Letter from the President—Spring Ahead!

Spring Ahead!

Dorothy Timmermann, LMFT, CTAMFT Board President

Mystic Marriott

Spring is a time when the energy around us seems to be renewed and our work often benefits from that collective energy. Your CTAMFT Board and Staff find ourselves moving at a fast pace with multiple priorities and exciting happenings. You have already heard much about this year’s Spring Conference and we are excited to report that we already have over 100 of our members registered to join us! We will kick-off the conference on Thursday evening with “Innovations that Work,” a special regional networking event with our AAMFT colleagues Tracy Todd, Director of Professional and Public Affairs, and Past President Linda Schwallie. Later that evening we are offering a free movie screening of the new documentary film, “After Happily Ever After”, a funny and thought-provoking look at what drives most Americans to marry in a lifetime and how some of them make marriage work. John Gottman, Betsey Stevenson and Stephanie Coontz all weigh in on the subject, along with an engaging group of long married couples. Spend the night at the beautiful Mystic Marriott and wake up refreshed for the Spring Conference on Friday, April 20th, 2012.

Also during this time of year, AAMFT hosts the Spring Leadership Conference and once again Connecticut will send delegates to participate on our behalf. Meetings have been set with key legislators on Capitol Hill with an emphasis placed on parity and gaining Medicare coverage for services provided by MFTs. A critical meeting will also take place with AAMFT to discuss the possibility of elimination of the USDE requirement for COAMFT accreditation and how that will need to be worked on a local level. Other local legislative issues are also at the forefront of our work and we will continue to update you all on issues and progress along the way.

Each spring, the CTAMFT Elections Committee is also busy seeking candidates to serve us in numerous Board of Director positions. Shortly you will be receiving E-Voting information so that you can help elect those positions in your member category. We are enthused about this year’s quality candidates and excited about welcoming new members to the Board.

So let’s all spring ahead together! Thank you for your continued support and involvement with CTAMFT.

Enhance Your Value as a Knowledge Worker
Macdara MacColl, CTAMFT Editor

You may have heard the phrase many times: Knowledge Economy. People from President Obama to elementary school teachers have adopted the mantra that we must prepare ourselves to compete in a Knowledge Economy. What you may not have realized is that you, as a marriage and family therapist, are already a knowledge worker in that vibrant economy. Think about it: as MFTs, the coin of our realm is knowledge—our training and experiential knowledge that allows us to work with the myriad constrains and challenges facing our clients.

As clinicians, you also know that your knowledge is not fixed. You didn’t stop learning once you gained your degree or license. On the contrary, those achievements marked a beginning of your growth and development. You’ve been innovating every day of your professional life—trying new interventions, shifting your therapeutic stance, collaborating with different systems.

In a Knowledge Economy, innovation is crucial. But so is collaboration. In fact, the economist who first proposed the idea of a Knowledge Society, Peter Drucker, articulated a radical idea when he first wrote about the topic in the 1950s. In a traditional capitalist economy, competition is key. Businesses jealously guard their secrets. But in a Knowledge Economy, Drucker argued, collaboration is as important as competition. We must share our knowledge and insights because shared innovations beget more innovations. When we share what we know, we all benefit.

“[I]n a knowledge economy we have a world that revolves around the trading of ideas, knowledge and innovative insights,” said Ron Young, Chief Knowledge Officer of Knowledge Associates International Ltd.

CTAMFT Networking

On Thursday April 19, CTAMFT clinicians have an opportunity to enhance their value as Knowledge Workers and increase the value of our profession as a whole by participating in “Innovations that Work,” an evening of collaboration and sharing of our knowledge.

Join us at the Mystic Marriott and share what’s worked in your practice; what interventions have you created; what collaborations with schools or mental health providers or businesses have enhanced your systemic reach; what marketing techniques have brought clients through your door. As Knowledge Workers, we all benefit from shared innovation, so join us for a rich and rewarding evening of information and inspiration.

 

Promote Your Practice at the Annual Conference

image courtesy Playlist.com

We are very excited to present this year’s CTAMFT Annual Conference, April 20th at the Mystic Marriott with keynote Michele Weiner-Davis, internationally renowned relationship expert. We also have wonderful afternoon speakers including: Dr. Tammy Nelson, sex & relationship expert, and Dr. Rosalyn Dischiavo, founder of the Institute for Sexuality Education, Enrichment & Enlightenment. There will be a Self-Care presentation midday with Dr. Krista Wells, plus the Poster Session and a NEW Career Fair. There is an opportunity to earn 7 CEUs for the day. We anticipate a great crowd this year.

We are seeking those who may be interested in promoting their practice, agency and/or services directly to the attendees. We have a special offer for those specifically providing services to couples to sponsor a table at our luncheon with your business name or logo and a brief synopsis of your offerings that will be marketed through signage on the tables. This table sponsorship will also include a business-sized ad in our Conference Program. We have a limited number available so this is offered on a first-come basis and the cost is $95.

Please email Wendy Haggerty for further details. Also attached you will find other opportunities to promote your business at the Annual Conference.

For more info & online registration, please visit CTAMFT.org

Thank you,
the 2012 Annual Conference Committee

Letter from the President

Exciting Annual Conference News

Dorothy Timmermann, LMFT, CTAMFT Board President

2012 CTAMFT Annual Conference

Registration is now open for the CTAMFT Annual Conference planned for April 19-20, 2012 at the Mystic Marriott. We have expanded the conference and are excited to share with you the details including the addition of a NEW Career Fair, and a Regional Networking Event for Clinical Members called “Innovations that Work” to be held on Thursday evening. Our venue this year is a beautiful destination and we hope that attendees will consider spending a night or two to enjoy time together, special spa offerings, well deserved personal time or even some family time following the conference. Discounted rooms are available for both Thursday and Friday evenings, details can be found with registration information on our website.

Friday’s Conference features our Second Annual Poster Session, the NEW Career Fair, and a wonderful line-up of Speakers Presentations offering up to 7 Continuing Education Credits to Full-Day Attendees. We are also offering a Half-Day Ticket to those who wish to attend only an Afternoon Workshop, Poster Session and Career Fair.

Speaker presentations for the day include: “It Takes One To Tango: Doing Couples Therapy with Individuals” by Michele Wiener-Davis who is our keynote presenter. Dr. Krista Wells will provide a “Therapist Self-Care” presentation following our Luncheon. Afternoon Workshop offerings include: Dr. Tammy Nelson presenting: “Sex & Intimacy; Treating Couples with Desire Discrepancy and Sexual Dysfunction,” Dr. Rosalyn Dischiavo presenting: “From Work to Play: Reinforcing the Partner Bond by Re-Framing Pleasure,” and Michele Weiner-Davis presenting: “Affairs: A Step by Step Approach for Healing from Infidelity.” Poster presentations will cover a wide array of exciting and innovative topics to be determined.

We hope that you will join us this year for what is sure to be a pleasurable and engaging time!