Within the American Counseling Association there are 19 divisions. These divisions enhance professional identity and are organized around specific interest and practice areas. The divisions provide professional strength and satisfy the diverse needs of the counseling community.
Association for Adult Development and Aging (AADA)
Chartered in 1986, AADA serves as a focal point for information sharing, professional development, and advocacy related to adult development and aging issues; addresses counseling concerns across the lifespan.
2023-2024 President: Matthew L. Nice
2023-2024: President-Elect: Janelle Jones
2023-2024 Past President: Adrianne Trogden
Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC)
Originally the Association for Measurement and Evaluation in Guidance, AARC was chartered in 1965. The vision of AARC is to recognize and advance excellence in assessment and research in the counseling profession.
2023-2024 President: Stephanie Crockett
2023-2024 President-Elect: Ching-Chen Chen
2023-2024 Past President: Madeline Clark
Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling (ACAC)
Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling aims to focus on the training needs of counselors who work with children and adolescents, while also providing professional support to those counselors, whether they are school counselors, play therapists, or counselor educators.
2023-2024 President: Sean J. Nixon
2023-2024 President-Elect: Hayley Stulmaker
2023-2024 Past President: Rachel Jacoby
Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC)
The Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC) is a forum for counselors, counselor educators, creative arts therapists and counselors in training to explore unique and diverse approaches to counseling. ACC's goal is to promote greater awareness, advocacy, and understanding of diverse and creative approaches to counseling.
2022-2024 President: LoriAnn Stretch
2022-2024 President-Elect: Patricia L. Kimball
2022-2024 Past President: Edward Hudspeth
American College Counseling Association (ACCA)
ACCA is one of the newest divisions of the American Counseling Association. Chartered in 1991, the focus of ACCA is to foster student development in colleges, universities, and community colleges.
2023-2024 President: Rudy Wayne Strother
2023-2024 President-Elect: Amy Broadwater
2023-2024 Past President: Rebecca Smith
Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)
Originally the National Association of Guidance and Counselor Trainers, ACES was a founding association of ACA in 1952. ACES emphasizes the need for quality education and supervision of counselors for all work settings.
2023-2024 President: Margaret Ryan Lamar
2023-2024 President-Elect: Cassandra Storlie
2023-2024 Past President: Natoya Haskins
Executive Director: Kelly Duncan
Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC)
AHC, formerly C-AHEAD, a founding association of ACA in 1952, provides a forum for the exchange of information about humanistically-oriented counseling practices and promotes changes that reflect the growing body of knowledge about humanistic principles applied to human development and potential.
2023-2024 President: Kevin Doyle
2023-2024 President-Elect: Caroline Perjessy
2023-2024 Past President: Alfredo Palacios
Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD)
Originally the Association of Non-White Concerns in Personnel and Guidance, AMCD was chartered in 1972. AMCD strives to improve cultural, ethnic and racial empathy and understanding by programs to advance and sustain personal growth.
2023-2024 President: Asha Dickerson
2023-2024 President-Elect: Ann Shillingford
2023-2024 Past President: Angela Coker
American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA)
ARCA is an organization of rehabilitation counseling practitioners, educators, and students who are concerned with enhancing the development of people with disabilities throughout their life span and in promoting excellence in the rehabilitation counseling profession's practice, research, consultation, and professional development.
2023-2024 President: Daniel Balva
2023-2024 President-Elect: Paige Dunlap
2023-2024 Past President: Valerie Dixon
Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC)
Originally the National Catholic Guidance Conference, ASERVIC was chartered in 1974. ASERVIC is devoted to professionals who believe that spiritual, ethical, religious, and other human values are essential to the full development of the person and to the discipline of counseling.
2023-2024 President: Hannah Barnhill Bayne
2023-2024 President-Elect: Janee Avent Harris
2023-2024 Past President: Jesse Fox
Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW)
Chartered in 1973, ASGW provides professional leadership in the field of group work, establishes standards for professional training, and supports research and the dissemination of knowledge.
2023-2024 President: Julia Champe
2023-2024 President-Elect: Kendra Jackson
2023-2024 Past President: Kathy Ybanz-Llorente
Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ)
CSJ is a community of counselors, counselor educators, graduate students, and school and community leaders who seek equity and an end to oppression and injustice affecting clients, students, counselors, families, communities, schools, workplaces, governments, and other social and institutional systems.
2023-2024 President: Shon D. Smith
2023-2024 President-Elect: Chiquita Holmes
2023-2024 Past President: Ebony White
International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling (IARTC)
The mission of IARTC is to enhance the quality of life for people and communities worldwide by promoting the development of professional counselors, advancing ACA, the counseling profession, and the ethical practice of counseling through trauma-informed practices, respect for human dignity, cultural inclusivity, and resilience.
2023-2024 President: Lisa Lopez Levers
2023-2024 President-Elect: Matthew Walsh
2023-2024 Past President: Peggy Mayfield
International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC)
Originally the Public Offender Counselor Association, IAAOC was chartered in 1972. Members of IAAOC advocate the development of effective counseling and rehabilitation programs for people with substance abuse problems, other addictions, and adult and/or juvenile public offenders.
2023-2024 President: Rochelle Cade
2023-2024 President-Elect: Dilani Perera
2023-2024 Past President: Melanie Iarussi
International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC)
Chartered in 1989, IAMFC members help develop healthy family systems through prevention, education, and therapy.
2022-2024 President: Martina S. Moore
2022-2024 President-Elect: TBD
2022-2024 Past President: Rebecca Lynn Pender Baum
Executive Director:
Military and Government Counseling Association (MGCA) formerly ACEG
Initially known as the Military Educators and Counselors Association, MGCA was chartered in 1984. MGCA is dedicated to counseling clients and their families in local, state, and federal government or in military-related agencies.
2023-2024 President: Edward Hudspeth
2023-2024 President-Elect: Elizabeth Burgin
2023-2024 Past President: Danette Berksteiner
National Career Development Association (NCDA)
Originally the National Vocational Guidance Association, NCDA was one of the founding associations of ACA in 1952. NCDA provides professional development, connection, publications, standards, and advocacy to career development professionals who inspire and empower individuals to achieve their career and life goals.
2023-2024 President: Carolyn Jones
2023-2024 President-Elect: Marty Apodaca
2023-2024 Past President: Lakeisha Matthews
Executive Director: Deneen Pennington
*NCDA term of office is October 1 - September 30
National Employment Counseling Association (NECA)
NECA was chartered in 1966 as the National Employment Counselors Association. NECA is committed to offering professional leadership to people who counsel in employment and/or career development settings.
2023-2024 President: Joseph F. Parks, Sr.
2023-2024 President-Elect: TBD
2023-2024 Past President: Melanie Drake Wallace
Executive Director of Strategic Leadership, Professional Development, and e-News: Kay Brawley
Executive Director:
Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE)
Formerly Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC)
Educates counselors to the unique needs of client identity development; and a non-threatening counseling environment by aiding in the reduction of stereotypical thinking and homoprejudice.
2023-2024 President: Robert McKinney
2023-2024 President-Elect: Stacy Pinto
2023-2024 Past President: Tamekia Bell
ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATES
Association of Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness (ACSSW)
The mission of ACSSW is to promote sexuality as a central aspect of being human that includes the intersection of interpersonal and intrapersonal influences on sexual expression and identities inclusive of age, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender and gender expression, physical and mental health and abilities, and socioeconomic status.
2023-2024 President: Robert Zeglin
2023-2024 President-Elect: TBD
2023-2024 Past President: Francis McClain