Michael M. Kocet, PhD, LMHC, NCC, ACS

Candidate Statement:

As a servant leader, I have been involved in various volunteer roles in the American Counseling Association for over 28 years. I bring extensive leadership as a past president of SAIGE, a board member of ASERVIC, Governing Council member, chair of the ACA Ethics Committee, and past chair of the ACA Foundation. I care deeply about the work of ACA and how best to support professional counselors working in a variety of settings. Given the challenges that counselors face on a federal and state level, I am running for this new Board of Directors position because I want to be a voice of advocacy and change. I am excited about this new governance structure for ACA and believe this new structure will help our organization be nimbler and help us make decisions in a timelier way.  Because of my time on the ACA Ethics Committee and chairing the 2005 ACA Code of Ethics Revision Taskforce ethical practice is fundamental to my work as a counselor, counselor educator, supervisor, and leader. Over my decades of service to ACA, I have worked hard to form strong collegial relationships with counselors and leaders from all over the country. If chosen to serve on the new Board, I pledge to collaborate in decision-making and to have ethical principles guide my decisions and votes. As we continue to move forward with this new structure, we will continue building on our virtual and online training and continuing education workshops. We need to think strategically about ways to invite a new generation of leaders to the table and ensure diverse voices are represented in our commitment to educate the public about the important role that counselors play in our communities. I am humbled to be considered for the Board of Directors role.

Candidate Biography:

Michael Kocet is Professor of Counseling at the University of Colorado Denver. As of July 1, 2026, he will be Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Education at Neumann University. He has served as Professor and Department Chair of Counselor Education at The Chicago School and Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. Dr. Kocet earned his Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Arkansas. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Board-Certified Counselor, and Approved Clinical Supervisor. Dr. Kocet has worked in a variety of clinical settings: college counseling, group counseling with children, adolescents, and adults in psychiatric hospital settings, as a counselor with the GLBT Domestic Violence Program in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Center on Halsted in Chicago, Illinois, the largest LGBTQ center in the Midwest. He also volunteered as a grief therapist for Comfort Zone Camp, the nation’s largest bereavement camp for children ages 7-17. He is a fellow of the American Counseling Association, the highest award recognizing his leadership and contribution to the counseling profession. His areas of specialization include mental health ethics, LGBTQ+ issues, and grief counseling. He is an internationally renowned expert in a new modality - culinary therapy which uses cooking as a therapeutic tool in counseling. He is co-author of the text Ethical Decision Making for the 21st Century Counselor and author of Counseling Gay Men, Adolescents, and Boys: A Strength-Based Guide for Helping Professionals and Educators. He began his leadership on the ACA Ethics Committee and chaired the 2005 ACA Code of Ethics Revision Taskforce. He served as past president of SAIGE, was a board member of ASERVIC, served on the ACA Governing Council, and past chair of the ACA Foundation. In his personal time, he runs 5K races and half marathons, is a foodie and cook.