Wow! More than 4,300 people attended the 2011 American Counseling Association Annual Conference & Exposition in New Orleans, making it our most well-attended conference in 10 years. Reflecting on my March column, in which I mentioned being on the precipice of a dream fulfilled, I just smile. I am pleased
Month: May 2011
One of the hallmarks that define a profession is its code of ethics. The code lets consumers, public policymakers and peer organizations know that members of a profession have committed to adhering to rules that protect those whom they serve. The code of ethics means the profession is serious about
Michael Chaney knew from a very young age that he was gay, a fact that meant he also had years to process what it meant to be gay. “People who don’t grow up that way didn’t need to go through that process,” says Chaney, who is president of the Association
There has been growing discussion within our profession about the need for competent counselors to work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and intersex (LGBTQQI) clients in an affirming manner. Largely, the discussion has focused on the inadequate training many counselors receive related to counseling these populations. The purpose
Picture this: You’re a college student cramming for finals in a campus lab late one Sunday night when you see a lanky, 6-foot-2-inch, long-haired man striding toward you wearing a red polka-dotted hat and carrying a tower of pizza boxes. You could be excused for thinking you’ve ingested one too
I spent five days training counselors in Rwanda in 2008. During each break and after each class, two young men asked me many questions about the pragmatics of counseling in the United States. They seemed especially interested in the length of counseling sessions as we practice them in the United