Faculty from the New England Counseling Division presented at the annual conference of the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES) from November 7 to 9, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.
Taqueena Quintana, EdD, Associate Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Sonia Gooden-Alexis, PhD, Teaching Faculty, School of Counseling, Psychology, and Therapy (CPT), Counseling Division, presented: Decolonizing Counselor Education Programs: Social Justice and Advocacy in Academia
Bernell Elzey, PhD, Teaching Faculty in Counseling and Clinical Mental Health, presented Reality vs Ethics: A Counselor’s Role in Supporting Their Clients in an Anti-LGBTQ+ World in Preconference Conference Workshops.
Michele Pinellas, EdD, Teaching Faculty in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Kevin Kusy, PhD Clinical Director, School Counseling and Teaching Faculty in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Syntia Santos Dietz, PhD, Associate Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Taqueena Quintana, EdD, created a new program rooted in social justice and antiracist principles.
In the last few years, states have introduced an unprecedented number of bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights, which has created ethical dilemmas in which laws and the best interests, desires, and values of clients conflict. These workshops gave practitioners the practical skills and knowledge to work ethically with LGBTQ+ clients and students in schools. By discovering how other counselors understand LGBTQ+ identities, have used inclusive language, and have advocated for policy changes that promote equality and inclusion, counselors can help create a safe and supportive environment for all clients.
Read more about the SACES Conference here.
