Announcing the 2025 Presidential Research Grant Awardees

ACA is thrilled to announce the outstanding research proposals and awardees chosen for the inaugural Presidential Research Grant — an initiative of ACA Past President, Christine Suniti Bhat, PhD, LPC, LSC (OH).

This year’s winners were selected from a highly competitive pool of ACA members. The winning proposals and their inspiring authors include:

1. “Developing and Evaluating a Brief Video-Based Career Counseling Module for High School Students: A Pilot Study” 
   Authors: Tolga Zencir, PhD and Muharrem Koc, PhD
2. “Horse-Facilitated EMDR for First Responders with PTSD: A Pilot Randomized Trial of Effects on Symptom Severity, Self-Efficacy, and Community Reintegration”
   Authors: Jeff Rabideaux, NREMT-Paramedic (Ret.), Taylor M. Sanchez, MSOT, MA, and Felix Morton, PhD, LCMHC (NC), QS
3. “Implementing Mental Health Hygiene Stations to Address Non-Suicidal Self-Injurious Behaviors in School-Aged Children”
   Authors: Shalini Matthew, PhD, NCC, LPC and Junwei Jia, PhD

Each winning research proposal and its authors contribute to establishing an evidence base for effective counseling practices, embodying the purpose of the Presidential Research Grant and ACA’s mission to advance mental health and well-being through research.