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COUNSELING NEWS                 FALL 2015
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Welcome to the Fall 2015 semester!  The CU Denver Counseling Faculty and Staff are excited about the upcoming semester and hope that you all are off to a fantastic start.  In particular we want to welcome new students; as you get started on this journey, we would like to offer a few tips and suggestions to help you successfully make your way through your program.  These tips are also useful to our "seasoned" students!
  • Review your Program Handbook thoroughly and make it your best friend!  When in doubt, first consult your manual; the answer is often there.  If you are unable to find the answer in the manual, consult with your faculty mentor and/or Geneva Sarcedo.
  • Make sure you have your planned program outlined and sent to Geneva Sarcedo and your faculty mentor. Remember that Program Plans are not a Guarantee.
  • In preparing your planned program, pay attention to the prerequisites for courses and make sure you are planning on taking courses in the order in which they are required.  This will limit problems such as not being allowed into advanced courses because of missing prerequisites.
  • Make sure you know who your faculty mentor is, let her or him know who you are, stay in touch, and utilize this resource for support.
  • Utilize the official sources of information for University, SEHD, & Counseling information and updates (not Facebook or the “grapevine”).
  • Become involved…in your professional and academic community; join the American Counseling Association (www.counseling.org), the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (www.aamft.org), the American School Counselors Association (www.schoolcounselor.org).
IMPORTANT DATES
  • MANDATORY Advising Night/Internship Fair is scheduled for Wednesday November 4th- mark your calendar NOW!!
  •  Deadline to register for Fall 2015 COMPS and graduation: Wednesday, September 2, 2015 by 5pm
  •  Deadline for Spring 2016 internship and practicum applications: Tuesday, September 15, 2015
  •  NCE test date: Saturday, October 17, 2015
  •  Spring 2016 registration begins: Monday, Nov 2, 2015
  • COMPS test date: Saturday, November 7, 2015
IMPORTANT INTERNSHIP CHANGE
There has been a change in the Counseling Program Internship Course (CPCE 5930) credit registration option. In the past the course has been a variable credit course (1-6 credits), whereby students were able to register anywhere between 1 and 6 credits.  Starting Summer 2015, CPCE 5930 is no longer a variable credit course. Students will be able to register for either  3 or 6 credits.
 
Please be sure to consider this when you are planning and registering for Internship.
_________________________________

Remember, anyone who plans to register for internship MUST apply (this includes those students who are in internship and plan to continue).

 

Internship Website: Please remember to stay connected to the Internship Website, where you will find all Internship related materials, manuals etc. Also, there are many announcements with regard to new sites, job opportunities etc… http://sehd.ucdenver.edu/cpce-internships/


 
From Counseling Program Representative, Dr. Carlos Hipolito-Delgado

Greetings Counseling Students,
 
Welcome to another academic year at CU Denver. The theme for this academic year will be change: Over the next 12 months we will experience a number of transitions. The first is minor, but significant. In Fall 2016 our course prefix will switch from CPCE to COUN. We have long been the Counseling program, it was time that our course prefix changed to more accurately reflect our academic identity. This change will not impact degree requirements nor course numbering, but some course descriptions might change to more accurately reflect their current content.
 
Also beginning this academic year the Counseling program will no longer conduct summer admissions. Running three admissions cycles and the subsequent orientations and advising was taxing on the faculty. The switch to Fall and Spring admissions means that we will not have to offer certain courses as frequently—specifically those that are chronically under-enrolled. By offering less overall courses we can improve the ratio of courses being taught by our core faculty. This change also allows core faculty to be more involved with practicum and internship courses. We will continue to rely on your Program of Study to decide when and how frequently courses should be offered.
 
In the coming months you will begin to see new advertisements and promotional materials featuring our graduate students (Weston Smith, Marina Garcia, and Ken Lee) and the line “Counsel with Purpose”. You will also soon see major updates to the School of Education and Human Development and Counseling websites. These changes are intended to improve the visibility of the Counseling program and bring us in line with CU Denver’s larger “Learn with Purpose” campaign.
 
Finally, we are in the process of hiring a new Clinical Faculty member. This new faculty member will be housed in Counseling, but will split teaching time between the Counseling program and Human Development and Family Relations (HDFR). This new faculty member will solidify our relationship with HDFR allowing us to offer more Counseling related courses at the undergraduate level and will likely teach courses in the Counseling core.
 
I wish you the best this academic year and will keep you apprised of future developments.
 
 
Carlos P. Hipolito-Delgado, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Colorado Denver
 
Chair
American Counseling Association Foundation

 
Important Program Policy Reminders: 
Counseling Program Policy Exceptions (p. 18, Counseling Program Handbook)
Students who want to be granted an exception to any of the policies in the Counseling Program Student Handbook must submit a written request to their faculty mentor stating the nature of the request, the rationale for the request, and must attach relevant documentation. Such requests must be submitted to faculty mentors a minimum of 7 days prior to the monthly faculty meeting. Faculty as a whole will act on students’ policy exception requests.  Be aware that absent of extraordinary circumstances, policies will not be waived.
Track Change Process: If after taking some introductory courses in the program, a student wishes to change specialty track area, the student must fill out the track change form (p. 39 of Program Manual), meet with the designated faculty mentor in person to discuss the desired change, and obtain appropriate signatures. A signed copy of this form must be submitted to the Student Services Center, Lawrence Street Center, Suite 701.
 
