President's Message

Jenni Wilson, LMFT, President

We Continue

As folx who work in the mental health space, we know how easy it can be to experience various physical and emotional echoes of dangers and days long past, alerting us to pay attention.  As we head into January 2026, we may not initially be thinking of the devastating emergency and chaos that overwhelmed our beloved communities starting in January 2025, yet somewhere beneath the surface - in our bodies and our minds – many of us cannot help but brace ourselves for another unexpected unwanted impact, steadying and readying ourselves to make a quick decision, a quick shift, or a quick get-away.  Things can change in an instant, and when we can meet the unexpected with willingness and openness we can survive.

A year ago, I did not imagine I would be writing to you all as your titular 2026 President.  But as I just said, things can change in an instant, and don’t always unfold as we originally expect.

I had expected some distressing socio-political changes that would disrupt my view of the world, but I did not anticipate starting off with downloading the Watch Duty app and frantically packing up my most precious belongings just a week into 2025.  The rebuilding in the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, that collective trauma our communities experienced last January, has been ongoing, but it’s been going - because that’s what we do.  We keep going.  We face the rubble of our past, preserving and rebuilding where possible and necessary for us as a community.  We continue.  Or we don’t. 

I’m here writing to you because our community needed someone to assume this role so our chapter could continue, and because so many of you seem to trust me to help our chapter continue to rebuild.  I’m honored and humbled by your faith in me.  I’m here to help, and gratefully I’m not alone.  I’m able to be the President again because I’m bolstered by the commitment of current CFO Di Wilson (who reluctantly agreed to stay on while we find a suitable successor) and Past-Presidents Jennifer Stonefield, Leanne Nettles, Tina Cacho Sakai, Randi Gottlieb, and Jonathan Flier who all agreed to share in the guidance of our incoming President-Elect Jessica Idoine and the rest of the new board members (I can’t wait for you to meet them all!).  The only constant is change.  And things can change quickly.  We continue.  Or we don’t. 

We are grateful for the service of our 2025 LA-CAMFT President Akiah “Kiah” Robinson-Selwa and understand that sometimes people need to step away from volunteer leadership to heal, grow, and tend their personal gardens.  It is another example of leadership to know when we need to scale back, when it’s time for others to step up, and when we need to call on others to step in.  A remarkable colleague whose leadership has made an indelible impression on our community, Akiah served LA-CAMFT for many years as a member of the Diversity Committee, the Therapist of Color Mentorship Program (TOCMP), as Diversity Chair on the Board of Directors, all before becoming our 2024 President-Elect and then 2025 President.  We were sorry that in late November she informed us she would not be able to complete the final five weeks of her term or return as Past President in 2026 – and she will be missed.  For almost all of 2025, she served as President without a President-Elect to carry the load and prepare for the future.  This is something unusual and difficult in normal times, and I imagine it was especially challenging at a point in time when our geographical communities were literally on fire, democratic ideals are being dissolved on a daily basis, and marginalized communities continue to be inhumanely targeted and oppressed.  Akiah is a beloved member of our community, and we look forward to welcoming her back when she is ready. 

We are also undeniably indebted to Past-President Jennifer “Jenn” Stonefield for her exceptional leadership.  Over the course of the last year, she has repeatedly stepped in wherever needed, learning the responsibilities and details of new roles on the spot, planning more than half of the chapter’s flagpole events in 2025, responding to whatever was asked of her, and actively being a part of any solution-seeking that was needed during this topsy-turvy trip around the sun.  Her impressive can-do attitude was noted by all who were lucky enough to witness it.  Although she was due to step down as Past-President in 2026, she had already agreed to stay on as part of the Presidential Team working with Jessica next year and has since agreed to stay on as Past-President with Akiah’s departure.  Personally, I am moved by her continued example of perseverance and adaptation in leadership, rising to meet the moment in 2026, following a period of heavy personal losses during her own President-Elect and Presidential years.

Even though I was not part of the 2025 Board of Directors, it came as no surprise when I learned that Akiah and Jenn had tied for the annual Chapter Leadership Award – an honor voted upon by the sitting Board, which is awarded at the annual CAMFT Leadership Conference at the start of the year.  During my first presidency in 2021, we were still in lockdown, and the CAMFT Leadership Conference was all held online.  This year the annual CLC is on the last weekend of January in San Diego, and I’m excited to attend as LA-CAMFT President, in-person this time.  I especially can’t wait to cheer on Kiah and Jenn as they are deservedly feted by their peers. 

In fact, I’m looking forward to serving you all IN-PERSON in 2026.  We are hoping to host more small and large in-person gatherings this year, so if you want to join the Meet-Up Committee, propose an in-person training/panel/workshop/group, sponsor or host an event, please don’t hesitate to write to me at President@LACAMFT.org. The lines are open, and we continue.

Paz y Amor.

Jenni June Villegas Wilson

Jenni J.V. Wilson, LMFT (she/her): As a collaborative conversationalist passionate about empowering and advocating for marginalized groups and underrepresented voices, Jenni uses an integrative approach based on post-modern principles to provide culturally-mindful and trauma-informed therapeutic services and clinical supervision. She works with creative, anxious, mixed race/culture, and co-dependent clients on improving and eliminating toxic relationships, while increasing authentic expression. She has a BA in theatre from Occidental College, an MA in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University LA, and is trained in EMDR, Brainspotting, and certified in Narrative Therapy. She is an accomplished writer, has produced/co-hosted multiple podcasts, worked in addiction treatment for nearly a decade, and sees the “worried well” in her private practice in Sherman Oaks. Website: www.JenniJVWilson.com