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

We appreciate our sponsors for their contributions to AARC!
If you are interested in sponsorship, please reach out to Leigh Holman, [email protected].

8:00am CDT

Fostering Research Identity Through Mentorship and Modeling: A Novel Mini-Series Approach

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

Trinity 2 Poster 8 @ [email protected]

This poster presents a five-session research series designed to foster meaningful change in research identity among master’s counseling students and to support doctoral students’ development as mentors and educators. Guided by the practitioner-scholar model, the series pairs faculty modeling and mentorship. Preliminary qualitative findings highlight participants’ experiences of research self-efficacy, identity, and conference readiness, as well as doctoral students’ evolving research identities.

Speakers

emma tharp

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

Poster, 8

9:05am CDT

The Lived Experience of Shared Military Identity in Therapeutic Relationships: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Veteran Therapists

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

Trinity 2 Poster 8 @ [email protected]

Veterans experience high rates of PTSD, depression, substance use, and suicide, yet often underutilize mental health services. This proposed interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) explores how veteran therapists experience shared military identity with veteran clients during assessment and treatment. Guided by second-order cybernetics, the study conceptualizes assessment as a relational, co-constructed process. Findings may inform counseling assessment by highlighting therapist positionality, cultural understanding, and relational factors that influence engagement.

Speakers

Jessica Holm

Benjamin Faul

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

I am a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy student and a licensed clinician serving veterans and their families. I am a U.S. Marine Corps OIF/OEF veteran. My work is informed by systems and relational approaches to psychotherapy. My scholarly interests integrate clinical practice... Read More →

Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Poster 8 [email protected]

Poster, 8

10:10am CDT

A Lifetime at War Within: EMDR for Complex PTSD Beyond Military-Focused Treatment

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

Trinity 2 Poster 8 @ [email protected]

Veterans have high rates of ACEs that interact with military trauma, increasing risk for CPTSD, depression, and suicidality. This case report illustrates how VA assessment focused on a single military trauma led to worsening of symptoms after prolonged exposure therapy. A lifespan-informed assessment revealed complex trauma, and EMDR addressing both childhood and military trauma resulted in sustained symptom reduction highlighting the need for routine ACEs screening and CPTSD-informed treatment.

Speakers

Jessica Holm

Benjamin Faul

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Poster 8 [email protected]

Poster, 8

11:15am CDT

Virtual Reality in Counselor Education: Experiential Learning and Multicultural Competence

Friday September 18, 2026 11:15am - 12:05pm CDT

Trinity 2 Poster 8 @ [email protected]

Counselor educators prepare the next generation of counselors, making their perspectives on virtual reality (VR) essential. This roundtable shares a phenomenological study using interviews with counselor educators in CACREP-accredited programs. Attendees will gain insight into VR’s potential for experiential learning, multicultural competence, innovative teaching, and barriers to implementation.

Speakers

Chukwuebuka Onyia

Speakers

Lauren Robin

Friday September 18, 2026 11:15am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Poster 8 [email protected]

Poster, 8

2:35pm CDT

Measuring Mentorship: A Psychometric Meta-Analysis of the Mentoring Competency Assessment-21

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

Trinity 2 Poster 8 @ [email protected]

Mentoring is the backbone of counselor education, so evaluating its effectiveness is critical for our profession. We introduce the Mentoring Competency Assessment (MCA-21), a gold standard measure of mentoring outcomes across the allied health professions. We present the findings of a psychometric meta-analysis to the degree that inferences of validity and reliability can be generalized across samples of participants in future research and practice.

Speakers

Stephen Lenz

Speakers

Eunae Han

Assistant Professor, Syracuse University

Dr. Eunae Han is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas, a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and an Assistant Professor in the Unit of Counseling and Human Services at Syracuse University. Before pursuing her doctoral studies in the United States, she worked as a professional... Read More →

Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Poster 8 [email protected]

Poster, 8

3:40pm CDT

Getting Regression Right from the Start: Assessing and Addressing Model Assumptions

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

Trinity 2 Poster 8 @ [email protected]

Linear multiple regression (LMR) is among the most frequently used analyses in counseling research, yet scientific reports often underreport critical details to establish scientific rigor. We will review the importance of statistical power, measurement precision, and model assumptions in relation to LMR. We report the results of a 5-year content analysis of these features across ACA-family journals and provide guidance for testing, assessing, and addressing each to ensure defensible results.

Speakers