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Type: Round Table clear filter
Friday, September 18
 

8:00am CDT

Addressing Misdiagnosis in Diagnostic Assessment Through Clinical, Cultural,& Experiential Training
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
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
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 18 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Anger and Grief in University Honors Students: Assessing and Treating the Phenomenon
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Recent research points to the significance of studying anger, the impact on individuals and communities, and how measuring anger could help us better understand this human experience (Umbra & Fasbender, 2025). While anger is present across groups, the study of anger in the gifted population has a presence in history yet remains understudied. This session presents the preliminary results and implications from a study addressing anger and disenfranchised grief in university Honors students.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 11 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Assessing Agentic Identity Pathways in Autism: Implications for Counseling Practice
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
This session introduces a theory-driven approach to assessing autistic identity as a dynamic, agentic process. Using a preliminary item pool, we conduct item-level exploration through exploratory factor and network analyses to examine three identity pathways grounded in Bandura's human agency theory and their links to well-being. Attendees will gain practical strategies for assessing identity processes and applying these insights in neurodiversity-affirming counseling practice.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 10 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Assoc Btwn Pornography Consumption & Romantic Relationship Outcomes with Exploration of Genre
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Researchers have evaluated pornography's relational impacts; few studies explore animated genres high consumer interest. To address this gap, our team is validating the Pornography Use in Romantic Relationships Scale among college students via anonymous snowball sampling. We include pilot questions assessing animated pornography's perceived impact on relationships. Full results will be discussed in roundtable at the AARC Conference in September 2026.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 14 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Beyond the Paper: Transforming Counselor Education Through Experiential Research
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
The study presented explores master ’s-level counseling students’ experiences in a high-stakes experiential research activity embedded within a research methods course. Grounded in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model and Interpretative Phenomenological method, students engaged in applied learning, reflection, and meaning-making. Findings of this study illuminated how experiential engagement deepens research competence, emotional awareness, and the development of research practitioner identity.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 4 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Confirming Servant Leadership’s Role in SUD Counselor Burnout and Turnover Prevention
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
The session examines how attributes of servant leadership in clinical supervisors relate to counselor burnout and turnover intention in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. After introducing ecological challenges of SUD care and servant leadership theory, we present a new study of data collected from a national sample of practicing SUD counselors (n = 1,805). Results suggest supervision interventions that may reduce burnout and turnover at the individual and organizational levels.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 17 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Does Mental Health Service Use Moderate Risk for Youth Violence Involvement?
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Youth violence is a major public health and school counseling concern. Here, we used the data from 20,745 adolescents in 145 schools to examine the structure of youth violence, test effects of risk factors on involvement, and examine whether use of mental health services moderated risk. Results suggest counseling moderated depressive, but not other types, of risk for violence involvement. Implications for counseling practice, threat assessment, and early intervention in schools are identified.
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 12 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Effects of Parental Motivations and Stress in Perceived Outcomes of Child's Play Therapy Treatment
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
What factors contribute to parents seeking mental health support for their child, and how do those factors impact how parents perceive their child’s play therapy outcomes? Using quantitative data from play therapy training clinics, this presentation will discuss how 1) parental motivation to seek treatment for their child, 2) parental competence, and 3) parent-child attachment predict pre- and post-treatment scores on measurements of parental stress and perceptions of their child’s behaviors.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 9 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Exploring Wellness and Identity Transition in New Counselor Educators: A Methodological Dialogue
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
This roundtable introduces a proposed research agenda examining how early‑career counselor educators make meaning of wellness during the transition to new or junior faculty roles. Grounded in phenomenological and constructivist perspectives, the session emphasizes collaborative inquiry. Participants will discuss conceptual frameworks and qualitative methods (e.g., IPA, photo‑elicitation) to study wellness, identity transition, and context in counselor education.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 8 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Faith-Based REBT May Reduce Posttraumatic and Discrimination Stress in Justice-Involved BIPOC Adults
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
This session presents empirical results from a four-week, faith-based, group REBT intervention for justice-involved BIPOC adults with probable PTSD. Participants demonstrated significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and discrimination stress, with large effect sizes observed in total scores and most subscales. Attendees will learn how culturally responsive REBT may improve engagement, address avoidance, and support poly-stress management in underserved populations.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 13 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

From Stories to Concepts: Guiding Grounded Theory Dissertations
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
This presentation offers practical strategies for teaching grounded theory (GT) and mentoring students through the research process. It clarifies GT’s core logic and the iterative relationship between data collection and analysis. Participants engage in a brief coding activity and are introduced to a five-phase timeline for structuring GT dissertations.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 6 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Mapping Peace: A Conceptual Exploration of Embodied Anxiety and Christian Integration in Counseling
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
This conceptual presentation explores peace as an embodied and spiritually integrated construct in the context of anxiety. Drawing from evidence-based anxiety treatment, evolving literature, and Christian integration, the presentation examines how anxiety disrupts nervous system regulation, presence, and agency, and how cultivating embodied peace may support healing. Participants will leave with implications for counseling practice, supervision, and spiritually integrated care are discussed.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 5 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Needs Assessment of Older Adults: Implications for Ethical and Evidence-based Practice
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Screening and proper assessment of the needs domains of older adults represents a critical component of ethical, multicultural and evidence-based practice. This program will overview specific older adults areas of need and identify specific assessment instruments for use.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 3 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Pilot study for the MARS Group: Preliminary findings and practical challenges
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
The Mindful Awareness and Relational Skills (MARS Group) was designed to help new counselors enhance their relationships with clients by fostering in-session mindful awareness. This presentation will introduce the MARS Group to attendees and share preliminary findings of the pilot study. Practical challenges of conducting a pilot study for a group-based intervention with practicing counselors will be discussed.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 16 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Students’ perceptions of School Counselors' Helpfulness and Accessibility: From the Source
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Rarely we receive feedback from students on how helpful our actions and initiatives are!This session presents findings from a survey of rural middle school students’ perceptions of school counselor helpfulness and its impact on academic and career decision-making. Attendees will gain insights into measuring counselor support, key factors influencing student evaluations, and potential implications for supporting students’ academic and career interests.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 1 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Using Q Methodology to Examine Subjectivity: A Dissertation Study as an Illustrative Example
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Q methodology offers counselor education researchers a rigorous yet underutilized approach for investigating subjectivity in ways traditional qualitative or quantitative methods cannot. This session provides a practical, step-by-step walkthrough of conducting a Q methodology study, from developing a Q sample to interpreting factor solutions, using a completed dissertation on basic skills instructors' perspectives on practicum unreadiness as a case example throughout.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 2 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Visualizing Cultural and Identity Transition: Photovoice with Japanese Expatriate Wives
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
The Japanese expatriate wives (JPNEW) often face multiple challenges with limited access to mental health resources, which impacts their gender identity after they moved internationally, accompanying their partners. In this presentation, the attendees will learn about the challenges among JPNEW and the use of photovoice, which helps to overcome the cultural barriers by allowing participants to express themselves freely. Participants learn how to conduct an ethical cross-cultural study.
Speakers
avatar for Yuima Mizutani

