Victoria Kress

Distinguished Professor/Community Counseling Clinic Director at Youngstown State University

CANDIDATE STATEMENT:

Service to our profession and those we serve is my passion, and over the past three decades I have volunteered in 100+ leadership roles which include serving on the ACA’s Governing Council, as the president of Chi Sigma Iota International, Association for Humanistic Counseling, the Ohio Counseling Association, NCACES, and as an ACA Midwest Region Chair. I served on the Ohio counselor licensure board, and I worked as the Director of Advocacy for NBCC. My professional service spans many counseling associations, and these diverse experiences have helped me to understand the complexity of our profession, develop foundational leadership skills, and reinforced my commitment to being a servant leader who puts the greater good before myself.

As a leader I value excellence, honoring others’ voices, strengths, and contributions, and I will continue to hold to these standards if elected to serve. Good leadership is about putting your agenda to the side and working towards what is best for the health of the group (i.e., ACA, our wonderful profession, and those we serve).

Our communities need counselors more than ever. Social problems (e.g., oppression of those who hold less power) and strife (e.g., political divisiveness) have created a burgeoning need for counseling services, yet many barriers to accessing counselors’ services persist.

Our profession is nothing without legislation that supports us and those we serve, and this is why I have dedicated my career to engaging in legislative advocacy efforts. As indicated in the ACA Static Plan, legislative and systemic changes are required to elevate professional counselors. Legislative advocacy is essential and if elected I will prioritize advocacy and efforts that maximize counselors’ impact and remove barriers that prevent counselors from providing services and elevate our profession.

What inspired you to pursue leadership within the ACA, and why do you believe you are the right person for this role at this time?

Service to our profession and those we serve is my passion, and over the past 3 decades I have volunteered in 100+ leadership roles which include serving as the president of Chi Sigma Iota International, NCACES, Association for Humanistic Counseling, and the Ohio Counseling Association; as the ACA Midwest Region Chair; and most recently as an ACA Governing Council member. In addition, I served on the Ohio counselor licensure board, and co-wrote updates to the current iteration of the licensure law, and I worked as the Director of Advocacy for NBCC. In terms of ACA service, I chaired the ACA Graduate Student Committee and the Branch Development Committee; served on a number of ACA Task Forces and Committees; and I served as the Executive Editor of the ACA Practice Briefs. My professional service spans many counseling associations, and these diverse experiences have helped me to understand the complexity of our profession, develop foundational leadership skills, and reinforced my commitment to being a servant leader who puts the greater good before myself. The relationships and connections I have developed provide me with a wealth of knowledge and expertise I can pull upon as we move forward and advance ACA and the profession. As a leader, I have repeatedly demonstrated that I am not afraid to roll up my sleeves and do whatever it takes to support the mission of the associations with which I am involved. I value excellence, honoring others’ strengths and contributions, and I will continue to hold to these standards as ACA President. As a profession we are navigating choppy waters. The national shortage of counselors, a lack of financial and institutional support for counselors, the rapid adjustment to telehealth, increasing societal and political tensions and inequities have left many counselors feeling fatigued; however, as counselors we know that it is during the most difficult times that the most transformational changes occur. All of the challenges mentioned present opportunities for counselors to shine, do what we do best which is facilitate change and advocate, and grow our profession. As the ACA president I will – in collaboration with our leaders, with an eye to the needs of our members and societal developments - use the ACA Strategic Initiatives (e.g., advocacy and engagement, community and partnerships, education and public awareness, and research and practical application). ACA is in the midst of a significant governance restructuring, and I will pull upon my diverse service experiences, the relationship and connections I have built, and the institutional knowledge I have acquired having been a part of these changes to focus our energies and resources and strengthen ACA operations during these transitional times.

The new ACA governance structure is designed to allow Division and Region representatives to engage in the “Big Issues” of the counseling profession, and to lean on their expertise to help advance ACA. How would you hope to support the Divisions and Regions to serve our members?

As a former ACA Division President and Region Chair, I strongly believe that the voices of Division/Region members and leaders are valuable and must be considered and integrated into ACA initiatives. As a current ACA Governing Council member, I have been actively involved in the ACA governance restructuring project. In this role I have consistently advocated that Regions and Divisions have a voice, and I will continue to do so. Especially during this transitional time as we change governance structures, good communications and opportunities for feedback are essential. Our Division members have a wealth of understanding of various topics, and our Branch members are close to the issues, especially state legislative matters, that shape our profession and greatly impact those we serve. Branch and Division leaders’ experiences and knowledge must be valued and considered in informing and shaping ACA’s resource allocations and ACA’s future directions. As ACA president I will systematically engage with Division and Region leaders, with “systemic” being the operative word. Good intentions to pull in diverse voices is not enough. Systems that ensure the ACA Board receives feedback from Divisions/Regions – and vice versa- are needed. Regularly scheduled meetings with Division/Region leaders and a means for getting feedback from Division/Region leaders -and all ACA members- to the ACA board are needed. Structured communication and feedback systems that encourage reciprocal conversations will be developed and implemented to ensure that good communications are encouraged and supported. Such systems will ensure that ACA leaders and all ACA members have an opportunity to share their valuable ideas.

