Christina “Tina” Cacho Sakai, LMFT
President, LA-CAMFT

Finding Your Niche within LA-CAMFT

In 2017, I found my niche within LA-CAMFT’s Diversity Committee. At that time, I was among a group of like-minded therapists of color that felt there was a need to increase ethnic and racial diversity within LA-CAMFT ’s membership and leadership. Initiatives we created were the Therapist of Color (TOC) Support Group; Presentations that highlighted issues that impact underrepresented communities; Outreach to community mental health agencies, graduate schools & community organizations; and Expansion of resources and events to the broader Los Angeles Area. 

On a monthly basis, we met as a committee and attended the monthly Therapist of Color (TOC) Support Group, which alternated between the office of Diversity Committee Chair, Janaki Neptune in Inglewood and my office at the time in Atwater Village. It was through these two monthly meetings where we began to build solid professional and personal relationships that highly impacted my social justice commitment to LA-CAMFT. 

In July 2020, I was honored to become the LA-CAMFT Diversity Committee Chair and be involved in the “Anti-Racism as a Movement, Not a Moment” Roundtable where we came together as a therapeutic community to discuss and address racism and discrimination. We collaborated on what LA-CAMFT can do to be an actively and overtly anti-racist community. We specifically identified needed supports that we as therapists of color and as a therapeutic community wanted to see provided. Two of the many needed supports identified were a Black Therapists Support Group and Therapists of Color (TOC) Mentorship Program. 

In 2021, the LA-CAMFT Diversity Committee implemented the Black Therapists Support Group, White Therapists Anti-Racist Group, planning of the Therapists of Color (TOC) Mentorship Program, hosted the second “Anti-Racism as a Movement, Not a Moment” Roundtable and launched the Therapists of Color (TOC) Grant Award. All of these social justice initiatives aligned with a highly esteemed colleague and dear friend of mine Akiah “Kiah” Selwa, LMFT to get involved and inevitably become the current Diversity Committee Chair who alongside Diversity Committee Co-Chair, Rachell Alger is expanding the vision of the Diversity Committee and LA-CAMFT exponentially. 

The Diversity Committee has expanded its support groups to include the Asian American Pacific Islander+ Therapists Circle and Middle Eastern and North African Therapist Community Group. To find out more about the Diversity Committee and all its programming, please visit the Diversity Committee webpage or reach out to DiversityCommittee@lacamft.org. 

In 2022, I was honored to become President-Elect and lead the Therapists of Color (TOC) Mentorship Program’s launch of its two 6-month rounds of mentorship. First round of TOC mentorship was from April - Sept 2022 and 46 mentees were matched with 24 mentors. Second round of TOC mentorship was from July - Dec 2022 and 24 mentees were matched with 13 mentors. A BIG shout out to the TOC Mentorship Program Committee Members that made these two rounds possible: Keonna Robinson, Leanne Nettles, Perla Hollow, Akiah Selwa, Rachell Alger, Stara Shakti, Maisha Gainer and to all the mentors that volunteered their time. Thank You! We learned a lot and are currently in the process of fine tuning the third round of TOC mentorship to begin early 2023. For more information, Therapist of Color Mentorship Program or reach out to TOC Mentorship Program Chair, Keonna Robinson, LMFT at tocmentorshipprogram@lacamft.org. 

Back in 2017, I would have never imagined that all these initiatives and more would have been possible. However, with the support and guidance from LA-CAMFT leaders, members and participants, I now believe that anything is possible. 

As 2023 LA-CAMFT President, I encourage you all to find your niche within LA-CAMFT and step by step participate in one of our many programs and/or assist in the creation of something new. If you have an idea for a program/special interest group and/or would like to get involved in the abundant amount of programming within LA-CAMFT, please email me directly at president@lacamft.org. 

I look forward to getting to know you and assisting you in finding your niche within LA-CAMFT! And, for those of you who have already found your niche within LA-CAMFT, a HUGE thank you for all the time and energy you have put into this organization to make it what it is today! A BIG Welcome to the 2023 Elected LA-CAMFT Board of Directors! I highly recommend getting to know them as they are all phenomenal! 

In Solidarity, 

Christina “Tina” Cacho Sakai, LMFT

Christina "Tina" Cacho Sakai, LMFT (she/her) is a Latinx (Mexican-American) psychotherapist in private practice and a former community based therapist, clinical supervisor, associate director, and adjunct faculty at CSULA. She provides psychotherapy in a culturally responsive, LGBTQIA+ affirming and social justice-oriented atmosphere. Treatment specializations include healing from trauma, processing grief and loss, exploring creativity, and honoring full intersectional identities. She is currently in the BIPOC Somatic Experiencing Training Certificate Program.