Yuima Mizutani

Dr. Yuima Mizutani (she/her) is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Department of Education Sciences and Professional Programs. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from J.F. Oberlin University in Japan and her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the... Read More →
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 7 [email protected]

8:00am CDT

Who Tells Our Stories when We're Both In and Out? Insider-Outsider Research with Black Women
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
This presentation will provide insights and implications for Black women counselor researchers as insider-outsider researchers conducting research with Black women. Two Black women counselor researchers will discuss the value and challenges of being an insider-outsider researcher, including implications for sharing intersectional identities, standpoints, and experiences of marginalization with their research participants, gaining information from participants, and producing critical conclusions.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 8:00am - 8:50am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 19 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

A Relational-Cultural Perspective to Research Identity
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
This session examines researcher identity development through a Relational-Cultural Theory lens, emphasizing vulnerability, connection, and authenticity in scholarly growth. Participants will explore relational influences on research identity, critically reflect on barriers to authenticity, and identify strategies to cultivate a connected, meaningful scholarly voice. Attendees will gain tools to support sustainable and relationally grounded research trajectories.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 1 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Anti-Fat Bias and the Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa in Fat Clients
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Weight bias is a well-documented yet under addressed concern in counseling. Research confirms it impairs clinical judgment, damages therapeutic alliance, contributes to misdiagnosis, and increases care avoidance among fat clients. This presentation will discuss previous weight bias literature, current gaps in research, and the intended use of experimental analogue research to identify where anti-fat bias is impacting diagnostic decision making of anorexia nervosa in the counseling process.
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 8 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Body Art in Higher Education: Tattoos, Piercings, Outcomes Among African American Female Students
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
African American female college students, particularly those attending rural institutions, remain underrepresented in this literature. The present study examined perceptions and practices surrounding tattoos and body piercings and their relationships with alcohol use, drug use, and sexual activity among African American female undergraduate students at a rural university.
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 5 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Bridging Disciplines: Designing and Implementing Interdisciplinary Outcome Research in Counseling
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
This session explores how to design and implement interdisciplinary outcome research in counseling, using a trauma and chronic pain intervention as a model. Attendees will learn strategies for collaborating across disciplines, developing inclusion criteria, selecting assessments, structuring interventions, and integrating qualitative analysis within mixed-methods designs.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 17 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Do We Really Know what Burnout is? Examining Conceptual and Methodological Challenges of Burnout
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Burnout among counselor educators is a growing concern, yet the field’s understanding is stalled by a "crisis of definition" and reliance on limited measurement tools. This session provides a foundational deconstruction of the burnout construct, challenging the status quo of current literature. Participants will evaluate the methodological "blind spots" in CE research and explore the JD-R model as a rigorous framework for advancing more nuanced, systemic inquiry in the field.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 3 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Exploring the Relationships Between Parental Support & Mental Health of Black College Aged Women
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
This correlational study design explores the relationship between levels of parental support, academic motivation, and mental health in African American women in college. More specifically, the impact of parental support on academic motivation and mental health. This sample (N=235) was recruited through an online survey panel of participants who met the inclusion criteria. Results, implications, and suggestions for future research will be shared during this session.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 2 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Forgiveness and Political Reconciliation
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
This study explores the impacts of political trauma to identify the association of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 20 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

From Couch to Campus: Clinical Counselors Engering School Counseling Through Alternative Licensure
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
School counselor shortages continue to challenge K–12 schools (ASCA, 2018; ASCA, 2023; Goodman-Scott et al., 2022). Alternative licensure pathways are one strategy for strengthening the school counselor pipeline (ASCA, 2023). This roundtable explores the findings and implications of a study examining how clinical mental health counselors perceive their preparation when transitioning into school counseling through an alternative licensure program.
Speakers
avatar for Leanne Campbell

Leanne Campbell

Assistant Professor, Northeastern State University
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 19 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Integrative Sandtray Supervision with CITs: A Single-Case Research Design
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
This roundtable reviews the implementation of integrative sandtray supervision with CITs who worked at trauma-based internship sites. The study discussed in this roundtable used a single-case research design to examine the effectiveness of the intervention on reducing secondary traumatic stress over the course of an academic semester. In addition to the results, this roundtable discusses limitations of the study, recommendations for future research, and the implications for counselor education.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 13 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

