to meet with other aspiring clinical social workers and share successes, challenges, stressors and ethical issues.

  Group will meet on Zoom the third Thursday of each month from 5:00 to 6:00.  Cost is free to members and non-members.

  If you have any questions about the support group, please contact Emily Plain, MSW |   cscswgla@gmail.com

  If you are not a member join today - click here to learn more. 

  This Consultation/Support Group does not award CEUs. Hosted and moderated by Emily Plain Emily-Tamara Plain, LCSW, earned her MSW from the University of Southern California and has specialized training and certifications in Clinical Supervision, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD, Trauma Informed Yoga, Yoga and Mindfulness for PTSD, Yoga for Veterans, and Yoga for Military Sexual Trauma. She has worked in the public and private sector specializing in substance use, schizophrenia / schizoaffective, bi-polar, depression, anxiety, PTSD and collective trauma.  For any questions, she can be reached at: cscswgla@gmail.com

  
  

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• LA In Person Event: Clients Coping through the Holidays

  • When
    Saturday, November 22, 2025
  •  
    10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    Pico Robertson area

  Register

  Presenter: Nikola Alenkin  
  CEUs: 1.0

  Join us for an in person event in LA, that will include time for networking and will include a 1 hour CE presentation.

  Clients Coping through the Holidays

  "While nearly half of U.S. adults (49%) would describe their stress levels during the traditional U.S. holiday season between November and January as “moderate,” around two in five (41%) said their stress increases during this time compared with other points in the year." (APA, 2023)
  
  As practitioners we often see an increased demand for our services, in this session, we will explore how this increased stress is expressed within our clients, as well we will explore self-care options for us in working with complex populations. This session includes review of real cases with an emphasis on practical means to manage these increased stressors for our clients and ourselves. 

  Learning Objectives:

  1. Review the current levels of stress for our clients and ourselves, especially in the holiday season
  2. Describe what "holiday" stress is and its main components
  3. Understand practical skill sets for our clients to manage their stress and for our own self-care

  Come enjoy a morning of connection, conversation, and professional growth. 
  Light snacks and drinks will be provided.

  Registration now open.

  This is a District Meeting coordinated by the Greater LA District
  

  This DISTRICT MEETING meets the qualifications for 1 hour of continuing education credit for MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.  Note: With supervisor approval, registered ASWs may use CEs toward LCSW hours. Cancellation Policy 14 days or more before event date: Full refund 13-7 days before event date: 75% refund 6 days or less before event date: No refund Note:  Registration will be canceled if payment is not made at least 7 days prior to the event.

  
  

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• Is Your Website Working? How to Reach and Connect with Clients Online

  • When
    Thursday, December 04, 2025
  •  
    7:30 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    Online WEBINAR
  • Registered
    46 registrants

  Register

  Presenter: Maggie Goulder ONLINE ZOOM MEETING -  WILL NOT BE RECORDED Costs: CSCSW Member: FREE | Students: $10 | Nonmember: $25 This Informational Event does not offer CEU's

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  Description:

  I often see therapists create beautiful websites using popular website builders— but despite looking nice, these sites don’t always attract the new clients therapists hope for. That’s usually because important behind-the-scenes elements like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Web Accessibility best practices were overlooked. This workshop exists to fill that gap.

  In this workshop, I’ll share ethical strategies that help the right-fit clients find you while staying true to your values. When your site is both findable and welcoming, you create a bigger impact and better serve the people you’re meant to reach.

  This workshop supports both licensed and pre-licensed therapists who either have a website already or are considering building one. For therapists newer to private practice, it offers practical tools to build a strong online presence from the start. For more seasoned clinicians, it helps clarify why your current website may not be reaching clients— and how to fix that.

  There are endless SEO and accessibility “best practices” out there, and it can feel overwhelming.  I’ll help you focus on the most important actions for therapists that you can start implementing right away to boost your website’s SEO and accessibility, so you can make meaningful progress without the overwhelm.

  ABOUT THE PRESENTER Maggie Goulder is a web designer specializing in websites for therapists and mental health professionals. Having spent 7 years as a User Experience (UX) designer in the tech world before earning her MSW, her unique blend of clinical experience and web design expertise allows her to support therapists in bringing their practices online in a way that is smart, ethical, and authentically attracts the right clients.

