LACPA FOUNDATION - OUR STORY
Founded in 1945, The Los Angeles County Psychological Association (LACPA), celebrated its 75th year anniversary in 2020. A chapter of the California Psychological Association, LACPA represents the more than 5000 licensed psychologists within Los Angeles County by responding to the mental health needs of the community. Its purposes are to advance the science and profession of psychology to promote human welfare while educating the public about psychological issues.
LACPA Foundation was formed in December of 1990 as a private, non-profit mutual benefit corporation serving mental health professionals and the community. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. LACPA formed the Foundation in order to further its goals of benefitting the community at large. To further that goal, we have sponsored annual and special events to promote greater public awareness of the mental health needs in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Through these activities, we have raised additional funds to assist groups and agencies whose efforts directly benefit our shared community.
Did you know about the LACPA Foundation?
The Foundation is a non-profit organization, the charitable arm of LACPA. We raise funds to benefit mental health service programs in our area and beyond. The LACPA Foundation seeks to promote mental health advocacy through informed, strategic giving to individuals, community mental health providers, and mental health advocacy organizations whose mission is to serve marginalized populations.
What programs and groups have the Foundation supported in the past?
The focus of the Foundation’s giving has changed over the years, but one thing has remained constant: The promotion of human welfare through psychology. The Foundation has been proud to give to a broad range of organizations whose goal is to address critical mental health and wellness initiatives throughout Los Angeles County, including the Soldiers Project, the Miracle Project, the Venice Family Clinic, the Santa Monica Rape Crisis Center, The Teen Education Fund, and the Green Cross. This year, the Foundation's main focus is to continue assisting those who provide mental health services to relieve suffering in those whose basic human rights have been minimized or violated.
What else does the Foundation do?
Each year, the Foundation sponsors the LACPA convention. We also provide monetary awards for the convention poster session winners. And, local psychology graduate students in need receive Foundation-funded scholarships to join us at the convention. The Foundation feels incredibly proud to participate in our scholarship program and the non-profit award program that we grant annually.
How does the Foundation raise money?
We have hosted a number of fundraising events (such as the auction and coffee bar at Mirrors of the Mind). We also reach out to LACPA members each year for their support.
Sidonie Freeman, Psy.D. - President
Dr. Sidonie Freeman is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Psychoanalyst in private practice in Beverly Hills.
She is an Adjunct Professor at The Chicago School for Professional Psychology, Los Angeles, and maintains a Supervisory position at the Wright Institute, Los Angeles.
Dr. Freeman is President of The Foundation of LACPA, the non-profit and benevolent arm of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, as well as Chair of the Admissions Committee at the New Center for Psychoanalysis (NCP). She has lectured and presented on topics such as Envy, Working within the Negative Transference, Dream Interpretation, Creating Boundaries/Not Barriers, Managing Conflict, and Parenting. She will begin teaching in the Adult Psychoanalytic Training Program at NCP in the Spring of 2022.
Irwin Lehrhoff, Ph. D. - Treasurer
Dr. Irwin Lehrhoff, a licensed psychologist and licensed speech and language pathologist, specializes in children and adolescents. His practice encompasses counseling, learning disorders, school placement, and speech and language disorders. He has received doctorates from both the University of Southern California and Columbia University in New York. He served as a trustee of the Reiss-Davis Child Study Center, and as Executive V.P. and Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Thalians Community Mental Health Center. He is the Founder and President of the Thalians Presidents Club and is now President of the Thalians Philanthropic Organization. He has been the director of clinics at Children's Hospital and Harbor General Hospital.
Dr. Lehrhoff has been elected as a member of the first Board of Advisors for the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA (RNPH).
Dr. Lehrhoff made presentations to both Houses of Congress regarding the inclusion of speech and language pathology in both Medicare and Medicaid. At that time he was president of The American Academy of Private Practice. He helped to write the original guidelines for the speech field for the Bureau of Health Insurance, which administered the Medicare Program. He also served as president of the National Association of Rehabilitation Agencies.
He has testified before the US Senate Finance Committee on health. Dr. Lehrhoff has contributed to numerous medical and professional journals, as well as lectured and given workshops throughout the world.
Bruce Gordon, - Ph.D. - Board Member
Dr. Bruce Gordon is a clinical psychologist who was in private practice for 58 years prior to retiring in 2016. He earned his B.A. from New York University, his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. He was a member of local, state and national Psychological Associations and elected a Fellow and then President of the Los Angeles Society of Clinical Psychologists.
Dr. Gordon's major areas of professional interest were individual, group and family therapy, and staff consultation. He was co-director of Western Personnel Consultants, an associate of Edward Glaser and Associates and the Human Interaction Research Institute. He also was managing associate of EGA Organizational Consultants and consulted with the U.C.L.A. School of Industrial Relations. He was Chairman of the Professional Relations Committee of The Culver City Child Guidance Clinic.
His organizational consultation has included work with private and non-profit organizations of many sizes and special interests (industrial, banking, health, aerospace entertainment, municipal government, etc.).The main objectives were in executive assessment and development, communications facilitation with emphasis on human interaction and leadership training, organizational planning and team building, and facilitation of change acceptance and implementation.
Aimee Martinez, Psy.D. - Board Member
Dr. Martinez maintains a private practice in Los Angeles. She holds a passion for working with older adolescents, emerging adults supporting post-collegiate anxiety and identity formation, those in creative industries, and former college athletes. She serves as a Clinical Supervisor and also acts as the Director of Clinical Relations for Wright Institute Los Angeles and facilitates institutional and trainee development in professional marketing. Currently, Aimee is a Clinical Associate in psychoanalytic training at the New Center for Psychoanalysis. Her press contributions and collaborations can be seen online at Psychology Today, Forbes, Bustle, Psych Central and the Zoe Project. She is a two-time presenter at the American Psychoanalytic Association’s annual meeting in New York City.
Troya L. Ellis, EdD - Student Board Representative
Dr. Troya L. Ellis is currently pursuing a Psy.D in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, with a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California. She is the Co-Founder of Trajectory of Hope, an organization focused on creating safe spaces, disrupting racist systems, and elevating Black Joy. As a school psychologist and teacher educator, Dr. Troya brings a holistic approach to K-12 education, emphasizing whole-child development. She specializes in supporting pre-service teachers through learning theory and development, conducting psycho-educational evaluations, and providing culturally responsive strategies for inclusive learning environments. Dr. Troya integrates a social-cultural lens into all aspects of her work, recognizing the importance of context in human development.
Giselle Carollo-DuPrey M.S. - Student Board Representative
Giselle Carollo-DuPrey is a doctoral candidate in the Psy.D. program at California Lutheran University, where she also earned her Master’s in Clinical Psychology and Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. With a strong foundation in research and clinical practice, Giselle’s work focuses on neuropsychology, specifically addressing cognitive and mental health outcomes in underserved populations, including veterans and their caregivers. Her dissertation research explored the impact of parental warmth and control on young adults’ internet addiction, reflecting her broader interest in rehabilitation outcomes and cognitive neuroscience. In addition to her academic pursuits, Giselle serves as the Liaison Officer for the Association of Neuropsychology Students & Trainees (ANST) and as a Social Media Committee Member for the International Neuropsychological Society (INS). Her dedication to mentorship, advocacy, and equity in mental health and neuropsychology highlights her commitment to fostering inclusivity and equitable access to care. Giselle strives to integrate culturally responsive and socially just perspectives into her work, empowering the next generation of psychologists.
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