Advocacy in Action: From Insight to Impact

Woman standing in front of capitol building

Making Your Voice Heard

Brought to you by ACA President Elsa Soto Leggett, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, CSC

Advocacy—big and small— is a central part of the work of professional counselors. Through advocacy, we can create meaningful change around the issues that impact our clients, our community and our work.

Join us for five expert-led sessions that will provide you with tangible skills and knowledge to take your advocacy efforts to the next level. Whether you’re a new or experienced advocate, you’ll deepen your understanding of advocacy as a tool to be woven into everyday counseling practice.

Series Outline

Session 1: Everyday Advocacy: Big and Small

Presenter:
Katherine Bacon, PhD, LPC-S, NCC
Professor, Texas A&M University-Victoria

In this session, advocacy is presented as accessible, informal, and woven into everyday counseling practice. Through case studies, participants will learn to recognize and document advocacy moments and explore strategies for building a culture of action and accountability.

Releases January 2026.

Session 2: Mapping Advocacy Pathways

Presenter:
Gabriel Lomas, PhD
Professor, Gallaudet University

This session builds on the first session—helping participants identify where to take their advocacy efforts once they recognize them.

Releases February 2026.

Session 3: Listening as an Advocacy Strategy

Presenter:
Kerri McCullough, PhD, LPC, LCPC
Child, Adolescent and Adult Therapist, Strong Life Counseling

In this session, participants will deepen their skill-building with listening and reframing. Participants will leave this session feeling prepared for more public-facing advocacy work.

Releases March 2026.

Session 4: Where Advocacy Lands: Understanding How Government Works and Where Counselors Can Engage

Presenter:
Katherine Bacon, PhD, LPC-S, NCC
Professor, Texas A&M University-Victoria

In this session, we’ll expand on advocacy readiness by demystifying government systems and showing participants where advocacy “lands.”

Releases April 2026.

Session 5: Recognizing Unexpected Advocacy Opportunities

Presenter:
Stephannee (Stef) Strandefer, PhD, LCPC
Associate Program Director, Northwestern University

This session concludes the series by expanding participants’ vision of advocacy, preparing them to see and embrace roles they may not expect.

Releases May 2026.

Registration

Participants will be required to register for the full series.

ACA Members: FREE*
Non-members: $149

*Through June 30, 2026.

Certificate and CEs

Participants can earn 5+ CE credit hours for the full series.

Questions?

professionaleducation@counseling.org