International and Cultural Understanding of the Social Determinants of Mental Health
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
This roundtable session is intended to discuss how different cultures and countries conceptualize the Social Determinants of Mental Health (SDMH). Some key topics of this roundtable discussion include how counseling research outside of the United States can utilize the SDMH model, what specific cultural factors should be considered when using the SMDH model for research, and how research of the SDMH model may have already been conceptualized internationally.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 14 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Is Dieting an Evidence-Based Practice? Measuring What Matters Most in Size-Inclusive Counseling."
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Most counselors will encounter clients pursuing weight loss, yet dieting is associated with low success rates, physical, and mental health risks. This roundtable highlights findings from a recent Delphi study in which panelists addressed dieting and weight loss when determining competencies for providing size-inclusive counseling. Attendees will engage in a discussion of these findings, translating them into best practices for navigating assessment and goal setting while reducing weight stigma.
Speakers
avatar for Kari Slater

Kari Slater

Assistant Professor, Wilmington University
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 11 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Keeping the Humanity in Human Subjects: Prison Research and Ethics
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Incarcerated individuals with mental illness (IIMI)experience live with the well-documented double stigma of criminality and mental illness by mental health professionals. This stigma can bleed into research with IIMI, despite Human Subjects protections. Research design can address ethical risks early and set researchers up for success. An experienced prison researcher will discuss risks grounded in her 30 years' experience and provide resources for preventing errors that can cause problems.
Speakers
avatar for Leigh Holman

Leigh Holman

Professor & Department Chair, Sam Houston State University
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 6 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Making Coding Work: Practical Strategies for Team-Based Analysis in Counseling Research
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
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
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 18 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Relational Approach to Ethical Decision-Making: A Content Analysis of Counseling Literature
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Professional counseling approaches ethical decision-making from a power-over individualist framework, downplaying the importance of the client and the counseling relationship, and placing the counselor in an isolated position. In this session, presenters will share data from a content analysis of professional counseling literature on relational cultural therapy (RCT) and ethical decision-making. Attendees will discuss an RCT grounded approach to ethical decision-making and future research plans.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 12 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Student Outcomes and School Counselor Perspectives on the Hope Intervention: A Mixed Methods Study
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
This mixed methods study evaluated Hope Matters, a school counselor–led group intervention grounded in Snyder’s hope theory. Using a pre–post–follow-up test design with 135 students (grades 3–7), results showed significant increases in hope, but no improvements in attendance, grades, or discipline referrals. Interviews with six counselors identified key themes that influenced implementation. Participants will learn the hope intervention and how to apply a mixed methods approach to evaluation.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 7 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

The Impact of Trauma Work: Counselors’ Lived Experiences of Witnessing, Strain, and Growth
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
This session presents findings from a hermeneutic phenomenological study of counselors working with multilayered complex trauma. Results highlight trauma work as a dialectical process involving strain, embodiment, institutional pressures, and meaning-making. Attendees will gain practical strategies to support counselor well-being, supervision, and sustainable trauma-informed practice.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 4 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

Using Rasch Analysis to Strengthen Assessment Tools in Counselor Education
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Assessment tools are widely used in counselor education to evaluate counseling competencies and professional development of counselors in training and in higher education. However, many assessments rely on traditional validation method that such as the Multicultural Counseling knowledge and Awareness Scale that relied on Classical Test Theory (Lu, 2016). This presentation introduces Rasch Analysis as a measurement approach that can strengthen tools by improving overall measurement validity.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 16 [email protected]

9:05am CDT

When Ideas Outrun Evidence: Accelerating Counseling Research Translation Responsibly
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Counseling research is shifting as ideas spread quickly through trainings, podcasts, and social media while traditional publishing moves slowly. This session examines how to get trustworthy findings to clinicians and counselor educators sooner through rapid but rigorous publication pathways, living evidence products, and clinician-friendly translation tools, using a recent theory dispute to illustrate how counseling can reduce knowledge lag without sacrificing rigor, equity, or ethics.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 9:05am - 9:55am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 15 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

A Reckoning with Gender, Race, and Objectification: Immigrant Women’s Body Image in Turbulent Times
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
This session examines how contextual factors, including societal gender roles, cultural body ideals, and attitudes toward immigrants, contribute to maladaptive and harmful behaviors among young immigrant women. Attendees will gain insights into key protective factors, such as cultural identity and community support, and how research can inform culturally responsive care. Implications for addressing mental health disparities and fostering resilience in diverse populations will also be discussed.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 10 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Assessing Covert Trauma: Does technology have a role?
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Covert trauma is chronic, relational, and psychosocial in nature, yet it remains an inadequately assessed and underdiagnosed phenomenon in the counseling literature. This session explores covert trauma and emerging AI, telehealth, and virtual technologies that are transforming the way we conduct covert trauma assessments, while also examining ethical imperatives around bias, confidentiality, and clinical validity.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 2 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Becoming a Researcher: Doctoral Students’ Journeys in Researcher Identity Development
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
This roundtable explores how doctoral students develop researcher identities through the challenges, uncertainties, and growth inherent in research training. Drawing on participants’ lived experiences and scholarly frameworks, attendees will examine common barriers, supports, and turning points in the development of researchers. Participants will leave with practical strategies to foster confidence, resilience, and ethical research practices in doctoral education.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 12 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Behind the Walls: Conducting Community Engaged Research in Correctional Settings
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Community engaged research is challenging in any setting, but in prison settings there are additional barriers to entry that researchers should be aware of. Based on the presenter's decades of working and conducting research in prisons, she will provide real-world considerations for establishing partnerships, understanding potential confounding variables, recruiting subjects, and collecting data, all of which researchers should consider prior to submitting an IRB. Case examples and Discussion.
Speakers
avatar for Leigh Holman

