F or many people, the beginning of the new year is a time for resolutions. If you would indulge me for a moment, there are a couple of “professional resolutions” that I think are worth consideration. Many of us came into the counseling profession imagining ourselves sitting across from a
Category: From the President
C ounselors believe that the importance of honoring diversity underpins all that we do. I identified two areas of focus for my year as president, including trauma and disaster mental health, the importance of which we have seen highlighted several times since summer. The other area of focus has to
Late summer saw several major hurricanes touch the United States, and the impact of those storms was devastating. Whenever an impending hurricane is described as powerful (as these were), we tend to tune in for predictions of the storm’s path, ongoing coverage as it makes landfall and, finally, initial assessments
As I am writing this, American Counseling Association members from across the country are preparing to deploy to Texas and other Gulf states in response to the historic flooding that accompanied Hurricane Harvey. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this storm — a storm that has a
M any counselors do not know Carol Bobby personally, but her work has influenced the work of almost every practicing counselor today. Carol began serving as the CEO of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in 1987 and has helped guide that organization, and the
N atural disasters don’t discriminate. Storms, floods or fires can impact any community. Human-caused disasters sometimes do discriminate, with certain individuals or communities being targeted (e.g., the shooting at Pulse nightclub) or neglected (e.g., the water crisis in Flint, Michigan). This complicates the work that needs to be done, but
Over the past several weeks, as I was getting closer to taking office as president of the American Counseling Association, a line from a James Taylor song kept rolling through my head (see the headline to this column). Actually, I think two things were on my mind. The first was
Dear Counseling Colleagues, As I write this final Counseling Today presidential column, I’ve reflected on the gifts and the challenges our profession has been presented in the past year. Each of us could list a few challenges, either from a personal or a professional vantage point. Included are challenges to
Dear Counseling Colleagues, What’s next for continuing our advocacy for the profession and for the work of counselors as we move forward after the inspiring and energizing ACA 2017 Conference & Expo in San Francisco? That list includes our ongoing work on licensure portability and staying acutely and accurately apprised
Dear Counseling Colleagues, As you know, April is Counseling Awareness Month. It is also a month associated with new growth, fresh blooms and new beginnings. Now is the time for rebirth and reenergizing as we continue to celebrate who we are as counseling professionals across all venues. During my travels