Dr. Amanda M. Evans is a Professor of Counseling Programs at James Madison University. Amanda is a licensed professional counselor, nationally certified counselor, board-certified tele-mental health provider, and approved clinical supervisor. Her research interests include race-based trauma, health disparities, and ally development. Amanda has secured over 4.5 million dollars in grant funding to support initiatives that support the behavioral health of children, adolescents, and transitional-age youth. She is a member of the ACA Governing Council and a leader within the Association for Humanistic Counseling. Within ACA, Amanda has served on the Ethics, Graduate Student, and Human Rights Committees.

Dr. Emily Goodman-Scott is a Professor of Counselor Education and the School Counseling Coordinator at Old Dominion University. She has previous experience as a special education teacher, school counselor, and LPC serving youth and families; her goals include: working toward more equitable and just education systems. Dr. Goodman-Scott studies school counseling, including Multi-tiered Systems of Support, youth with diverse abilities, and current school counseling topics. She enjoys working with school counselors and educators around the country, providing trainings, keynotes, and coaching. Over the years, she has served as a leader for the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling (president 2020-2021); the Virginia School Counselor Association (Chair, 2019-2020) and ACA Governing Council (2022-2025), as well as a 2023 ACA Fellow.

Stephanie Dailey, EdD is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia, a National Certified Counselor, a certified trauma professional, and an Approved Clinical Supervisor. Dr. Dailey is the ACA liaison to the American Red Cross disaster mental health partners, immediate past-president of the Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC); past-president of the Maryland Counseling Association (2015-2016); and former co-chair of the ACA Ethics Committee (2015-2016). Dr. Dailey has published and presented extensively on topics such as the ethical integration of spirituality and religion in counseling; managing counselor/client values conflicts; crisis, trauma, and disaster counseling; assessment and diagnosis; and clinical supervision

Victoria ‘Tori’ Stone, PhD, LPC, has 24 years of experience as a school counselor, counselor educator, and national presenter. As an Associate Professor and the Clinical Coordinator of the Counseling program at George Mason University, Dr. Stone trains both School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling students in counseling skills and theories, creative counseling interventions and practical, theory-based approaches to work with children, teens, and adults. Dr. Stone has delivered more than 400 presentations at the local, state, and national level on Anxiety and Depression, Trauma Informed Education, Brain Development and the Nervous System, Creativity in Counseling, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and many other related topics. She is known for her creative presentation style, humor, and approachable expertise.

Cirecie A. West-Olatunj, PhD currently serves as the CEO of CRESTS program, LLC. Dr. West-Olatunji is the founding director of the Center for Traumatic Stress Research (CTSR). She is also a past president of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Association (AMCD). In addition, she has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development (JMCD). Nationally, Cirecie has initiated several clinical research projects focusing on culture-centered community collaborations designed to address issues rooted in systemic oppression, such as transgenerational trauma and traumatic stress. She has conducted commissioned research under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, ACA Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, federal Witness Assistance Program, Spencer Foundation, the American Educational Research Association, and the African American Success Foundation. Her publications include two co-authored books, numerous book chapters, and over 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals. In addition to national presentations, Cirecie has delivered research papers in Eastern and Western Europe, the Pacific Rim, Africa, and the Americas. Additionally, she provided consultation in a PBS initiative to create a children's television show focusing on diversity through KCET-TV in Los Angeles, CA ("Puzzle Place"). She has also provided consultation to the Center for American Education in Singapore and to the Buraku Liberation Organization in Japan to enhance their early childhood and counseling initiatives. Cirecie has coordinated disaster mental health outreach projects in post-Katrina New Orleans, Southern Africa, and Haiti. Cirecie is also a fellow in the American Counseling Association.

Victoria E. Kress Ph.D./LPCC-S, NCC, CCMHC (she/her) has been a counselor for 3 decades and a counselor educator for over 2 decades. She is the director of the clinical mental health and addictions counseling programs at Youngstown State University. She served as a governor appointed member of the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board and chaired the Counselor Professional Standards Committee. She has been the recipient of over 50 professional and community service awards, most of which for her advocacy, leadership, scholarship, community service, and mentorship initiatives. She has also received awards for her work with people who have intellectual disabilities, for empowering girls in her community, for her sexual assault prevention efforts, and for her child abuse advocacy work. She has published over 130 refereed articles and book chapters, and she has co-authored 7 books on counseling youth and adults. She has been recognized as one of the top producers/publishers in counseling journals over the past two decades. She served as an editor of the Journal of Mental Health Counseling, and as an editorial board member for many counseling journals. She is a past president of Chi Sigma Iota International, the Association for Humanistic Counseling, the Ohio Counseling Association, and the North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision; she is a past ACA Midwest Region Chair; she is a current member of the American Counseling Association’s governing council; and she has chaired or served on 100+ counseling committees. Over the past decade she has volunteered and worked in Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, and Tanzania, promoting mental health awareness and training, and the professionalization of counseling in East Africa.

Dr. Michael P. Chaney (he/him), LPC (GA and MI), ACS., is an associate professor and the doctoral program coordinator in the Department of Counseling at Oakland University. He received his Ph.D. in Counseling in 2004 from Georgia State University. He has held several leadership positions within the American Counseling Association (ACA) including serving as a current Governing Council member. He is a past-president of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities, and has co-chaired the ACA Human Rights Committee, Bylaws Committee, and Gender Equity Task Force. In 2023, he was inducted as an ACA Fellow. Mike’s 25 years of clinical experience includes counseling clients across the lifespan, adolescents to older adults. He has demonstrated competencies and expertise working with LGBTQ+ individuals with substance use disorders, sexual compulsivity, identity issues, male body dissatisfaction, and trauma. He also has specialized training counseling individuals who are infected or affected by HIV. He has over 90 publications and regularly gives presentations and workshops in the areas of LGBTQ+ mental health and affirmative counseling, substance use and other addictive disorders, and social justice/advocacy in counseling.

Dr. Maria Haiyasoso is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator in the Professional Counseling Program at Texas State University. She holds licensure as a licensed professional counselor supervisor in Texas and is a registered play therapist. Dr. Haiyasoso serves as a facilitator of the Institute for Play Therapy at Texas State University, and her clinical experience and research focus includes counseling and play therapy with survivors of child sexual abuse and survivors of intimate partner violence. Dr. Haiyasoso regularly presents on best practices for trauma work with youth and cultural humility in counseling. She also owns a private practice in Seguin, TX.

Amanda L. Giordano, PhD, LPC is an associate professor at the University of Georgia who specializes in addictions counseling. She is the sole author of a clinical reference book titled, A Clinical Guide to Treating Behavioral Addictions and co-author of a textbook titled, Addiction Counseling: A Practical Approach. Dr. Giordano also created two online credential courses with Mental Health Academy that focus on clinical work with behavioral addictions, and clinical work with substance use disorders. As a scholar, Dr. Giordano works to advance the counseling field with rigorous research and has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. In 2018, she received the Addictions/Offender Educator of Excellence Award from the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors and in 2024 she was awarded the Garry R. Waltz Trailblazer Award from the American Counseling Association in recognition of her work with behavioral addictions. Dr. Giordano collaborates with domestic and international organizations to provide trainings to increase awareness related to addictions counseling and has been an invited keynote speaker. She maintains a blog called Understanding Addiction for Psychology Today and has been a guest on several podcasts.