Search Here

Nearly 4,000 counselors, counselor educators, and counseling students from across the U.S. and 30 countries are attending the American Counseling Association (ACA) 2012 Conference & Expo in San Francisco, March 21-25. The ACA Conference & Exposition is considered the single largest, most comprehensive educational and networking event in the world dedicated to the counseling profession. 

Attendees are being immersed in many societal issues prevalent today such as bullying, posttraumatic stress disorder, addictions, getting into college, finding a job, and many more. Also, they are learning about best practices in helping individuals cope with stress, grief, troubled relationships, as well as LGBTQ issues.

From sessions such as "Counseling in the Czech Republic," "Vietnamese Americans' Perceptions of Play and Counseling," to "Border Violence," counselors gaining global and multicultural perspectives.

One of the most influential psychiatrists in the world today, Irvin D. Yalom, MD, is keynote speaker at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, March 23. He will speak on techniques in psychotherapy. Craig Windham, an NPR reporter who is also a licensed clinical professional counselor, will address "Counseling in the Social Media Age: Swimming with the Current - and Against," on Saturday, March 24 at 9:00 a.m.

"This conference is a microcosm of the pressing issues we face in society today," said ACA President Dr. Don W. Locke, Dean of the School of Education at Mississippi College. "As ACA celebrates its sixtieth anniversary this year, it is especially gratifying to see our membership reach 50,000 and conference attendance to remain strong." 

"Having achieved licensure in all states with the passage in 2010 of counselor licensure in California, consumers now can select counselors who meet stringent standards for education, professional development, and quality of care," said ACA Executive Director Richard Yep, CAE. "This conference is one of the ways that counseling professionals keep up-to-date on best practices in the profession."