Pre-requisites: Students are responsible for reviewing the Counseling Program Handbook, catalog and schedule to be certain that all prerequisites for courses have been taken. Some courses may be offered only once per year, or every other year. Please consult the tables below for the information on courses not offered every semester. ALL COURSEWORK, with noted exceptions in each track, MUST BE TAKEN BEFORE the student may register for PRACTICUM. Any student who has not followed the above procedure and has registered for a class out of sequence will be dropped from the class.
 
Counselors for Social Justice
The UCD CSJ group will be meeting on Wed., September 16th @6:30 PM In the new Starbucks at the Tivoli.
 
Counseling Students of Color Support Network
The Counseling Students of Color Support Network has a tentative meeting set up for Thursday September 17th @ 6:30 PM.  If you are interested in attending, please contact Dr. Estrada.

The NBCC Foundation is pleased to announce the 2016 application period for the National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship Program (NBCC MFP) and the NBCC Foundation military and rural scholarships. The NBCC Foundation will award 22 doctoral-level counseling fellowships, 80 master’s-level counseling fellowships and 10 master’s-level counseling scholarships.
More info can be found here: http://www.nbccf.org/Programs/Scholarships
CRITICAL Websites!
There are many valuable websites to assist you in answering some of your basic questions about the program.  Fabulous materials such as the interactive internship map, graduation and comprehensive exam information and other useful resources are available on these sites. We advise you to check them out!

Current Students page
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/SchoolOfEducation/CurrentStudents/Resources/Pages/CounselingResources.aspx

Internship page
http://sehd.ucdenver.edu/cpce-internships/
The Mission of the Counseling program at the University of Colorado Denver is to educate competent counselors who value inclusion and prize diversity such that they are prepared to offer a continuum of mental health services across a variety of settings for the benefit of the community and the society.
 
A message from CSI- BAO Honor Society
I am so excited about what CSI-BAO has planned for this semester. Back to School Night is scheduled for September 29, location TBD- all are welcome! Please also plan to join us for COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DAY on October 10.
I also want to congratulate our 40 new initiates to CSI-BAO. They were initiated on January 24 and we are proud of them for their accomplishments. If you are interested in joining CSI, please email us at chisigmaiotabao@gmail.com for the application and more information!
I hope to see you at our events this semester and wish you success and enjoyment in your upcoming semester!
Star Hess, CSI-BAO President
Mission
The mission of Chi Sigma Iota is to promote scholarship, research, professionalism, leadership, advocacy and excellence in counseling, and to recognize high attainment in the pursuit of academic and clinical excellence in the profession of counseling
 
Preparing for Comprehensive/NCE Exams 
Comprehensive Exam (comps)
Date: November 7, 2015
Results Available: 3 weeks after exam         
Number of Questions: 180
Procrastinators Beware: Don’t take this exam the last semester of classes. If you don’t pass, you won’t graduate and you will have to register for 1 graduate credit (more money and fees!) in order to take it again.
 
National Counselor Exam (NCE)
Date:  October 17, 2015
Number of Questions: 200, scored on 180 (20 are “test” questions that determine the next exam)
Results Available: approximately 6 weeks after exam            
Emergency: if you cannot take the exam because of an emergency contact Geneva Sarcedo so she can notify NBCC and let them know you will be taking it the next time.
 Core Areas
1.        Human Growth and Development
2.        Social and Cultural Foundations
3.        Helping Relationships
4.        Group Work
5.        Career and Lifestyle Development
6.        Appraisal (measurement)
7.        Research and Program Evaluation
8.        Professional Orientation and Ethics
 
Study Materials – all materials in the clinic are available to check out. They are located on top of the video cabinet.
Book – $42.90, clinic has 1 copy available to check out
Encyclopedia of Counseling by Howard Rosenthal
"I found it difficult to study from the 'Encyclopedia of Counseling' because of the way in which it was (not) organized.  Rosenthal asks a question and then gives you a justification for the correct answer; he then explains the relevance of each incorrect answer.  I found this approach to learning material a little haphazard."  - former practicum student
 
CD’s – $84.73, clinic has a complete set, available to burn
Vital information and Review Questions for NCE and State Counseling Exams by Rosenthal
 
Counselor Exam Prep Workshop given by Dr. Helwig; visit www.counselor-exam-prep.com for more information.
 “I have heard that from students they liked the workshop. Andy focuses on career development (a weak point for our students) and his workbook contains both study materials and useful practice tests.” 
 
