Dear Colleagues,

Since June, SFPRG has begun negotiating with the owner of the property at Jackson and Van Ness Avenues about a possible lease agreement. We have submitted a letter of intent and will soon meet face to face for negotiations. We have had the benefit of consultation from a colleague and friend who is a real estate attorney, a member of SFPRG's Advisory Board, who is advising us pro bono. At the same time we are trying to renegotiate our lease with the Presidio Trust to arrive at a rent that is less than the current lease over the next two to three years. We plan to meet with members of the Presidio Trust soon. We are pursuing different options and hoping to find a solution that will meet the space needs of our organization over the next 5 to 10 years at a cost that is within SFPRG's budget. Read On...

The Membership Committee has an exciting agenda for this summer and fall. First of all, I again invite those of you who have thought about volunteering with SFPRG to do so with this committee. You can help the committee understand what contributes most to a satisfied group member.

Membership has been about (from my eyes as third generation) the enthusiasm generated by Control Mastery Theory developed by Joe Weiss and empirically validated by the research of Hal Sampson, Joe Weiss and the Research Group. These Research exchanges included lively discussion and projects generated by the fascinating aspects of CMT. We have moved to a second and third generation of membership and we are making that beginning alliance our own. Read On...

Next year's post-grad CMT course continues to be refined in meetings of the core faculty (Heather Clague, Carol Drucker, John Gibbins, Helene Goldberg, Michael Lowenstein). An East Bay site has been secured as the location of the course. The course will be a year-long seminar in CMT, each meeting split between a didactic session followed by a case conference. The fall portion of the course will emphasize the basic foundations of the theory, taught by the core faculty, running from 7-9:15 pm Wednesday evenings for 8 meetings in the fall (10/13-12/15/10), with the course then continuing into the spring semester by focusing on special clinical topics, taught by both the core faculty and invited faculty, for 14 meetings (1/26-5/4/11).

We continue to plan the upcoming 24th CMT Conference, Susan Landes taking the helm with this task. The committees plans to send out a letter in the fall inviting all past instructors to present on various new topic areas. We are aiming to develop a process enabling better rotation of classes and instructors, continuing consideration of ways to alternate course instructors by year and event.

Publication of our fall catalog continues; Helene Goldberg has produced a draft design of our next brochure, which we plan will be a more graphically elegant, succient and accessible version of past catalogs, highlighting the essence of course topics, referring to our website for extensive detail. The catalog brochure will come out next month.

Steve Foreman has suggested we start a journal club. The idea would be a monthly discussion group that would review journal articles. This could be a means to host a forum to talk about ideas and theories, interfacing with other ideas, etc. It could easily become something that could earn CEU credits. The committee is interested in anyone who would wish to act as project coordinator. If you are, please contact Kathie Dunn, who is gathering information regarding member interest.

We were extremely saddened to learn that our beloved intern Timothy Ray Thomas died on June 14, 2010, after being diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the year. He was 45 years old. Tim was at the SFPRG Clinic for 2 years. Truly -- all those who knew him were deeply affected by his vitality, his gentle good humor, and his insightful, compassionate comments. From the very first moment of the first interview when this beaming bald mountain of a man walked in we knew we were in the presence of a very special man. His work was superb and he added so much to the community. What follows are the remembrances of his primary supervisor Molly Sullivan: Read On...

The Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR) meeting at Asilomar June 23-27, 2010 which I attended created an excitement and enthusiasm for psychotherapy research which I had not felt since first learning about Control Mastery Theory and the research by SFPRG which led to empirical validation of the concepts of CMT. I am excited about research (I'm not a researcher, only an assistant) and this excitement has invigorated my commitment to SFPRG research projects. I've also come to understand more fully our contribution to the research world as a result of participating in the SPR meeting and I also learned more about what the research world has to say about psychotherapy, in what direction research is going and how necessary collaborative projects are in furthering understanding. Read On...

I have asked for a show of interest from members of the research group who may want to join us at our new location to sublet space, assuming we elect to move to the Jackson Street location. Some members have responded but it is still not clear how much interest and commitment there is to this new space. We are not asking for firm commitments at time but I would like to know who and how many would be interested in subleasing space if we elect to move to the Jackson Street site. The time frame would be about six to twelve months from now before offices would be available to occupy depending on how long negotiations take as well as how much time it takes to build out the space. When it comes time to sign a lease, we would not be able to do so without firm commitments from members who are interested in joining us there. Please call Rob or myself to let us know if you are interested in being on a list of potential new subtenants for the offices at Jackson and Van Ness.

