Student Scholarships

It is the intention of LAGPA to reach out to you, the budding mental health professional, even now as you complete your years of formal training. We wish to serve you to the fullest capacity that we can, and seek to offer you the opportunity to develop your voice within the gay and lesbian mental health field. We need to know how we can best serve you, and are eager to extend to you whatever assistance that we can.

Here's how LAGPA can help you...

• Through the development of a governmental interface and monitoring program, that will promote the needs and concerns of our membership, and alert the membership to current and proposed policies effecting our community and professional practice.
• Through the development of our mentoring program, so as to help you find the "right" person to help you on your journey to becoming an excellent psychotherapist.
• Through the growing referral service and networking programs that LAGPA sponsors.
• By being the only association in Southern California to offer a full program of education designed for those who work within the gay and lesbian community as a psychotherapist.
• By inviting you to submit a letter of interest in presenting your work in our poster session at our annual conference.
• As we expand our technology to reach a wider body of persons in need of your education and training, we invite your input in the creation and management of our web page.
• As we look for fresh ideas and approaches to serving the membership, and the gay and lesbian mental health field at large, you can have an impact on policy, program development, information systems, and other areas which LAGPA is currently developing.
• By offering a low fee for membership, of only forty dollars ($40).
• As we actively seek persons who wish to help students preparing for a career in mental health by financial means, we will be able to offer scholarships and grants sometime in the near future

And these are just the few ideas for you to begin exploring. We look forward to hearing what you have to say, and letting us know what we can do to help you and what you are able to help us through your talents, time, and enthusiasm to help others just like you now and in time to come.

Dont wait till you're licensed to act--you dont have to!

LAGPA's Mentoring Program

Are you a seasoned therapist who would like to give back something to your profession? BUT . . . you don’t want to attend a lot of meetings, chair committees, or OMG raise money. You don't want to spend hours assembling an annual conference or educational workshops?

But, you are experienced and know a great deal. You might want to share your experience with a beginning therapist. LAGPA’s new mentoring program might be just what you need.

You could spend one or two hours with a new therapist - informing, guiding defining, and advising their career direction. You could help cultivate the next generation of psychotherapists.

For example, let’s consider Bonnie who has her Psy.D. and predoctoral licensing hours. She has always wanted to be in private practice; but has no idea how to do that. We all know that graduate schools teach us how to do therapy; but they never cover how to establish a small business like a private practice.

On the other hand, Connie has been in private practice for twenty years. She knows how to set up and maintain a private practice. She knows about leasing (square footage, triple net, call light system, private exit.) She knows how to charge and collect fees. She has mastered the delicate connection between helping her clients grow emotionally and keeping them coming and paying. She has provided herself health insurance, a retirement program, and peer consultation. She can market herself and cultivate strong referral sources.

Connie knows the life of private practice. She could show Bonnie the benefits and pitfalls of such a life. Twenty years of experience has convinced her that she made the right choice. And, in one or two hours, she could help Bonnie make the same choice.

Sound interesting? Let us know. Write Bruce Watkins, Ph.D., listed in the LAGPA directory.