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• Psychodynamic Peer Clinical Consultation Group (December 2025)

  • When
    Saturday, December 13, 2025
  •  
    9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
  • Location
    ONLINE ZOOM Meeting

  Register

  Join us for a monthly peer consultation group designed for clinical social workers interested in understanding and working through a psychodynamic lens in a supportive, collegial environment. Transference, countertransference and other relational dynamics will be explored to further our understanding and clinical work with our clients. This is a CSCSW members only group open to those at all levels of practice, including students, ASW’s and LCSW’s.

  This group will meet the second Saturday of each month from 9:00 - 10:30 AM PST.

  NOTE: This Consultation Group does not meet supervision requirements for licensure hours, and neither the leader nor the CSCSW is responsible for the participants’ clinical work. 

  If you are not a member join today - click here to learn more. 

  MEMBER'S ONLY EVENT - FREE FOR ALL MEMBERS This Consultation/Support Group does not award CEUs.

  
  

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• The Therapist's Dilemma in Today's Political Divide

  • When
    Wednesday, February 18, 2026
  •  
    6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

  Register

  How Therapists Can Be Effective When Faced With Clients Whose Political Views Challenge Their Core Values

  Presenter: Nancy Ross, LCSW

  ONLINE ZOOM - WILL NOT BE RECORDED
  COST:  CSCSW Member: $45 | Students: $15 | Nonmember: $75
  3 CEUs

  About the Presentation:

  In today's polarized climate, therapists are increasingly encountering clients whose political beliefs may starkly differ from their own - sometimes challenging the very values at the heart of our profession. While Social Workers are well-trained to support marginalized and vulnerable populations, few have been prepared for the emotional, ethical and relational complexities that arise when political identity enters the therapy room. This experiential workshop offers a supportive space to examine those moments when political differences evoke strong countertransference, internal conflict, or hesitation to engage authentically. This workshop introduces and teaches the use of the Awareness Wheel a tool for building self-awareness and new strategies for participants to deepen self-awareness. In addition, participants will be able to identify personal triggers and implicit biases, and build conflict-resilient skills to remain grounded and effective - even when values feel threatened. Through guided practice, reflection, and real-world scenarios, attendees will leave with concrete strategies to foster connection, reduce reactivity, and work confidently and ethically with politically polarized clients and their families.

  Learning Objectives: 

  • Identify and describe countertransference reactions that may arise when therapist and client hold significantly different political beliefs.
  • Explain six perceived violations of the social contract that contribute to contemporary political and social polarization.
  • Examine and articulate personal biases and evaluate how these biases may influence therapeutic presence, attunement, and client engagement.
  • Name and apply the three essential components of a curiosity-based therapeutic question.
  • List and practice five steps for managing emotional reactivity and maintaining therapeutic grounding in politically charged interactions.
  • Describe and reflect on the ethical and clinical tensions that emerge when core social work values appear to conflict with strongly partisan client perspectives.

  About Nancy Ross, LCSW 

  Nancy Ross is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 40 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families. Her clinical expertise includes family systems, chemical dependency, work-family conflict, and couples therapy. She has led numerous weekend workshops focused on family renewal and has helped families navigate complex intra-family issues through mediation. Nancy has also developed a specialty in facilitating reconnection between estranged parents and their children and has led both anger management and couples communication groups.
  
  A pioneer in the field of Collaborative Practice, Nancy is a founding member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), a member of Collaborative Practice California, and a recipient of the California Collaborative Practice Eureka Award for excellence in practice. She serves on the Executive Board of Collaborative Practice Silicon Valley and is a co-creator of the Interdisciplinary Collaborative Divorce model—now used by over 5,000 professionals in 24 countries. She has trained legal, mental health, and financial professionals in this model across the United States and internationally.
  
  In her current role as a Communication Specialist, Nancy works with trust and estate attorneys and financial professionals to support families in navigating the emotionally charged conversations surrounding inheritance and family legacy. Her focus is on fostering mutual understanding and facilitating collaborative decision-making.
  
  As a family mediator, Nancy continues to bring compassion and skill to even the most fractured family relationships. Her most recent initiative, Forum for Understanding, is a community-based project designed to bridge cultural and ideological divides. By facilitating civil discourse on contentious issues, she aims to foster connection, reduce polarization, and promote healing across personal and societal rifts.

  This course meets the qualifications for 3 hours of continuing education credit (3 CEUs) for MFTs, LPCCs, LEPs and/or LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Note: With supervisor approval, registered ASWs may use CEs toward LCSW hours. Cancellation Policy 14 days or more before event date: Full refund 13-7 days before event date: 75% refund 6 days or less before event date: No refund Note:  Registration will be canceled if payment is not made at least 7 days prior to the event.

  
  

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