LB-SB CAMFT upcoming events

Marriage Crisis Management: MFT's Newest Niche (Fri, September 11, 2026)

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:45:00 GMT

Meet Becky

About the Instructor

Dr. Becky Whetstone is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Arkansas and Texas and the originator of Marriage Crisis Management. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from George Washington University and began her career as a medical reporter and relationship columnist before pursuing clinical training, completing her Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2003 and her Ph.D. in 2006, both at St. Mary's University. Her doctoral research examined the decision-making of individuals in long-term marriages who are contemplating divorce. Drawing on that research, her clinical work, and years spent counseling couples in acute distress, she developed a structured approach for the specific moment most marriage therapists are not trained to handle: the crisis. She is the author of I (Think) I Want Out and writes and speaks widely as the Marriage Crisis Manager.

Course Description

Most couples do not enter therapy when problems first appear; they arrive in crisis, often when one partner has already begun to disconnect. Conventional couples therapy assumes two willing, stable partners and can falter precisely when the stakes are highest. Marriage Crisis Management is a distinct discipline designed for that moment: a way of stabilizing an acute marital crisis, slowing irreversible decisions, and helping each partner make clear, informed choices about the future of the relationship. This two-hour module introduces the need for crisis management as a specialty, traces how the approach was developed, and surveys its core concepts and the full range of pathways it addresses — from saving a marriage, to a structured managed separation, to an amicable divorce, and the co-parenting and stepfamily realities that can follow. Students will leave able to recognize a marriage in crisis, describe the stages of marital decline, and explain the intervention options available at each stage.

Educational Goals

1. Identify the stages of marital decline and the point at which crisis management becomes necessary.

2. Describe the key factors and guiding principles that shape crisis-management decisions.

3. Distinguish among the major pathways — crisis management, managed separation, amicable
divorce, and hybrid options — and the situations each best serves.

4. Discuss the co-parenting and stepfamily dynamics that follow reconciliation or divorce.

Learning Objectives

1. Explain why marital crisis requires a specialized approach distinct from standard couples therapy.

2. Identify the stages of marital decline

3. At what point does crisis management become necessary?

SCHEDULE:

8:45 AM	Breakfast & Introductions
9:15 AM	Presentation Begins
11:15 AM	Presentation Ends

Event Logistics

*VIRTUAL REGISTRATION CLOSES*

October 8th @ 6:00 PM

*IN-PERSON REGISTRATION AT THE DOOR*

We look forward to seeing you there!

Parking and Venue Information: click here

CE Credit Information

Long Beach South Bay CAMFT (Approval #56159) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. LBSB CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Course completion certificates will be awarded at the end of the course upon completion of the Evaluation form via the Attendee Dashboard, which will be emailed to you. This training is all inclusive and is applicable for Trainee Students, AMFT, APCC, ACSW, LMFT, LPCC, LCSW and Psy.D's. Attendees will receive an email with a link to complete an evaluation to access their CE certificate within 24 hours of the completion of the training.

Important Information

Event Policies & Protocols: click here
Grievance Procedures: click here

Solicitation Policy

No canvassing or distribution of materials is permitted without a pre-purchased sponsorship. Business card exchange between clinicians is allowed.

www.lbsbcamft.org

September Walk & Connect Group (Sat, September 12, 2026)

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

2026 Long Beach - South Bay CAMFT Job Fair (Mon, September 14, 2026)

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

**********************************************

Additional Information:

The Long Beach South Bay Chapter of CAMFT strives for transparency and encourages all members and non-members to review our Event Policies and Protocols. You'll find important information about how to request accommodations, our refund and cancellation policy, our anti-harassment policy, fee details, and more. Additionally, our Workshop and Conference Grievance Procedure outlines how to address any concerns.

Long Beach - South Bay CAMFT - APPROVAL NUMBER: 56159
LBSB CAMFT is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LEPs & LPCCs. LBSB CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.

Canvassing or Distribution:

No canvassing or distribution of materials are allowed at the event by anyone who has not pre-purchased a sponsorship opportunity. This does not apply to the networking and exchange of business cards among Clinicians of all levels and capacities

For questions regarding this Event, contact:

Chris McKnight, LMFT, President of LBSBCAMFT

President@lbsbcamft.org or 310-529-3011

2026 Table Hosts - Long Beach - South Bay CAMFT Job Fair (Mon, September 14, 2026)

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:00:00 GMT

**REGISTRATION DEADLINE 9/9**

-Table Hosts ONLY-

Click HERE to view all the Sponsorship benefits

**********************************************

Additional Information:

Canvassing or Distribution:

For questions regarding this meeting, contact:

Chris McKnight, LMFT, President LBSB CAMFT: President@LBSBCAMFT.org or (310) 529-3011

Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents: Best Practices and Adaptations for Private Practice (Fri, October 09, 2026)

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 15:45:00 GMT

Meet Dr. Keegan

Dr. Keegan Tangeman is a Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychologist who served as Clinical Project Director for the CARES study, the randomized controlled trial that established Dialectical Behavior Therapy as an effective treatment for adolescents at high risk for suicide, conducted with Marsha Linehan, Ph.D. at the University of Washington and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. He has spent his career developing and directing evidence-based clinical services for children and adolescents, including founding a behavioral assessment and treatment clinic for disruptive behavior disorders and publishing research on adolescent DBT, trauma, and suicide risk. He currently holds a faculty position at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology, where he trains doctoral students in evidence-based intervention, and serves as Senior Regional Clinical Director at The Stepping Stones Group, overseeing psychotherapy and diagnostic services for children and families nationally.

