Category: From the President

This month’s Counseling Today cover story focuses on men in counseling. When I first heard this topic, I just smiled. It reminded me of the many times I have wished that more men were enrolled in my counseling classes. I walk into my classes at the beginning of each semester

Excitement. Joy. Anticipation. Surprise. Humility. As my presidency approaches, I ask myself, “How did I end up with this great honor and privilege of service to my profession?” A number of emotions and questions are floating through my mind as I write this first presidential column. American Counseling Association president!

One of the things I enjoy most in my role as American Counseling Association president is the opportunity it provides to listen to and learn from counselors around the country. I can confirm that counselors, reflective of our larger society, are a diverse group of people who hold a variety

Organizations are not machines with precision parts. They involve all kinds of people and relationships. People with ideas, potential, insight and vision. People who follow and people who lead. The American Counseling Association is composed of more than 40,000 members and 60 staff members, and both of these groups perform

Since this is my first column as president of the American Counseling Association, I thought I would share an initial discovery made during my recent visit to the ACA offices in Alexandria, Va. I found that, in addition to being the center of operations for our association, the ACA headquarters

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill Commitment, engagement and dedication. These qualities are inherent in professional counselors. While we may not always receive “full” financial compensation for these qualities, we are often “paid in full” with the

Because this is my last column as president of the American Counseling Association, I thought it appropriate to share some views on the state of our association. The first thing I would note is that the role of ACA remains unique. While many organizations — such as the Council for

There are hundreds of theories and approaches to counseling and psychotherapy documented in the professional literature. Counselors often ask, “What theory works best? What approach will best meet the needs of my clients?” Along with my students, supervisees and colleagues, I often struggle to make sense of this reality. Like

It is an exciting time to be in the field of counseling. Last year, Nevada became the 49th state to establish licensure for professional counselors, and a licensing effort remains very active in California. While nothing is guaranteed in the realm of politics, it is likely that universal licensure for

Throughout my career as a practicing counselor and counselor educator, I have admired and appreciated the contributions of school counselors and the central role they have played in the development of our profession. In many states, school counselors were the driving force behind successful counselor licensing efforts. As one of