President's Message

Dear Sacramento Valley Chapter Members,

For those that I haven’t had the privilege of meeting, my name is Chad Fraga and I am proud to serve as Sac Valley CAMFT’s Board President for 2025. I am so excited to have such a great team of other board members/volunteers that are dedicated to providing spaces that we all can connect and grow in this profession.

I remember my first week of private practice last year after getting newly licensed. I was accepting any and all clients, and I only had 2 sessions in this particular day, one at 10am and one at 5pm. I had a huge break and I found myself laying on the floor of my office, looking up at the ceiling, and feeling incredibly lonely. I just left an agency, I was excited about opening up my private practice, but deeply wanted connection with others. I don’t have family members in this field, and I crave mentorship and support from others.

I decided to lean more in to our Sacramento Valley Chapter of CAMFT and I have continued to find the colleagues and friends that I needed. 

I hope this resonates with you all. It is a wild world we live in and we all need support and connection. 

In the beginning of the year, we had our board retreat, and I told the team that we have 3 goals/values for this year that I’d like to focus on: Consistency, Simplicity, and always making our work about Connection.

We want to provide simple, consistent opportunities for you to grow as MFT’s, accomplish your goals, and build connections with our local Sacramento Valley community. 

Our chapter is a community of thoughtful, passionate professionals—and it’s your continued involvement that keeps it strong. Whether you're a longtime member or new to the fold, your presence makes a difference. Thank you for your support and willingness to be engaged with one another.

If you’ve been curious about how to engage more deeply, I warmly invite you to consider volunteering or even joining our board. We do have a few more opportunities that need more support. It’s a meaningful way to shape the direction of our chapter and connect with others who care deeply about this work.

Thank you again for all that you do—both in your practice and in our professional community.

Best,

Chad Fraga

LMFT 147652

President, Sacramento Valley Chapter of CAMFT

Chapter News

First of all, we would like to introduce you to our 2025 board:

• Chad Fraga -- President
• Eddie Posadas -- President-Elect
• Allison Weaver -- Treasurer
• Ashley Morgan -- Secretary
• Jalena Rusaw -- Past President
• Kindra McCall -- Membership Chair
• VACANT* -- Program Co-Chair
• VACANT* -- Program Co-Chair
• Lilian Ghafari -- Volunteer Chair
• Christina Robles -- Diversity Chair
• Zarina Cadiz -- 3000 Club Chair
• VACANT* -- Sponsorship Chair

Interested in joining our board where you see a vacancy? Email sacramentocamft@gmail.com for more information! 😊

****

This year our focus is returning to hosting in person events, as well as providing continued virtual meetups to ensure access is open to all. 

Kicking off the year, we have had the joy of having two social/networking events and one continuing education event in person! On top of that, we had our first Virtual Therapists of Color Meetup and Consultation Group of the year this past March. 

Our chapter exists to help you find community as well as connect with other marriage and family therapists in the region. We strive to help you along your professional journey by providing opportunities for learning, networking, and growth. Whether you’re just starting your professional journey or a seasoned provider, we are here for you!

****

Check out the fun we’ve had at recent events!

Some of your chapter leaders at the Chapter Leadership Conference.

Christina & Chad overseeing check-ins at our March CE event.

Photos from our March CE event, featuring Dr. Paul Sunseri

April Social/Networking event at Ernesto’s Mexican Food

****

Volunteer Opportunities

We can’t do it without you! If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out and let us know-- we have a variety of opportunities from assisting with facilitating book clubs, support with exam prep groups, providing workshops on your areas of expertise, administrative tasks, and more! Contact us at sacramentocamft@gmail.com for more information and to be connected with our Volunteer Chair!

****

https://www.bbs.ca.gov/updates_faqs/updates.html

Member Spotlight

We are so happy to highlight our very own Lilian Ghafari, LMFT, who serves on our board and was recently selected as a Woman of Distinction by the Office of Sacramento Mayor McCarty for her contributions to the city.

Lilian Ghafari is a community leader and a tireless advocate for individuals living in the Sacramento community, passionate about helping those who are in need. Lilian is a loving mother and wife, a trustworthy friend, and a dedicated Sacramento community leader with a big heart. Please see the information below as well as the news media links that have covered some of the work she has recently lead.

Lilian currently serves as Board Vice President for the Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association (TPNA). In 2024, Lilian was chair of the planning committee for both the TPNA Mayoral Candidate Forum and the TPNA Mayoral Candidate Debate. As TPNA Vice President, Lilian facilitates various events and provides leadership to volunteers throughout the Tahoe Park community.

A graduate of the masters program of California State University Sacramento’s counseling program, Lilian is currently a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who provides therapy to people of all ages and is also adjunct faculty at CSUS where she teaches students who are in graduate school learning to be therapists and counselors.

In Spring of 2024, Lilian was appointed by Sacramento City District 6 Council Member Eric Guerra as District 6 Commissioner for the Sacramento Children’s Fund Oversight Commission. As Commissioner she provides recommendations for how the fund intends to allocate its resources to meet goals related to programs serving the youth of Sacramento.

Below are links to media coverage of Lilian’s work:

• Lilian Ghafari on CBS News- Sacramento Children’s Fund: https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/sacramento-community-discusses-how-best-to-spend-measure-l-funding-to-keep-kids-safe/
• Lilian Ghafari on KCRA- Travis Scott Memorial 5K: https://www.kcra.com/article/travis-scott-memorial-5k-held-in-el-dorado-county/63961974
• Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association Mayoral Debate- ABC 10: https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/mayoral-candidates-city-hall-sacramento/103-2b140ce8-b3dc-4a76-aac7-9a1c8595ed51
• Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association Mayoral Candidate Forum- KCRA: https://www.kcra.com/article/sacramento-mayoral-race-candidate-forum-tahoe-park/46450748

****

Nominate a Member for the Spotlight on our website!

Are you ready to step into the spotlight? We're excited to announce a fantastic opportunity for you to shine and share your story with the entire SVC-CAMFT community! Our Member Spotlight feature is a chance for us to highlight the incredible individuals that make our community so vibrant and diverse.

We want to hear from you - yes, YOU! Whether you're a long-time member or just joined recently, whether you're Licensed or Pre-Licensed, we believe everyone has a story worth sharing. So, why not let yours be next? Nominate a member for our website’s spotlight via this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1q8TwePJ3g93BU8Dn3xn6HqZteUdYtgtoNKDodzwLrZU/edit

Upcoming Events

Clinician I/II, Wraparound - Stanford Sierra Youth & Families

Sacramento, CA

Urgent Response Therapist PT - Sacramento Children’s Home

Sacramento, CA

Prelicensed is a free resource for MFT registered associates, trainees, and students in California. We offer numerous services that are designed to help you prepare and prevail over the course of your journey to licensure.

For more job listings and other free resources, visit Prelicensed!