Leigh Holman

Professor & Department Chair, Sam Houston State University
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 7 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Capturing Complexity and Centering Equity: Single Case Design for Practice-Based Counseling Research
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Single case research design (SCRD) in counseling is a powerful tool for advancing client outcome counseling research that is practice based and equity focused. This session will focus on the use of mixed methods in SCRD to transform routine clinical practice data into meaningful client centered research. Participants will learn how to enhance the measurement of complex client outcomes and center the clients voice by integrating qualitative and quantitative data into their research.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 14 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Data Collection with College Students and Emerging Adults: Best Practices and Sampling Strategies
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Emerging adults (ages 18–29) are the most likely age group to begin counseling services and receive mental health therapy, which underscores the need for counseling research on this population. This session will describe the differences between sampling college students from an educational setting and emerging adults through a developmental lens. Participants will learn creative recruitment strategies for both college and non-college settings, as be able to evaluate research results and implicat
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 11 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Disrupting Objectivity: Positionality-Conscious Activism as Reflexive Praxis in Counselor Education
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
This session explores positionality-conscious activism in counselor education research in response to national and global humanitarian crises (e.g., genocide in Gaza, violence against immigrant communities, anti-DEI executive orders). Positionality-conscious activism, grounded in anti-oppressive leadership frameworks, calls researchers to leverage their power and privilege to take an anti-oppressive stance in all stages of the research process and enact social change using research as advocacy.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 5 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Examining Mothers’ Ability to Recognize Sexual Grooming Behaviors of Child Sexual Abusers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Research acknowledges the importance of parents’ role in the prevention of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), yet there are few prevention programs that target parents. During the 50-minute round table session, presenters will briefly discuss preliminary findings, explore methodological challenges, invite feedback on CSA prevention curriculum development, and facilitate discussion on trauma-informed parenting strategies.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 13 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

From ABD to PhD: Rewriting the Dissertation Journey Through Connection, Culture, and Sisterhood
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
The dissertation phase is isolating, and for Black women navigating PWIs while managing multiple roles, that isolation carries the risk of staying ABD. This session explores how three Black women doctoral candidates reframed completion through immersive writing retreats rooted in connection, culture, and sisterhood. Grounded in research on identity-affirming spaces and peer support, presenters share what made the difference. Attendees leave with a framework for underrepresented doctoral writers.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 1 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

From Value to Practice: Consensus-Based Supervisory Strategies for Cultivating Cultural Humility
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
In this session, we present findings from a Delphi study that examined expert consensus on supervisory best practices for cultivating cultural humility in supervisees. Attendees will learn about the study’s rationale and Delphi methodology, and engage in discussions about how the resulting guidelines may inform counselor training, clinical supervision, and future research on culturally responsive practice.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 3 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Initial Psychometric Evaluation and Applied Utility of the Counselor Self-Discrepancy Inventory
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
This session presents the development and initial psychometric evaluation of the Counselor Self-Discrepancy Inventory, a measure assessing discrepancies between counselors’ professional and personal selves. Grounded in self-discrepancy theory, results from EFA and CFA support a multidimensional structure with reliability and validity evidence. Implications for counselor training, supervision, and assessment practices will be discussed.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 15 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Mapping as a Qualitative Research Method: Counseling Implications for Adult Third Culture Kids
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
This presentation explores the Adult Third Culture Kids (ATCKs) who have received college counseling sessions. ATCKs have unique international childhood backgrounds with mental health challenges, but they have been understudied, leading to limited resources. The participants will learn about the unique experience of ATCKs in the college settings. Additionally, the participants will learn about the Mapping activity in our ongoing study and how the activities can be used in cross-cultural studies.
Speakers
avatar for Yuima Mizutani

Yuima Mizutani

Dr. Yuima Mizutani (she/her) is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Department of Education Sciences and Professional Programs. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from J.F. Oberlin University in Japan and her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the... Read More →
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 8 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Novel Eye-Movement Intervention: Repeated Measures Analyses of PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety Scores
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Elements of the novel eye-movement protocol will be shared, followed by results of this quantitative clinical trial, meant to help confirm results of the pilot study. This quasi-experimental design had no control group but included pretest, midway, and posttest scores for PTSD frequency and severity, depression, anxiety, and ER using repeated measures analyses. Results showed significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms, along with significant improvement in ER.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 4 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Policy on Paper, Silence in Practice: Black Student-Mothers in CACREP Doctoral Programs
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Black student-mothers navigate a unique intersection of academic rigor and systemic misogynoir, yet institutional policy evaluation centering their lived experiences is critically scarce. This session presents a multiple-case study grounded in Black Feminist Thought and Intersectionality, triangulating Title IX mandates with lived narratives. Attendees will explore findings on policy-practice gaps and receive evidence-based recommendations for faculty training and standardized support.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 19 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Research Gaps in Exercise-Based Trauma Interventions for Data-Driven Counseling
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
This session examines research gaps in exercise-based interventions as complementary approaches for trauma recovery. Participants will review current evidence and consider emerging research priorities related to optimal exercise types, dose-response relationships, population differences, measurement strategies, and mechanisms of change. Practical, low-cost study designs for counseling settings will be discussed to support data-driven practice.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 6 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Team Research Development: 15 Essential Practices Described and Discussed
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
This session presents 15 essential practices for relational, culturally responsive, and high-impact team research in counselor education. Participants will explore strategies to build inclusive, collaborative partnerships, clarify roles, uphold ethical standards, and navigate team complexities, fostering trust, mutual accountability, and culturally grounded approaches that enhance both team functioning and scholarly impact.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 16 [email protected]

10:10am CDT

Voice, Perception, and Relational Process: Audio-Based Approaches in Counseling Research
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
This session explores the use of voice as a method for studying relational process in counseling research. Focusing on audio-based designs, it considers how voice recordings can be used to examine perceptions of communication and relational qualities. Discussion will center on methodological considerations and implications for culturally responsive research.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 10:10am - 11:00am CDT
Trinity 2 Table 17 [email protected]

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

11:05am CDT

Anger and Grief in University Honors Students: Assessing and Treating the Phenomenon
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Recent research points to the significance of studying anger, the impact on individuals and communities, and how measuring anger could help us better understand this human experience (Umbra & Fasbender, 2025). While anger is present across groups, the study of anger in the gifted population has a presence in history yet remains understudied. This session presents the preliminary results and implications from a study addressing anger and disenfranchised grief in university Honors students.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 2 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Are Participants Using AI? Implications for Qualitative Research Practice
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Rapid developments in large language models raise growing concerns about participants’ AI use in research relying on subjective responses, which may undermine the validity and authenticity of research data. Drawing on emerging scholarship and researchers’ experiences, this roundtable explores implications for qualitative research, potential indicators of AI use in interviews, and strategies researchers can employ to enhance data integrity during research design and data collection.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 12 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

