2026 Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling Conference: Full Schedule

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8:00am CDT

Addressing Misdiagnosis in Diagnostic Assessment Through Clinical, Cultural,& Experiential Training

Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT

Trinity 2 Table 18 @ [email protected]

This presentation aims to bridge the gap between basic DSM5-TR knowledge and the advanced diagnostic skills required for ethical clinical practice. The session focuses on improving diagnostic accuracy and confidence among counselor trainees by addressing common misdiagnoses such as bipolar disorder, PTSD, and ADHD and the influence of cultural bias. Participants will learn to integrate structured decision making models and culturally responsive frameworks through experiential teaching strategies

Speakers

Erica Pouncie

Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 18 [email protected]

Round Table, 18

9:05am CDT

Making Coding Work: Practical Strategies for Team-Based Analysis in Counseling Research

Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT

Trinity 2 Table 18 @ [email protected]

Coding and team-based analytic processes are central to many counseling research approaches (e.g., content analysis, CQR), yet researchers often struggle with implementation. This session provides practical strategies for developing coding systems, training teams, managing discrepancies, and maintaining rigor. Attendees will leave with concrete tools to support transparent, systematic, and credible analytic processes.

Speakers

Lena Salpietro

Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 18 [email protected]

Round Table, 18

10:10am CDT

Who Is Most Likely to Report Postpartum Depressive Symptoms? Insights From the PRAMS

Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT

Trinity 2 Table 18 @ [email protected]

Participants will learn how data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) can be used to examine postpartum depression across sociodemographic groups and social conditions. This session highlights how understanding social drivers of mental health may help identify those who are more likely to report postpartum depressive symptoms, with implications for screening, assessment, and follow-up in counseling.

Speakers

Sheerah Keith

Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 18 [email protected]

Round Table, 18

11:05am CDT

Designing and Refining Culturally Responsive Scales: Applications of IRT and Measurement Invariance

Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT

Trinity 2 Table 18 @ [email protected]

Developing and refining assessment instruments that are both psychometrically sound and culturally responsive is a critical skill for counseling researchers. This session provides practical strategies for designing, evaluating, and refining counseling instruments using advanced psychometric techniques, including Item Response Theory (IRT) and measurement invariance testing.

Speakers

Ching-Chen Chen

Associate Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Dr. Ching-Chen Chen earned her doctoral degree in counselor education, with an emphasis in measurement and assessment, from University of Cincinnati. Her research interests include cross-cultural measurement development, multicultural counseling, integrative approaches to substance... Read More →

Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 18 [email protected]

Round Table, 18

2:35pm CDT

Mentorship in Counseling Research: What Mentees Need and How Mentors Can Respond

Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT

Trinity 2 Table 18 @ [email protected]

Research and Program Evaluation has long been one of CACREP’s foundational curriculum areas for counselor training. How can counselor educators teach program evaluation effectively to both master’s and doctoral counseling students? This session will explore the challenges, strategies, and resources that support the successful teaching of program evaluation.

Speakers

Qu Chen

Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 18 [email protected]

Round Table, 18

3:40pm CDT

Content and Connotation: An Analysis Protocol to Center Student Participant Perspectives

Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT

Trinity 2 Table 18 @ [email protected]

How do we engage our participants’ unique perspectives, especially when research involves children and adolescents? Presenters will guide a roundtable discussion to present the analysis protocol used for a photovoice intervention in an elementary school setting. Positioning our participants as experts and artists of their own experiences, we examined the content and connation of student artifacts produced before a play therapy intervention.

Speakers