Welcome to Ginger Rhodes, who joined the Board in June and serves as Chair of the Clinic Committee. Ginger reports that a new class of interns/psych assistants begins after Labor Day, 2010. There will be four returning interns, and six new interns and psych assistants for the entire year. For limited terms, there will be one intern from Smith College and two interns from Norway. The total class will be ten for the full year and three for part of the year.

Ginger, the Clinic Staff and I have discussed our commitment to teach research and develop research programs through the Clinic. Ginger and the Clinic have developed a plan that adds new research components in the upcoming year. Any intern more than half time will be required to participate in a research group. From the incoming class, four new interns/psych assistants will be attending research groups. The Clinic plans to teach two research focused didactic sessions.

The Clinic Staff would like a consultant to review the current pre/post treatment protocols with updated measures. They would like a consultant/assistant for data analysis and would appreciate any leads for those who might have time to devote to ongoing help. Longer range interests include encouraging more active participation in the training curriculum from members. Anyone interested in teaching his or her specialty should contact Carol Drucker, training director. The committee is working to find way to incorporate a weekly research case conference into the clinic training program.

Also, welcome to John Gibbins as new Chair of the Education Committee. John was very effective last year in the Education Committee, helping to plan the 23rd International Conference on CMT and helping plan and serving as core faculty in the New Directions in CMT Course.

John is spearheading the development of a new post-grad course in CMT for next year in the East Bay, which will be located at Herrick Hospital's (Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley) Doctor's Dining Room. The first part of the course in the fall will develop the foundations of CMT and will run Wednesday evenings for 8 meetings from October 13 to December 15, 2010. The spring semester will focus on Special Clinical topics over 14 meetings from January 26 to May 4, 2011 for a total of 22 meetings. The goal is to enroll between eight and twelve students.

Susan Landes is in charge of organizing the 24th International CMT Conference planned for March, 2011. The Education Committee is also thinking of starting a journal club that could meet monthly and share readings and discussions through the newsletter.

Other courses offerings that are being planned for the Fall/Spring include three courses on an Introduction to CMT. There will be one offered in San Francisco on October 9 with Steve Kanofsky, Jan Schreiber, and Steve Foreman. Another will be offered in Sacramento in October with Susan Landes. Another will be given in March before the International CMT Conference with George Silberschatz. Ginger Rhodes will offer a half-day workshop on trauma in San Francisco. Case Conferences will all continue. An Ethics course, a six hour requirement for MFTs, is under consideration. A course on Supervision is also under consideration.

The Education Committee is trying to develop a year-long schedule with target dates and required activities. The Committee is trying to review archival audio tapes of Joe Weiss and Hal Sampson for possible future use. It is also working to examine more effective publicity methods for classes and conferences.

George Silberschatz and John Curtis presented their research at the Society for Psychotherapy Research in June. We are awaiting the publication of a paper and hopefully, a brief report on methods and results before then.

I hope all of you have a wonderful summer. I will see you next month.

The Membership Committee is dedicated to continuing to provide members with Research opportunities and benefits. We are also dedicated to extending to researchers, clinicians and educational facilities access to the enthusiasm generated by empirically supported CMT as we provide membership events which strengthen our alliance.

We will begin our Membership Drive on August 1, 2010 and we expect to have renewals completed by September 15, 2010. I ask that you be prompt in renewing as, with most organizations, SFPRG depends on the financial support of its members. From a previous survey of membership, you told us you want more contact between colleagues. Our agenda this year is to host informal networking events throughout the Bay Area and further afield if members want. We want to host informal speaking events and invite members to speak to peers on topics of interest to them about CMT.

Also on our agenda is to have a presence at each Educational event so that people interested in CMT and SFPRG can become members more easily and have a live person to ask questions of while they join. You said you wanted more personal contact with others in SFPRG and this is one way to do that. We will host a "First Timers" luncheon at the International Conference the first week of March. We can use your help in providing Membership Committee presence at these Educational events. Contact me: kathiedunnmft@comcast.net

Another important membership benefit we are refining is to increase the visibility and inclusion of national and international members, you know, those people who don't live in the bay area. Some ideas are using the internet for peer group interactions (Face Book? Skype?) and we need your expertise in setting this up and pulling it off. Those of you who have those skills, please contact me to see how we can move forward.

The Membership Committee is also investigating how to form alliances with other organizations and facilities in order that CMT become more visible to the community of psychotherapists. Are you adept at reaching out? Do you have ideas about who/what to pursue? Contact me and/or Mia Salaverry.

