President's Message

LA-CAMFT's 2026 Summer Picnic in the Park

Jenni J.V. Wilson, LMFT, LA-CAMFT President 2021 & 2026

LA-CAMFT’s Annual Summer Picnic invites members and non-members alike for an "afternoon of connection and celebration" offering networking, lunching, and more for members and non-members alike.

This year over 80 attendees gathered at the beautiful Cheviot Hills Park, to enjoy outdoor activities like volleyball and cornhole, decorate masks and rocks at the picnic tables, devour Tasty Thai House entrees or Mendocino Farms salads, and/or utilize cooling misters and grounding stones at the "Chill Zone" if they felt themselves overstimulated amidst all the activity in the 90+ degree heat.

Any in-person LA-CAMFT Special Event like the Summer Picnic creates opportunities for professional and personal connections between mental health and related professionals – in all phases of their careers. I love introducing new Associates to long-time Supervisors or Practitioners who understand the ups and downs of the licensure journey, new LA-CAMFT Members to Seasoned Members who understand the benefits of chapter membership, and new chapter leaders to former volunteers and Board Members who understand the pride, commitment, and overall experience of participating in this remarkable organization at all levels.

Leadership is deeply grateful to the members, sponsors, and local businesses who generously donated an impressive array of raffle prizes with estimated values between $150-250 a piece. Every attendee received a raffle ticket with price of admission, earning extra tickets if wearing a sunhat and/or successfully completing an entire row in the Get-To-Know-You Bingo activity. More raffle tickets were available for purchase.

Giving the sun a run for its money on a hot summer day, Silver Level Sponsorship shone brightly at the picnic, with Daria Raines, Outreach Representative from Evolve Adolescent Behavioral Health, Nicole Bertucci, Outreach Representative from Within Behavioral Health, and Steven Unruh, owner of Unruh Mediation: Divorce Mediation and Psychological Services hosting sponsor tables offering swag, information, and all-around good energy.

The chapter owes a great deal of thanks to Special Events Chair Emerald Aueyong, LMFT and a dedicated team of volunteers. Nothing LA-CAMFT does happens without consideration, collaboration, and teamwork. Leadership would like to acknowledge all the hard-work of Past-President Jennifer Stonefield, President-Elect Jessica Idoine and her husband Matt, LA-CAMFT Volunteer Coordinator Ruth Castro, Communications Chair Karen Aguila and her friend Gracie, Sponsorship Chair Madeleine Seeley, CE-Networking Shiji Yuan and his partner Isab, Secretary Karen Boulanger, Finance Committee Secretary Rina Xavier, Speaker Chair Patrick McCarthy, Emerald’s husband Alfonso, Brian Cousins, Nick Bognar, Lee Daly and her daughter Alexandra, Pamela Payton, and all the other volunteers who willingly offered their time, talents, and energies to make this year’s picnic another memorable day by the magical tree.

Until next year.

Photo Credits: Pamela Payton and Jenni June Villegas Wilson.

Paz y Amor,

JJVW - 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