At the top of the evidence hierarchy: Advancing randomized controlled trials in counseling
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Randomized control trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard of empirical intervention research, yet these studies are rarely conducted in counseling research. In this roundtable, you will explore designing and conducting RCTs in counseling. We will discuss strengths and limitations in existing RCTs in counseling, priorities for future RCTs, and strategies for designing, implementing, and publishing RCTs in alignment with professional counseling identity.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 10 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Conjoint relationship interventions' spillover effects on co-parenting: A Systematic Review.
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Coparenting represents a salient relational context for children’s functioning and development. Beyond the influence the parent-child and marital relationships have, the coparenting relationship uniquely contributes to children’s social and emotional adjustment. A systematic review was conducted to examine if couple relationship education and couples therapy have coparenting spillover effects. The final review contains 18 studies. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 11 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Designing and Refining Culturally Responsive Scales: Applications of IRT and Measurement Invariance
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
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
avatar for Ching-Chen Chen

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]

11:05am CDT

Dismantling Barriers to ADHD Assessment:Is Intensive Training of Pre-licensed Clinicians the Answer?
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
How do we dismantle systemic barriers and increase client access to competent and affirming ADHD assessments? Providing intensive assessment training to pre-independently licensed clinicians is an avenue to addressing this issue in Oregon, increasing access to care and treatment for clients.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 15 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Enhancing Counselor Trainee Crisis and Trauma Competency Through Artificial Intelligence Simulations
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Graduate counseling programs struggle to provide consistent, ethical training in crisis and trauma care. This mixed-methods study evaluates AI-based simulations versus role-play in a CACREP course. Findings examine impacts on self-efficacy, decision-making, and preparedness, positioning AI simulation as a scalable, trauma-informed training tool.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 1 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

From Imposter to Practitioner: Measuring Counselor Confidence Across Training Stages
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Counselor self-efficacy plays a central role in the development of competent practitioners. Although research highlights the importance of self-efficacy in predicting counseling performance and skill development, counselor education programs often lack clear, structured approaches for assessing confidence across training stages. This conceptual presentation introduces a comprehensive framework for measuring counselor confidence from early coursework through practicum and internship.
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 3 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

How Do We Measure Group Skills? Rethinking Assessment in Counselor Training
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Group counseling is required in CACREP-accredited programs at multiple points, yet assessment practices rarely capture group-specific competencies. This session proposes a multidimensional approach to evaluating group counseling skills and engages participants in discussion of challenges and strategies for assessing skills through live observation and recordings.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 14 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Increasing Well-Being Among Veterans Using Psychoeducation and Mindfulness: Preliminary Data
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
The most recent suicide prevention annual report from the VA provides data from 2022 and indicates that in 2022 there were 6,407 suicides among Veterans, equating to 17.6 Veteran suicides each day (Miller, 2024). Professional counselors need to know what the current research in professional counseling literature states about Veteran suicide. We provide preliminary data examining the use of psychoeducation, exploration of anger, and mindfulness in a 6-week intervention with Veterans.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 20 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Pain and Pressure: the need for bidirectional assessments for chronic pain clients
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
This presentation will examine the impact of mental health on clients with chronic pain from a counseling perspective. The presenters will review the current assessment tools available for chronic pain. Furthermore, the presenters will discuss the impact of mental health on chronic pain. Finally, the presenters will provide implications related to the assessment of mental health factors with chronic pain clients.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 4 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Providing Tools to Protect Children from Internet Dangers (Education Session)
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
The following presentation will discuss specific themes and play behaviors in play therapy that may indicate a child's dangerous use of technology. These themes were gathered from an extensive questionnaire sent to Association for Play Therapy members. Therapists will be able to identify strategies for addressing therapeutic themes that emerge during sessions. Resources to support parents will also be provided.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 6 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Qualitative Findings of a School Counselor-Led Mindfulness Intervention with Middle School Teachers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
This session presents the qualitative findings of the experiences of middle school teachers who participated in a five-week, school counselor-led, mindfulness-based professional development intervention program. The presenters will share the themes of the teachers' reflections that influenced their well-being, classroom climate, and relational practices with students in order to create more emotionally responsive learning environments.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 19 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Relational Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury: Implications for Counseling Research and Practice
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts communication, emotional regulation, and relationship functioning, placing strain on romantic partnerships. This session presents dyadic research on help-seeking stigma, motivation, and relationship satisfaction in TBI-affected couples. Attendees will explore implications for counseling research, including the value of dyadic methods and strategies to better understand and support relational processes in clinical and research contexts.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 13 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Research Self-Efficacy Beyond Skills: Interpersonal and Systemic Influences in Doctoral Training
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
This session shares findings from a concept mapping study on counselor education doctoral students’ research self-efficacy (RSE). Results highlight that mentorship, feedback, and collaborative learning strongly influence RSE. Participants will explore how these interpersonal and environmental factors shape research confidence and discuss strategies to create supportive training environments that foster doctoral students’ research self-efficacy and researcher identity development.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 9 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Teaching Research & Assessment: Creative approaches to making the material relatable and relevant.
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Teaching research and assessment can be daunting, especially when students are unenthusiastic about learning the material. In this session, we will discuss creative and innovative teaching approaches counselor educators can use to meet CACREP student learning objectives in a fun and approachable manner. We will include a discussion of teaching both research methods and assessment. This will be an interactive session, and participants will leave with usable teaching tools.
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 5 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