Course Summary

The course will review the tenets of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and contrast them with adaptations for adolescents. These include a review of DBT’s biosocial model, its Stages of treatment, and Modes of treatment found within Stage 1. The course will present the efficacy data for DBT from the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) for adolescents presenting with suicide risk, which will underscore the evidence base for an adaptation of DBT for adolescents. Lastly, this course will explore specific adaptations of DBT for adolescents within a private practice model.

Educational Goals

1. The presentation will increase knowledge and awareness of DBT best practices for adolescents, preserving clinical fidelity.

2. The presentation will increase clinician confidence in providing DBT-informed treatment within a private practice setting.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

✔ Identify 2 modes of a comprehensive DBT treatment

✔ Identify at least 2 adaptations for providing DBT to adolescents

SCHEDULE:

8:45 AM	Breakfast & Introductions
9:15 AM	Presentation Begins
11:15 AM	Presentation Ends

MEETING INFORMATION:

*VIRTUAL REGISTRATIONS CLOSE

October 8th @ 6 PM*

*IN-PERSON REGISTRATIONS AVAILABLE

AT THE DOOR*

We look forward to seeing you there!

Venue & Parking Information: click here

CE Information

Long Beach South Bay CAMFT (Approval #56159) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs. LBSB CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Course completion certificates will be awarded at the end of the course upon completion of the Evaluation form via the Attendee Dashboard, which will be emailed to you. This training is all inclusive and is applicable for Trainee Students, AMFT, APCC, ACSW, LMFT, LPCC, LCSW and Psy.D. Attendees will receive an email with a link to complete an evaluation to access their CE certificate within 24 hours of the completion of the training.

Important Information

Event Policies & Protocols: click here
Grievance Procedures: click here

Event Policy

No canvassing or distribution of materials is permitted without a pre-purchased sponsorship. Business card exchange between clinicians is allowed.

www.lbsbcamft.org

October Walk & Connect Group (Sat, October 10, 2026)

Sat, 10 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Disconnected: Why Today’s Adolescents Feel More Alone Than Ever (Fri, October 30, 2026)

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Workshop Description

The course “Disconnected: Why Today’s Adolescents Feel More Alone Than Ever” illuminates the growing problem of adolescent loneliness and digital addiction and clarifies to professionals who work with the adolescent and teenage population the strategies and interventions that are supported by academic research and evidence-based practices. The course will establish the scope and prevalence of the problem, explore definitions of and contributions to loneliness in teens’ own words, offer guiding principles for intervention, and encourage a call to action among course recipients. Professionals who work with the adolescent and teenage population are in the position to offer care, guidance, and support to reduce individual experiences of teen loneliness, as well as to advocate for systemic strategies within professional organizations to address this growing public health epidemic.

Meet Debbie

Debbie Murad is a highly experienced Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years of expertise in working with adolescents, trauma, substance use disorders (SUD), and neurodivergence. She served as faculty at the USC School of Social Work for 11 years and currently maintains a Private Practice in Los Angeles. In addition to her clinical work, Debbie is the Founder, CEO, and Clinical Director of Beach Cities Gateway, an individualized treatment program that provides coaching/mentoring and mental health services to older teens and young adults navigating mental health challenges and executive functioning difficulties.

*ONLINE REGISTRATION CLOSES 10/29/26 @ 6 PM

*IN-PERSON REGISTRATION AVAILABLE

AT THE DOOR*

Schedule:

9:00 am - 9:30 am	Breakfast and Networking
9:30 am – 10:30 am	Course Presentation 1 CE credit
10:30 am – 11:00 am	Q & A Networking

MEETING INFORMATION:

Our presenter will be delivering this workshop

In-Person at Fusion Academy Hermosa!

For attendees who value the opportunity to network and connect with other clinicians, we are hosting this in-person gathering where you can enjoy a continental breakfast and meet the presenter in person.

Unpaid invoices must be paid 24 hours before the event.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:

Identify at least three behavioral or emotional signs of loneliness in adolescents.
Describe at least two ways smartphones, social media, or AI companionship can contribute to adolescent loneliness.
Develop one practical strategy to strengthen social connection and reduce loneliness within a family, school, clinical, or community setting.

Educational Goals:

Describe the prevalence, causes, and potential lifelong consequences of adolescent loneliness, particularly among neurodivergent youth.
Explain how smartphones, social media, online relationships, and AI companionship can contribute to isolation and interfere with healthy adolescent development.
Identify signs of loneliness and apply practical family-, school-, community-, and treatment-based strategies to strengthen meaningful connection and social confidence.

LOCATION:

Fusion Academy, 1601 CA-1 Suite 260, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254

Parking and Venue Information: click here

CE Credit Information

To obtain CE Certificate please refer to the email with the blue Dashboard sent from LBSB. Upon completion of the Evaluation form you will have access to your Certificate.

Important Information

Event Policies & Protocols: click here
Grievance Procedures: click here

Event Policy

No canvassing or distribution of materials is permitted without a pre-purchased sponsorship. Business card exchange between clinicians is allowed.

Questions: Contact Yeni Hercules, Operations@lbsbcamft.org