EDUCATION:

PhD, Counselor Education and Supervision and Clinical Mental Health Counseling, The University of Akron
MA.Ed., Community Counseling. The University of Akron
BA, Psychology/Sociology, double major; Dance/Biology double minor (magna cum laude), Baldwin Wallace University

CERTIFICATION(s) and or LICENSES:

LPCC-S (Ohio); NCC; CCMHC; Master Mental Health Facilitator Trainer; EMDR Level 1 Certified

CURRENT POSITION:

Director, Community Counseling Clinic
Distinguished Professor, Youngstown State University
Course Instructor, Yorkville University/Canada
Adjunct University Supervisor, Wake Forest University

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

For the past 28 years, I have been a licensed professional counselor. Over the years I have worked in a variety of counseling settings including community mental health agencies; hospitals; emergency rooms; partial hospitalization programs; residential treatment facilities for children; addictions/IOP programs; college counseling centers; and private practice.

For the past 23 years I have worked as a counselor educator in different programs in the United States, Africa, and Canada including: University of North Carolina at Greensboro; John Carrol University; Walden University, Africa University of Guidance, Counselling, and Youth Development; University of Massachusetts at Boston; Capella University; and Troy State University.

I also previously worked as the Director of Advocacy at NBCC, and for many years I served on NBCC’s testing panels and contributed to the development of the NCE and the NCMHCE.

Over the past decade, I volunteered and worked in Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, and Tanzania, promoting mental health awareness and training, and the professionalization of counseling in East Africa.

ASSOCIATION EXPERIENCE:

Counseling association service is my passion. I have chaired and served on 100+ committees/taskforces in various counseling associations including ACA, Chi Sigma Iota, ACES, AHC, ACC, AMHCA and ACAC.

My diverse leadership experiences have helped me to understand the complexity of our profession, develop foundational leadership skills, and reinforce my commitment to being a servant leader who puts the greater good before myself. As a leader, I am not afraid to roll up my sleeves and do whatever it takes to support our association. I value excellence, and honoring others’ strengths and contributions, and I will continue to uphold these standards as the ACA President.

Association Elected Presidency/Chair Positions include:

President. Chi Sigma Iota International.
President. North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NCACES).
President. Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC).
President. Ohio Counseling Association.
Chair. Midwest Region. American Counseling Association.
Governing Council Member. American Counseling Association.

Select ACA Committee Service includes:

ACA Executive Committee
ACA Financial Affairs Committee
ACA Nominations and Elections Committee.
ACA Bylaws Committee
ACA Fellows Committee
ACA Graduate Student Committee (Chair)
ACA Branch Development Committee (Chair)
ACA Mentorship Program (Developer)

Select Editorial Experience includes:

Editor of the ACA Practice Briefs
Editorial Board member for 10+ counseling journals
Associate Editor of the Journal of Mental Health Counseling

ACA/DIVISION/BRANCH MEMBERSHIP:

International/National
American Counseling Association (ACA)
Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC)
Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)
Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Academic and Professional Society (CSI; Eta Chapter) Regional
North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NCACES) State
Ohio Counseling Association (OCA)
Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (OACES)
Eastern Ohio Counselors Association (EOCA)

AWARDS and HONORS:

Recipient of 50 awards including:

Fellow Award. American Counseling Association (ACA).
Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person. American Counseling Association (ACA).
Distinguished Mentor Award. American Counseling Association (ACA).
Leadership Excellence for Counselors by Counselors Award (NBCC).
Government Relations Award. American Counseling Association (ACA).
Distinguished Professional Service Award. American Counseling Association (ACA).
Counselor of the Year Award. Ohio Counseling Association (OCA).
Leadership Award. North Central ACES (NCACES).
Distinguished Service Award. Youngstown State University.
Thomas J. Sweeney Award for Visionary Leadership and Advocacy. American Counseling Association (ACA).
David Brooks/Creating New Paths in the Profession Award. Ohio Counseling Association (OCA).
Distinguished Professor Award (designation awarded to a professor who receives all YSU Distinguished professor awards).
Distinguished Teaching Award. Youngstown State University.
Counseling Vision and Innovation Award. Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (ACES).
Distinguished Scholar Award. Youngstown State University.
Charles Weaver Award for Professional Service/Being a Caring Person. Ohio Counseling Association (OCA).
Giant Award. Youngstown State University. College of Graduate Studies, 50 Year Anniversary Faculty Award.
Woman of Distinction Award. Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio.
Martin Ritchie Award for Excellence in Advocacy. CACREP.
Professional Leadership Award. Ohio Counseling Association (OCA).
Hollis Award: Advancing Humanistic Values in Counseling. Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC).
Thomas J. Sweeney Professional Leadership Award. Chi Sigma Iota (CSI).
Robert Stripling Award for Excellence in Standards. Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (ACES).
Outstanding Counseling Program Award. Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (ACES).
Outstanding Leadership Award. Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC).
Past-President Award. Ohio Counseling Association (OCA).
Outstanding Counselor Education Program Award. North Central ACES (NCACES).
Outstanding Humanistic Educator/Supervisor Award. Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC).
Past President Award. Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC).
Outstanding Mentor Award. North Central ACES (NCACES).
Counselor Educator Advocacy Award. American Counseling Association (ACA).
Legislative Advocacy Award. Ohio Counseling Association (OCA).
Professional Leadership Award. Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (ACES).
Outstanding Counselor Educator Award. Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (OACES).
Distinguished Scholar Award. Youngstown State University.
Outstanding Mentor Award. Association for Counselor Education & Supervision (ACES).
Distinguished Public Service Award. Youngstown State University.
Distinguished Scholar Award. Youngstown State University.
Research and Writing Award. Ohio Counseling Association (OCA).
Innovative Program Award. Ohio College Personnel Association.
Best Practices Award. Counseling Services Category, American College Health Association.

PUBLICATIONS:

Publications thus far this year (2024) include:

Kress, V. E., Dunson, L., & Forner, E. (2024). Relational cultural theory as a framework for counselor leadership. Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy. https://doi.org/10.1080/2326716X.2024.2332183.

Kress, V. E., Dunson, L. C., & Forner, E. (in press). The experience of being a graduate counseling student. In CACREP (Ed.), A guide to graduate programs in counseling. Oxford University Press.

Kress, V. E., Whisenhunt, J., Stargell, N. A., & McAllister, C. A. (2024). Experiential therapies and nonsuicidal self-injury. In E. Loyd-Richardson, I. Baetens, & J. Whitlock (Eds.), Oxford handbook of non-suicidal self-injury (pp. 1169–1190). Oxford.

Kress, V. E., Shannonhouse L., & Woloch, C. (2024). Multicultural diagnosis and conceptualization. In D. G. Hays & B. T. Erford (Eds.), Developing multicultural counseling competence: A systems approach (4th ed., pp. 604-632). Pearson.

Johnson-Shelton, D., Daley, S., Gau, J., Canavan, N., & Kress, V. E. (2024). Program evaluation of the radKIDS® Youth Personal Empowerment Safety Education Program. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-024-00618-5

McAllister, C., Kress, V. E., Reider, A., & Spisak, T. (2024). Hidden burdens:  Creative technique for understanding and addressing transgenerational trauma. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2024.2376922

Books include:

Kress, V. E., & Paylo, M. (in press). Treating those with mental disorders: A comprehensive approach to case conceptualization and treatment (3rd ed.). Pearson.

Kress, V. E., Paylo, M., & Stargell, N. A. (in process). Counseling children and adolescents (2nd ed.). Pearson.

Kress, V. E., Seligman, L. W., & Reichenberg, L. W. (2021). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: Systems, strategies, and skills. Pearson.

Eriksen, K., & Kress, V. E. (2004). Beyond the DSM story: Ethical quandaries, challenges, and best practices. Sage.

PRESENTATIONS:

Over the years I have made hundreds of conference and community presentations and provided many podcast interviews and webinars. The topics I most frequently present include counselor professional advocacy; child abuse and trauma counseling, non-suicidal self-injury; diagnosing and treating those with various mental disorders; counseling children and adolescents; counselor education and training, specifically student remediation.

COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Community service is important to me, and I serve my community in many ways. First, I served two terms as a governor-appointed member of my state’s counselor licensure board. In this role, I also served as the ethics liaison and made determinations on counselor ethics cases.

My community service includes child advocacy efforts such as volunteering as a guardian ad litem for children in the custody of my county. For 20 years I volunteered as a Girl Scout leader/troop leader, and I have served on committees for my local Girl Scout council.

For the past 32 years I have been a registered volunteer community advocate for those who have developmental disabilities, and I am the legal guardian of a man who has a severe developmental disability.

In addition, I served on the board of several community agencies including:

Turning Point Counseling Services
Prevention Partners Plus/PANDA Program (youth substance abuse prevention)
Forum Health, Youth Services (children’s hospital)