Counseling Awareness Month

Tools & Resources to Share Your Story

How do you help others?

Social Media Share Images
Facebook | Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram

Post with your story about how you help others using the hashtag #CounselorsHelp and the above sharable image.

Here are a few examples of what to include with your post:

SAMPLE 1: A counselor can help with individuals experiencing depression. I help clients explore ways to cope and manage their feelings, regain a sense of control and pleasure in life. #CounselorsHelp

SAMPLE 2: As a counselor, I help clients problem solve and change behavior patterns that may contribute to their symptoms. #CounselorsHelp

Test Your Knowledge: Instagram Stories Polls

Test your counseling knowledge during the first week of April, Monday (4/2) – Friday, (4/6). To enter this contest, simply take our interactive Instagram Stories polls on the official ACA Instagram page, throughout the month of April. For each poll you take, you will receive one entry for a chance to with a $100 e-gift certificate to the ACA store. Winner will be selected randomly and announced at the end of April. 

CONTEST TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY.

 

How Do You Help? - YouTube Video Competition

How are you – and your colleagues, or students – helping others? Throughout the month of April, we want to hear your story illustrated on video about your efforts. Here’s how to participate:

1. Report on your service in a video about your activity.
2. Post your video to YouTube using the hashtag #CounselorsHelp during the month of April. Don’t forget to add the hashtag to the TITLE of your video, or your video will not be recognized as part of the campaign. Your video and the many others published throughout the month will appear here.
3. Share your video on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #CounselorsHelp with a message that includes “A counselor can help with… [action reported on in your video].

Tips:

• You can include service days and activities from May 2017 – April 2018.
• Please keep your video between 30 seconds and 3 minutes.
• Videos will be evaluated on: number of views, originality and impact of service.

Prizes: ACA will share the top videos on ACA’s social media channels (and attribute them to you). In May, the winning video will be announced and the video will be uploaded to ACA’s YouTube page. Winner will receive one complementary registration to the ACA 2019 Conference & Expo (New Orleans, LA, May 27 - 29).

CONTEST TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY.


Share Your Story With the Media
Get media attention for your work and the work of the counseling profession. Share your story about how you help others with your local media outlets. Find out how in our Tips for Getting Media Attention. 

WEBINARS

A counselor can help with... recovering from trauma
For Shame! The Neglected Emotion in PTSD
ACA Conference: Educational Session
Speakers: Dr. Thom A. Field

A counselor can help with… recovering from addiction
Substance Abuse/Disruptive Impulse Control/Conduct Disorder
ACA Conference: Webinars
Speakers: Shannon Karl PhD

A counselor can help with… the transition to civilian life after serving in the military
An Overview of Military Service Members and their Families: How Mental Health Professionals Can Best Serve this Population
ACA Conference: Webinars
Speaker: Odis McKinzie MA, NCC, ACS, LMHC (HI), LPC (VA), CSAT-Candidate

A Counselor Can Help With…

Conference & Expo Photo Opportunity  

Attending the ACA 2018 Conference and Expo in Atlanta? Wrap up Counseling Awareness Month with a professional photo taken at Opening Night Celebration at Omni Hotel CNN Center, Friday, April 27, 8:30 – 9:30 pm. Plan to fill in the blank on the signage for the photo: A Counselor Can Help With… [your response].

Signage will be available at the expo and a complimentary giveaway to those who participate. Select signage will be displayed throughout the conference. All photos will be posted to Flickr and select photos will be shared on ACA social media channels.

Not attending ACA 2018 Conference & Expo and still want to participate? Here’s how:

1. Print out the template sign (DOWNLOAD SIGN PDF HERE) and write your response on the sign.
2. Take a photo with the sign.
3. Post your photo to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. Be sure to use the hashtag #CounselorsHelp.

Educational Resources & Information

Common Questions About Counseling
Counseling, An Overview: A Q&A with Dr. David Kaplan, American Counseling Association Chief Professional Officer

Find a Counselor
Take the first step to find a counselor in your area in our Therapy Directory. And remember, professional counseling is a relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families and groups to achieve mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.

Counseling Corner Blog
We all face daily challenges in today's complicated and demanding world. ACA’s Counseling Corner Blog offers thoughtful ideas, suggestions, and strategies for helping you live a happier and healthier life.

Counseling Today
Find news and in-depth features about the world of professional counseling: effective techniques/strategies, federal/state regulation, developments in the profession, counselor wellness and counseling resources. Select articles are available on Counseling Today Online; feature articles are members-only. 

 

Publications

A counselor can help with... recovering from trauma
Disaster Mental Health Counseling, edited by Jane Webber and J. Barry Mascari

A counselor can help with... recovering from addiction 
A Contemporary Approach to Substance Use Disorders and Addiction Counseling, 2nd Edition by Ford Brooks and Bill McHenry

A counselor can help with... achieving your full potential
Reality Therapy and Self-Evaluation: The Key to Client Change by Robert E. Wubbolding