The Integration of Popular Culture into Counselor Education Andragogy: A Phenomenological Inquiry
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Counselor Educators across the country are integrating popular culture media into their andragogical practices in counselor education preparation programs. The research team aimed to explore the lived experiences of counselor educators who are weaving their teaching practices with popular culture mediums such as tv shows, films, novels/books, social media, etc. to help develop the next generation of counselors.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 17 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to Examine Trauma Teaching in Counselor Education
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
This 50-minute session presents findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study examining counselor educators’ and doctoral students’ lived experiences of teaching trauma in CACREP-accredited programs. Findings highlight perceived needs, preparedness, supports, and barriers. This session will present the IPA method, key findings, and discuss implications for improving trauma education in counselor education.
Speakers
avatar for Yoon Suh Moh

Yoon Suh Moh

Associate Professor, Thomas Jefferson University
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 7 [email protected]

11:05am CDT

Using Machine Learning to Analyze Data: Trauma and Social Determinants to Predict Mental Health
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow, counselor educators and researchers are jumping into AI and machine learning (ML) in exciting ways. In this session, we’ll share recent work using ML to predict mental health outcomes from adverse childhood experiences and social determinants of mental health. We’ll also demystify ML, walk through practical strategies for working with datasets, and open the floor for questions and discussion.
Speakers
avatar for Eunae Han

Eunae Han

Assistant Professor, University of Texas El Paso
Dr. Eunae Han is an assistant professor in the Counseling and Special Education department at the University of Texas at El Paso and a licensed professional counselor in Texas. She is a feminist scholar with interdisciplinary expertise spanning counselor education, feminist psychology... Read More →
avatar for Alex Gantt-Howrey

Alex Gantt-Howrey

Assistant Professor, Syracuse University
Friday September 18, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 16 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

A Two-Phase Qualitative Design for Mapping ChatGPT Adoption Trajectories
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
This session presents a two-phase qualitative design for examining counseling students’ ChatGPT adoption over time. Integrating Critical Incident Technique and Constructivist Grounded Theory, the study maps developmental stages and explains underlying processes. Emphasis is placed on methodological rigor, data integration, and application of this design to process-oriented research in counselor education.
Speakers
avatar for Fan Fan

Fan Fan

Doctoral Candidate, The Pennsylvania State University
Fan Fan (樊璠) is a doctoral candidate in Counselor Education with a dual title in Comparative and International Education at Penn State. As an international scholar, Fan is passionate about blurring methodological and disciplinary boundaries and fostering cross-disciplinary communication... Read More →
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 3 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

An Exploration of Wellness Meaning‑Making Among International Counselor Trainees
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
This session explores academic writing as a psychological process shaped by emotions, beliefs, and identity. Participants will examine common barriers such as avoidance and perfectionism and learn practical, evidence-informed strategies to build more consistent and sustainable writing practices through reflection and application.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 11 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Between Conviction and Practice: Religion, Counselors, and LGBTQ+ Clients
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
There is often a parallel process in the development of a scholarly research identity between the junior faculty creating a research agenda and the counselors in training who are learning how to conduct counseling research. This session will explore that process and discuss how organization and mentorship impacts that process and what we have learned from our students about being mentors and researchers.
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 15 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Centering Haitian Women’s Voices: A Phenomenological Study of Racial Trauma
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Grounded in research, this session centers Haitian women's experiences in the United States with racial trauma. It examines how these experiences are shaped by their intersectional identities, their coping mechanisms, and key protective factors. The session concludes with recommendations for culturally responsive care for this population and a call to action for allies to engage in advocacy efforts that support communities impacted by racial trauma.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 7 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Evaluating ASCEND: Data-Driven Prep for School Counselors Serving Students with Disabilities
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
There is need for holistic metacognitive measures of counselors' and counselor-students' levels of state and trait mindfulness, executive functioning (EF), stress, and wellness as a metacognitive assessment to measure and further understand the cognitive and mental wellness needs of counselors. When baseline data for EF and mindfulness levels of counselors is attained, researchers can then design better mindfulness interventions specifically for the multicultural needs of counselors altogether.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 13 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

From Classroom to Change: Research as Advocacy in Non-Research-Focused Counseling Programs.
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Join this roundtable hosted by counselors with experience working in community collaboration focused on community mental health to: 1) explore your perceptions about the role of counselors in collaborative community mental health initiatives; 2) review and debate the relevancy of counseling advocacy competencies related to this domain; and 3) identify opportunities to use community collaboration as an advocacy tool in your work.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 16 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Increasing Well-Being Among Veterans Using Psychoeducation and Mindfulness: Preliminary Data
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
The most recent suicide prevention annual report from the VA provides data from 2022 and indicates that in 2022 there were 6,407 suicides among Veterans, equating to 17.6 Veteran suicides each day (Miller, 2024). Professional counselors need to know what the current research in professional counseling literature states about Veteran suicide. We provide preliminary data examining the use of psychoeducation, exploration of anger, and mindfulness in a 6-week intervention with Veterans.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 10 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Mentorship in Counseling Research: What Mentees Need and How Mentors Can Respond
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
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
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 18 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

No Policy Background? No Problem, Bestie! An Introduction to Policy Analysis for Counseling Research
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Counseling researchers addressing systemic mental health challenges need rigorous tools for policy analysis. Drawing on perspectives from education, public health, and public administration, this session offers a well-rounded introduction to policy analysis for counseling researchers at any experience level. Attendees will learn how this multi-framework approach enhances analytical depth, supports equity-centered inquiry, and produces policy recommendations grounded in counseling research.
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 6 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Priming a Neurocognitive Memory Mechanism to Augment Traditional Mental Health Counseling
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Little attention has been paid to neuropsychological mechanisms-of-change in counseling. A pilot study (test n=50; control n=47) tested memory priming to transform clinical mental states into real/sham antidote forms, added to psychodynamic, CBT, and humanistic counseling. Real priming significantly sped up depression reduction (SMD 1.01) and wellbeing increase relative to sham (SMD 0.95, ps<.001), showing the value of targeting core memory systems within traditional mental health counseling.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 8 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

