American Counseling Association to Hold 2026 ACA Conference & Expo

WHO: Founded in 1952, the American Counseling Association is the world’s largest association representing more than 60,000 professional counselors.

WHAT: The 2026 ACA Conference & Expo is the premier professional development and networking event for professional counselors.

WHERE: Greater Columbus Convention Center

WHEN: April 9–11, 2026

MEETING HIGHLIGHTS: Conference highlights include the following:

• Opening Keynote: Based on his new book, “The Warrior Within,” President, Native Discovery Inc., Former U.S. Air Force Officer, and Best-Selling Author D.J. Vanas will share a unique, powerful perspective from Native American culture on what the warrior role is about and how we can emulate the principles of that role to stay strong to contribute to our community.
• General Session Keynote Speaker: Trauma-trained therapist, author, and international speaker Françoise Mathieu, executive director of TEND, an organization that assists professionals in high-stress fields, will focus on finding moral courage in challenging times.
• 200+ education sessions, organized across 24 mental health and counseling topic areas, such as aging, ethics and legal issues, substance use and addiction, suicide, wellness and self-care, and more
• 175+ posters

INTERVIEWS/REGISTRATION: Media interested in setting up an interview with an ACA spokesperson or counselor or looking for more information on attending in person, please contact Karen Addis at 301-787-2394 or karen@addispr.com.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: View the agenda and follow the conference hashtag #counseling2026.