Professional Development

An Unstoppable Force

How Gen Z therapists are redefining counseling.

Advocacy Update: National strategy to address the mental health crisis

In February, President Biden delivered his annual State of the Union address, calling for bipartisan unity and emphasizing the need for Congress to work together on legislation to move America forward

Internalizing Our Authority

Two counselors discuss how categories denoting experience level (such as the term “new professional”) affect one’s sense of professional identity.

Diversification and Burnout Prevention for Counselors

Discover how to build a sustainable and profitable practice by diversifying your income and incorporating strategies that prevent therapist fatigue.

An integral model for using empathy in counseling

Counselors understand the importance of empathy, but they sometimes find it challenging to fully integrate into practice.

3 Takeaways from the 2023 ACA Professional Practice Summit

There’s still time to register for on-demand content from the 2023 ACAPPS, which covered pressing issues such as artificial intelligence, counselor identity and practice, and clinical supervision. 

The benefits of clinical consultation groups

Two clinical supervisors share their advice on how to create successful consultation groups, which reduce isolation, provide clinical support, foster professional growth and improve client outcomes.

From the President: Building new partnerships

The ACA president emphasizes the need to build mutually beneficial relationships with other organizations that promote mental health, and he provides an update on the Governing Council meeting happening this month.

From the President: Creating change through dialogue

The ACA President discusses how counselors can foster more open, honest dialogue with their clients and themselves.

Counseling Today recognized with five awards

The Counseling Today staff won five awards in APEX 2023, the 35th annual awards program recognizing excellence in publishing.

Edil Torres Rivera: Ready for action

Edil Torres Rivera, ACA’s 72nd president, shares how his Puerto Rican heritage and the women in his life have made him the counselor and scholar he is today.

From the President: Creating change within the profession

The 72nd president of the American Counseling Association introduces himself to members and outlines his initiatives for the year.

Voice of Experience: Professional organizations

It’s easy for counselors to become isolated unless they are intentional about joining professional organizations that meet their needs.

Advocacy Update: Collaborating for change

We have arrived at the time of year when most state sessions have ended. And what a year it has been! We have many hard-fought successes to celebrate, and we have somber news coming from legislatures as well.

Advocacy Update: Update on key legislation

The Government Affairs and Public Policy team advocates for American Counseling Association members and the counseling profession to increase the credibility and recognition of professional counselors among policymakers and regulators

Advocacy Update: National strategy to address the mental health crisis

In February, President Biden delivered his annual State of the Union address, calling for bipartisan unity and emphasizing the need for Congress to work together on legislation to move America forward.

The power of counselor advocacy

We are three months into the calendar year 2023, and counselors are beginning to realize how much power they hold in their state legislature and the federal government.

The forces that could shape counseling’s future

In 2012, as the American Counseling Association was celebrating its 60th year as an organization, Counseling Today published an article titled “What the future holds for the counseling profession.”

Professional advocacy: A call to the profession

We must know and promote our worth and recognize that if we are not strong and healthy as a profession, we cannot help others. Therefore, professional advocacy must be a top priority for all counselors.

The paradox of empathy: When empathy hurts

We normally think of empathy in counseling as a benevolent act in which the insightful counselor deeply understands the grateful client.