2:35pm CDT

Self-Esteem & Body Dysmorphia: Exploring the Role of Social Media
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
This session examines relationships among self-esteem, social media use, and subclinical body dysmorphia in emerging adult women. Specifically, social media use will be examined as a moderator that exacerbates existing construct relationships. Findings highlight self-esteem as a key predictor, along with multiple other critical correlations. Attendees will gain insight into assessment, prevention, and counseling strategies to address body image concerns and maladaptive media engagement.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 2 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Self-Report vs. Simulation-Based Assessment of Suicide Gatekeeping Competence among Youths
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Suicide gatekeeping trainings are often evaluated with self-report measures, which capture perceived confidence but provide limited evidence of performance. This session will present a pilot study (n = ~30) examining suicide gatekeeping competence among high school students across pre-, post-, and 6-week follow-up. We will compare self-reported gatekeeping self-efficacy with performance on an AI-simulated risk assessment module to show how simulation-based assessment can complement self-report i
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 5 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Starting Where You Are: Using Backcasting to Build a Research Agenda from a Local Practice Idea
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Counselor educators often begin their research careers with a practice-based idea: a population they know, a problem they see, an intervention they believe could work. Backcasting inverts conventional research planning by beginning with a desired future state and working backward to map the research steps required to achieve it. This session bridges assessment and research with practice by modeling how to get started without waiting for perfect conditions to begin.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 9 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

The Post-Dissertation Pivot: Establishing Your Research Agenda as New Faculty
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
New faculty face a variety of challenges in transitioning from dissertation completion to building a sustainable research agenda, with literature highlighting identity shifts, collaboration demands, and tenure pressures (Gibson et al., 2015; Gosling et al., 2020). The presenters address this transition by offering practical strategies for reframing dissertation work into a coherent research program, cultivating mentorship and collaboration, and aligning with long-term goals.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 1 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

2:35pm CDT

Transforming Trauma Assessment: Unifying the Clinical and Creative Lens in IPV Work with Families
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a public health issue affecting adults and children across multiple levels of family and social functioning, yet disclosure is often limited by fear, safety concerns and systemic barriers. This session examines the Kinetic Family Drawing (KFD) as a trauma‑ and violence‑informed art therapy tool to identify family dynamics, trauma indicators, and unspoken IPV experiences within a comprehensive assessment, while supporting rapport‑building and treatment planning.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 4 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Using Anonymous Questionnaires to Collect Sensitive Information: A CQR Case Study
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
The traditional dissertation format faces criticism for low publication rates and limited utility in assessing doctoral competency. This presentation examines how Multiple Manuscript Dissertations (MMDs) in counselor education can be used to effectively evaluate CACREP standards, serve as a meaningful competency assessment tool, and facilitate publishable scholarship. We share emerging assessment frameworks, trends, and implementation recommendations for programs considering this shift.
Speakers
KE

Kelly Emelianchik-Key

Associate Professor, Florida Atlantic University
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 12 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

Using Data to Support Professional Counseling Programs and Rationalize Access to Resources
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
This roundtable explores clinical language proficiency in counselor education, highlighting its relationship to language discrimination and counselor self-efficacy among international students. The session introduces a three-facet model to support teaching and supervision. Attendees will receive practical strategies for promoting linguistically and culturally responsive training and will discuss future approaches to assessing clinical language proficiency.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 14 [email protected]

2:35pm CDT

When Is It Participatory? Navigating the Tensions of Participatory Action Research
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
This presentation invites counselors and researchers to collaboratively explore community-engaged research in counseling settings. Drawing on a case example from rural addiction counseling, facilitators will prompt dialogue on building authentic partnerships, navigating ethical complexities, and adapting methodologies to community contexts. Participants will share challenges and solutions from their own experiences, generating collective insights that bridge research and
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 2:35pm - 3:25pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 17 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

AI in Assessment: Ethical, Clinical, and Educational Applications
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This session explores the integration of AI in clinical mental health and educational assessment. Participants will analyze current research, debate AI’s role through theoretical and pedagogical lenses, and apply ethical and cultural competencies to real-world scenarios. Attendees will leave with practical frameworks for evaluating responsible AI use in assessment contexts.
Speakers
avatar for Laura A. Bailey Smith

Laura A. Bailey Smith

Director of Research, Associate Professor, Lindsey Wilson University
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 15 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

All the single cases, all the single cases. Now [students] put your hands up!
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Single case research design (SCRD) is a growing methodology across behavioral disciplines to establish evidence for treatment and intervention effectiveness. SCRD offers a more feasible, practical method to assess intervention effectiveness, using smaller samples to infer clinical significance (Lenz, 2015; Mirza et al., 2017). This Q&A session will support students and researchers by exploring how to apply SCRD in current or future studies based on presenters' ongoing scholarship.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 13 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

An Exploration of Wellness Meaning‑Making Among International Counselor Trainees
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This roundtable session draws on findings from an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study to explore how international counselor trainees conceptualize wellness. Participants will analyze how cultural contexts and exposure to wellness frameworks within counselor education shape trainees’ ongoing meaning‑making of wellness. Guided discussion will focus on implications for counseling research, education, and supervision to support culturally responsive wellness approaches.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 1 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Between Conviction and Practice: Religion, Counselors, and LGBTQ+ Clients
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This presentation examines how Christian counselors navigate the tension between religious beliefs and ethical obligations when working with LGBTQ+ clients. Using self-report measures and the Implicit Association Test (IAT), we compare counselors' stated attitudes with their implicit biases and broaching behaviors. Findings carry implications for research on religiosity and clinical bias, as well as practice-level guidance for supervisors, training programs, and ethical standard development.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 5 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Closing the Competency Gap: The TRACA for Transracial Adoption Counseling
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This session presents research validating the Transracial Adoption Counseling Assessment (TRACA), an instrument measuring counselor competencies for supporting transracial adoptees. Attendees will examine psychometric validation findings to identify specific competency gaps in counselor preparation, gain evidence-based assessment strategies for counselor education programs, and explore curriculum integration approaches to enhance clinical practice with transracial adoptees and their families.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 14 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Content and Connotation: An Analysis Protocol to Center Student Participant Perspectives
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
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
avatar for Alexandra Frank

