The ACA Interest Networks are now a part of the ACA Connect Community. We invite you to log in and explore ACA Connect, our new private, secure online networking tool for ACA members only.
Instructions for joining an Interest Network can be found in the FAQs on the ACA Connect site, or by clicking here.
Contact us with any additional questions at
community@counseling.org
ACA Ethics Interest Network
Members that may want to join: The purpose of an ACA Ethics Interest Network is to connect professional counselors, counselor educators, graduate students and other professionals with an interest in professional counseling ethics. These professionals are found in many settings where professional counselors work, and also include colleagues in closely related areas (i.e. state licensure boards, division and branch ethics committees, and professional publications pertaining to ethics.)
ACA Interest Network for Integrated Care
Members that may want to join: The purpose of the ACA Interest Network for Integrated Care is to collaborate and share information regarding best practices in preparing to work in an integrated care setting. This interest network is relevant to professional counselors, counselor educators, new professionals, as well as graduate students.
ACA Interest Network for Professional Counselors in Schools
Members that may want to join: The network provides networking and collaboration opportunities for LPCs currently working in school settings or those who may be interested in working as a counselor in schools; counselors in guidance programs who want to focus their identities as professional counselors; and counselor educators and supervisors who are interested in advocating for and researching new models for the delivery of mental health counseling services to children and adolescents in school settings.
ACA International Counseling Interest Network
Members who may want to join: The purpose of an ACA International Counseling Interest Network is to address the present day counseling needs created by globalization in this very interconnected world. It is hoped that this newly created interest network will provide much needed guidance, leadership, and resources to focus on international counseling, global diversity, human rights issues, alternative approaches to counseling and internationally focused research. Moreover, this interest network will provide much needed collaborative opportunities for the counselors to engage in joint efforts to enhance the quality of life throughout the world. This Interest Network will facilitate the newly emerging international identity of the counselors and help them advance from diversity to international diversity, from justice to international justice, and national advocacy to international advocacy.
Artificial Intelligence Interest Network
The AI Interest Network aims to increase awareness, disseminate information, and engender
collaborations among ACA members interested in artificial intelligence.
Black Male Experience Interest Network
Members that may want to join: Interested in research and strengths-based materials that support the growth and development of Black males.
Human-Animal Interactions in Counseling Interest Network
The mission of the HAIC is to promote understanding of human- animal interactions (HAI) and ethical practice of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) in counseling by attending to issues relevant to provider competence, animal advocacy, and empirical research.
Children's Counseling Interest Network
Members that may want to join: Anyone interested in children’s issues and promoting children.
Counseling and Technology Interest Network
Members that may want to join: Our mission is to enhance the quality of life in society by promoting the development of professional counselors and advancing the counseling profession by supporting new and innovative technologies across the spectrum of practice. Doing so will enable professional counselors to keep pace with the digital revolution and the associated realities of the 21st century.
Cultural Encounters Interest Network
Members that may want to join: Those interested in techniques for broaching difficult conversations that are rooted in intersectionality.
Distance Learning in Counseling Education
Members who may want to join: Any ACA member who is interested in discussing the pedagogy of teaching in an online environment to discuss specific and unique challenges in delivering counseling curriculum through distance learning, share various approaches to incorporate technology in the learning process, and potentially collaborate to develop research for outcome-based research on distance learning in counseling.
Forensic Counseling Interest Network
Members that may want to join: This interest network will advance the contributions of all counselors whose work intersects with understanding of human behavior and laws, legal processes and legal systems. The interest network shall also serve to inform the counseling and legal communities, as well as the public, of current research, educational and service activities in the field of counseling and the law. The impact of professional counseling in this domain may influence policy, program development, mediation, advocacy and arbitration, as well as teaching and research.
Gender Equity Interest Network
Members that may want to join: All counselors interested in addressing gender equity issues among all clients and students across the lifespan.
Grief and Bereavement Interest Network
Members that may want to join: All counselors would do well to have training in grief and bereavement or just simply to know that the interest network is there to have a source for referrals.
Historical Issues in Counseling Network
Members that may want to join: Members of this Interest Network are interested in the significant people, trends and issues of our profession’s history.
Interest Network for Advances in Therapeutic Humor
Members that may want to join: This network was designed to help counselors realize the value of humor in the therapeutic setting and how to appropriately use humor: Humor helps to establish rapport but requires strict boundaries in knowing what kind of humor to use, when to use it, how to use it, and with which clients it is appropriate. Humor may include something as simple as a magic trick, a simple statement, the use of a printed cartoon, or humorous body language.
Intimate Partner Violence Interest Network
Members that may want to join: This interest network is designed to connect counselors, students, counselor educators, and other helping professionals with an interest in counseling intimate partner violence (IPV) survivors, research, advocacy, cultural competency and best practice models.
Multiracial/Multiethnic Counseling Concerns Interest Network
Members that may want to join: This interest network has broad application to the work of professional counselors in all settings, working with all ages and developmental stages. The issues and concerns of this population cut across all aspects of the profession, hence counselors affiliated with all entities and divisions of ACA can find application to their work.
Network for Jewish Interests
Members that may want to join: Individuals interested in Jewish issues in the counseling profession, through advocacy, research or identification with Judaism, may find a home in this interest network.
Neurocounseling Interest Network
Members that may want to join: The purpose of the network will be to connect interested counselors throughout the organization who are actively using neuroscience and Neurocounseling in their current counseling work.
Psychedelics and Counseling Interest Network
Members that may want to join: Interest Network community for members interested in psychedelic-assisted therapies and additional topics of interest in this area.
Sports Counseling Interest Network
Members that may want to join: This interest network would be a good match for those counselors who want to make a career out of this area, as well as those who want to make sports counseling one aspect of their career. For example, advisers for athletes are those whose responsibilities include academic advising, life skills development, performance enhancement and psychosocial development at both the collegiate and high school levels. Professional counselors may hold positions as academic advisers for athletes, may be in private practice for clinical and mental health issues or may hold full-time positions within professional sporting organizations, colleges/universities, school settings or community agencies.
Traumatology Interest Network
The Traumatology Interest Network is any professional counselor, counselor educator, or graduate student who is interested in traumatology and trauma therapy, or who are already providing counseling services to trauma- or disaster-affected people, schools, and communities. The Interest Network is helpful to Counselor Educators seeking to incorporate trauma-relevant CACREP standards into their programs. Those who are interested in Disaster Mental Health are also ideal members of this community, along with those interested in any of a growing number of subspecialties, including the neuroscience of trauma, post-traumatic growth, traumatic stress as a public health issue, creating safe and secure schools, refugee trauma, social justice and trauma, and multicultural aspects of trauma care.
Veterans Interest Network
Members who may want to join: Any ACA member interested in counseling-related issues of Service Members and/or their Families. We are comprised of Veterans, military Family members, current/previous/retired troops from all military branches, and non-military members who work with Service Members. Our Veterans function as advisors and educators on military-specific matters. All members are offered opportunities to get actively involved through advocacy, education, outreach, support, and liaison efforts to advance mental health care services for Troops and Families.
Wellness Interest Network
Members that may want to join: Counselors work from a preventive, developmental, wellness-oriented perspective. It is the philosophy underlying all that we do. In particular, counselors wanting to find other counseling practice or research might use the network to share ideas and projects.
Women's Interest Network
Members that may want to join: Women and anyone interested in women’s issues and promoting women.