This network began with one associate sitting at the end of another long workweek, looking at the numbers and feeling that something wasn’t adding up. With a question that was small and ordinary on the surface, but carried the weight of everything underneath it: Am I being paid fairly for the work I do?
When that associate looked for somewhere to turn- a place to compare notes, to speak honestly, to not feel alone- there was nothing. No shared table. No network. Just hundreds of associates across the state, each facing the same questions in silence, hidden behind the walls of their own workplaces.
Professional associations offered language of support, but we found that their structures often left wage and labor issues unaddressed. And so associates stayed isolated, each trying to navigate complex structural problems alone: problems that are bigger than any one person should have to face.
This network was created to change that. We are building a space by and for associates — a place to speak openly, connect with one another, and bring wage issues out of the shadows.
What began with one associate’s quiet question has grown into a shared vision: to end the isolation so many of us have faced and to create the conditions where no associate has to navigate these challenges alone.
About Us
A Different Kind of Space
The Livable Wage Network for AMFTs, ACSWs, and APCCs exists to fill a gap that should never have existed in the first place.
It’s a confidential, worker-led network co-created by and for associates — a space where we can talk honestly about wages and working conditions and connect with others who are facing similar realities. We prioritize anonymity and safety because speaking up in private practice settings can carry real professional risks. Here, associates can show up as they are without having to use their real names or make themselves vulnerable to retaliation.
And we’re working to craft an intentional, co-created space that exists to make visible what has too often been normalized in the field: systemic underpayment of associates, lack of accountability, and a culture that allows wage issues to go unchallenged. That’s a fundamental difference between this space and the ones that already exist.
What Joining Means
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You’ll gain access to a confidential, Associate-only Slack space where you can speak openly about your experiences and connect with others across California.
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You’ll be invited to a short onboarding call that sets the tone for the network: rooted in safety and solidarity.
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You’ll receive resources on wage rights and advocacy tools, so you don’t have to navigate these issues alone.
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We’re also launching regular, anonymous calls where associates can share experiences.
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You decide your level of participation: from quietly learning to taking a more active role.
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This network isn’t just a resource hub; it’s a community of shared understanding. Finding others who truly get it can ease the isolation and burnout so many associates experience. In this space, you’re part of something larger: a network that connects, protects, and strengthens associates through solidarity, collective voice, and mutual care.