Alexandra Frank

Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 18 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Demystifying Institutional Review Boards (IRB) Through an Equity Lens
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) play a critical role in protecting human participants, yet the process is often experienced as opaque and intimidating, especially for equity-focused counseling and assessment researchers. This interactive session introduces the purpose of IRBs, categories of review, and key protocol components while centering issues of power, vulnerability, and social justice. Attendees will gain practical strategies for navigating IRB processes ethically and confidently.
Speakers
CC

Catharina Chang

Professor, Georgia State University
Catherine Y. Chang, PhD, LPC, NCC, CPCS, is a professor at Georgia State University, where she is also director of International Programs for the College of Education and Human Development. She has published and presented in the areas of social justice and advocacy, multicultural... Read More →
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 11 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Evaluating ASCEND: Data-Driven Prep for School Counselors Serving Students with Disabilities
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This session presents the ASCEND Fellowship, a DOE-funded program preparing school counselors to support students with disabilities. Grounded in the ASCA National Model and experiential learning, the program integrates coursework, a speaker series, and a summer bootcamp (ASCA, 2019, 2022; Kolb, 1984). Attendees will gain strategies for developing evaluation frameworks and applying mixed-methods data to assess counselor competency (Havlik et al., 2019).
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 3 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Examining a Polyvagal Trauma Intervention: A Single-Case Study of the Safe and Sound Protocol
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This session presents findings from a single-case research study examining the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), a polyvagal-informed intervention for trauma. Results indicate meaningful reductions in trauma symptoms and improvements in autonomic regulation. Attendees will gain insight into integrating nervous system-informed approaches to enhance treatment engagement, safety, and retention in trauma counseling.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 16 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

From Classroom to Change: Research as Advocacy in Non-Research-Focused Counseling Programs.
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This session will reframe research as a practical tool for advocacy in non-research-focused counseling programs, where heavy teaching loads often limit institutional expectations for research publication. Based on ACA code of ethics and CACREP standards, the session will highlight strategies to integrate research into teaching, examine key challenges and benefits, and guide attendees in creating a brief, actionable plan to implement advocacy-based research that improves student learning outcomes
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 6 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Mentorship in Counseling Research: What Mentees Need and How Mentors Can Respond
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This session explores research mentoring relationships in counselor education, grounded in research and presenters’ lived experiences. Attendees will identify key qualities of effective mentoring, examine common challenges, and develop practical strategies to cultivate meaningful and productive mentoring relationships in counseling research.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 8 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Reconnecting Under Constraint: Can Family Therapy Repair Attachment in Juvenile Justice Settings?
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Do family therapy interventions during incarceration meaningfully shift attachment? This session presents findings from a residential juvenile justice setting, revealing minimal change in attachment despite treatment participation. Attendees will gain insight into attachment stability, barriers to family engagement, and strategies for strengthening attachment-focused care in restrictive settings.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 10 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Research as Advocacy: Mentoring Counselors-in-Training From Competent Consumer to Competent Research
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This roundtable will discuss strategies for mentoring master’s-level counselors-in-training through the full research process, from developing research questions to publication and conference presentation. Framing research as client advocacy, presenters will share practical approaches for engaging students in meaningful research experiences that build competence as both consumers and producers of research.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 17 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

The Personal is Empirical: A Co-Autoethnographic Exploration of Research Identity Development in WOC
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This session explores the research identity development of women of color in a Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) doctoral program. The presenters use autoethnography for reflexive inquiry into their experiences. Attendees will discuss the utility of autoethnography as a method in CES, identify important factors in research identity development, and consider the influences of cultural identity and social support.
Speakers
avatar for Patrice Bryan

Patrice Bryan

Doctoral Candidate, Duquesne University
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 12 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

The Stories Behind the Stats: Using Mixed Methods to Holistically View Student-Athlete Mental Health
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Student-athletes are uniquely vulnerable to a range of mental health symptoms including perfectionistic thinking, identity-related stress, anxiety, and burnout. This presentation draws on research findings to highlight the importance of capturing student-athlete wellness complexities by integrating quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Participants will learn how holistic, narrative research enhances understanding of student-athlete mental health to better inform counseling practice.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 9 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Using Anonymous Questionnaires to Collect Sensitive Information: A CQR Case Study
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Collecting sensitive data poses unique challenges for counseling scholars, particularly for minoritized participants. In this session, we will present methods for using anonymous online questionnaires to collect sensitive qualitative information. We will demonstrate this utility presenting a consensual qualitative research study examining crisis line use for suicide among 20 undergraduate men of color. Join us to develop strategies for exploring sensitive topics in our current climate!
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 2 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

Using Data to Support Professional Counseling Programs and Rationalize Access to Resources
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Professional Counseling programs face increased pressure to demonstrate their value and effectiveness to secure vital resources. This roundtable discussion will explore strategies for using data to demonstrate impact and advocate for resources to support Professional Counseling programs. We will discuss types of data that are persuasive when engaging with administrators and other key stakeholders. We will also address common barriers to data collection and strategies to overcome those barriers.
Speakers
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 4 [email protected]

3:40pm CDT

When Is It Participatory? Navigating the Tensions of Participatory Action Research
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
This session examines tensions in participatory action research (PAR), asking: what makes research truly participatory? Drawing from school-based research and participatory frameworks, presenters explore how institutional constraints shape participation across the research process. Attendees will consider PAR as a continuum and leave with tools to navigate participatory work with methodological clarity and integrity.
Friday September 18, 2026 3:40pm - 4:30pm CDT
Trinity 2 Table 7 [email protected]
 
2026 Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling Conference
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