Do you have suggestions on how the Membership Committee can enhance your experience with SFPRG? Contact me!

" I had the honor of supervising his work. This was a complete pleasure because he approached each patient with respect and humility. He was an eager and appreciative student. He took his work very seriously and would often "go the extra mile" to help his clients know how important their successes were to themselves and to him. Tim was kind. He had excellent common sense, and clear boundaries. And he was very, very smart.

Tim was particularly gifted in working with young people. I always loved that he had a big sandwich ready for the adolescent boy who came to see him after school. He also persistently worked with a youth agency that was stumbling - working to create links that would enable our SFPRG Clinic to continue providing services for boys from dysfunctional homes.

Additionally, Tim worked with enormous sensitivity and skill with adult clients of varied ethnicities and backgrounds. Though his area of expertise was depression in men, he was wonderful in working with women. Tim had the ability to look into each person's eyes and have that person know that she or he was being listened to with a caring heart as well as with a razor sharp brain. He was a gifted therapist, and his death is an enormous loss to his clients and to the field of psychology and to SFPRG."

Tim often spoke with great affection and appreciation of his wife, Andrea, and their two children, Nolan and Jordan. Andrea Thomas provided financial and emotional support for Tim during his years at The Wright Institute and at our Clinic. He often spoke of his desire to be able to do for her what she was doing for him. Whenever he was able, he would work in his family's concrete construction business that he had worked in for 18 years before returning to school. Additionally Tim was a terrifically loving, enthusiastic, and responsible parent of their two children. Because education was enormously important to Tim, an educational fund for Nolan and Jordan has been set up. You can send contributions in memory of this remarkable and wonderful man to this fund :

Umpqua Bank 1395 East 2nd Street Benicia, CA 94510 (707) 751-2481

Please attach a note saying that it is for Andrea and Tim Thomas's children, Nolan and Jordan. The family will be very grateful.

Reminiscences and letters can be sent to:

Andrea Thomas 4756 Rosewood Court Fairfield, CA 94534.

The hearts of those of us who have known and loved Tim are overflowing with sadness and disbelief.

Here is my impression of SPR's Asilomar conference: Awesome!! More than 132 panels and discussions over four days and 500+/- attendees from around the earth in the heartening environment of Asilomar on the beach. George Silberschatz, President of the North America chapter of SPR, was local host of the event. Other SFPRGers in attendance and presenting were John Curtis, Marshall Bush, Len Horowitz (who received an award for his continued work), Ginger Rhodes, Judith Pickles, Rebecca Stoller and Valentina Gandini along with Harriette Grooh in attendance. The event was efficiently organized and fully packed with interesting panels, so much so that choosing which to go to was a grind for me because of my limited exposure to research practices.

The SPR conference theme was "Alliance" with Panel discussant George Silberschatz hosting "Towards an integrative understanding of the therapeutic relationship(s): Implications for future psychotherapy research, training and practice." As I know from my experiences in CMT, the therapeutic relationship can be the most relevant instrument of change for the client. So, how is this relationship perceived across theories of psychotherapy? Are procedures and techniques as instrumental in client change as we may have been taught?

I regularly examine my contribution to the therapeutic alliance with and across client sessions. In CMT, we see this construct in terms of "passing the client's test" which lays the groundwork for "safety", allowing the client to consciously work on problematic, irrational beliefs resulting from adaptations to early trauma. I would be interested in a collaborative study between our research group and the clinic and training center at SFPRG which would track the progress of how the intern therapist's growing understanding of CMT affects the therapeutic relationship. A collaboration with SFPRG's clinic and training center can provide our research group with a wealth of opportunity for study.

SFPRG's Friday Research meetings at 1pm and 2pm at 9 Funston in the Presidio has initiated me into research on an experiential level (the 2pm resumes in the fall). When I first learned about Control Mastery Theory I was surprised and hugely impressed with SFPRG's commitment to show empirically the value of CMT. Qualitatively, through my own work with clients, I had known the theory to be helpful to my clients. When I talk about CMT with others who are unfamiliar with its concepts, I come from a confident position about its helpfulness because the theory is empirically supported through our Research projects. Not many theories can boast of this.

In closing, I have commented on only a fraction of the offerings of the Society for Psychotherapeutic Research convention at Asilomar. The great atmosphere of curiosity and fellowship further stirred my respect for SFPRG and the valuable research we have contributed. I encourage you to get excited about our Research projects at SFPRG. Let's put the capital R back in Research at SFPRG!!