FACULTY & STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 

Dr. Robert Allan presented at the 2015 American Family Therapy Conference in Vancouver, Washington and has presentations accepted at the 2015 ACES conference in Philadelphia (“Multicultural competencies in couple and family therapy supervision”) and the 2016 joint American/Canadian Counseling Associations Conference in Montreal (“Proven Strategies for Triadic Supervision”) where he will present with Dr. Cannon and Dr. Gentile.

Dr. Edward Cannon was recently promoted to Associate Professor, Clinical teaching track. He serves as the program administrator, doing the scheduling, hiring lecturers, keeping up to date with CACREP, writing this lovely newsletter which you are now reading (thank you!). His responsibilities include 50% teaching, 40% administration, and 10% research. He continues to lead the CMHC track. He is also working with Dr. Gentile on the upcoming GLBTI symposium and also serves on the Governor's LPC Examiners Board. In the spring, he will be presenting two education sessions at ACA Montreal.
 

Dr. Diane Estrada is the new chair of the AMCD bylaws committee.  She is also a member of the American Family Therapy Academy Nominations Committee and a Conference program committee member. Dr Estrada, Dr Hipolito-Delgado, and Marina Garcia will be presenting their research on "Students of Color Experiences in Counselor Education" at the Association for Counselor Education & Supervision conference.Dr Estrada has been nominated for the AMCD Presidency for 2017-18.  So join AMCD and vote for her!


Dr. Troyann Gentile continues to work on streamlining the internship paperwork and process (this is an ever-evolving practice). She continues to be an advocate and liaison between our program and our community partners, building additional networks and relationships in support of our students’ training. In addition she continues her appointment to serving as the Chair of the CU Denver GLBTI Faculty Assembly Committee, as well as Chair for the University of Colorado Faculty Council GLBTI Committee. As part of her role as chair of the Faculty Council committee, she is charged with fundraising and organizing the 4th Annual CU System GLBTI Symposium, which is scheduled for November 13th, 2015 at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Dr. Gentile is slated to present at the European Branch American Counseling Association conference in Naples, Italy, as well as the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, in October, on topics of Socially Just Gate keeping, and  Social Justice and Diversity Throughout the  Supervision Process.

Dr. Carlos Hipolito-Delgado has completed his term as President of the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD) and now takes on the role of Past-President on the AMCD Governing Council for the fiscal year of 2015 – 2016. Dr. Hipolito-Delgado was also elected Chair of the American Counseling Association Foundation Board (ACAF) for the 2015 – 2016 fiscal year. As chair he is responsible for guiding the Foundation Board in raising funds for the foundations scholarship, grant, and awards that recognize the work of those who advance the counseling profession. Dr. Hipolito-Delgado is currently collaborating with Dr. Estrada on a national research study examining the experiences of graduate students of color in Counselor Education programs. Further, he is collaborating with colleagues at CU Denver and CU Boulder to study the quality of policy argument of youth involved in action civics.

Dr. Farah Ibrahim had a conference presentation accepted for the ASGW conference in February 2016, on International consultation and training. She also just had a book published, titled Cultural and social justice counseling. 

Dr. Shruti Poulsen earned tenure and promotion this past summer and is now Associate Professor in the
Counseling Program. She continues in her role as the contact/lead faculty for the Couple and
Family Track. Dr. Poulsen presented with Drs. Estrada and Allan at the American Family Therapy Academy
Annual Meeting/Conference in June 2015. She will also be presenting this fall with Dr. Gentile at the Europe Counseling Association Conference in Italy, and at the Association for Counselor Educators & Supervisors Conference in Philadelphia this October. Dr. Poulsen continues her ongoing role/appointment as Board Member: Colorado State Board of Marriage & Family Therapist Examiners. She was recently elected to the Board of Commissioners of the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage & Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).  Her term begins in January 2016; in the meantime, she continues to serve as an accreditation site visitor for the COAMFTE. Dr. Poulsen and Dr. Allan are the co-chairs for the Conference Planning Committee for the 2016 American Family Therapy Academy; the conference will be held June 22-25, in downtown Denver.

Dr. Scott Schaefle earned tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor over the summer. He also was an author on two publications in the counseling profession’s flagship journal, The Journal of Counseling and Development July issue. Dr. Schaefle will be presenting at the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) conference in October and also facilitating  a panel discussion at the ACES Conference” Innovating Gatekeeping Practices”.This past Spring, Dr. Schaefle served on two State of Colorado Department of Education grant review panels: The Colorado Counselor Corp Grant and the School Health Professional Grant.He will also be presenting in the Spring of 2016 at the American Counseling Association Conference. 





Faculty Presentations

Cannon, E. & Kennedy, C. (May 2015). Safe Zone Training. University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus.

Cannon, E. (May 2015). Understanding addiction within the metal health context. Invited talk presented at Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA.
 
Estrada, D., Hipolito-Delgado, C. P., & Garcia, M. (March 12 – March 15, 2015). Diversifying Counselor Education: Improving the Recruitment and Retention of Students of Color. Program presented at the nation conference of the American Counseling Association. Orlando, FL.
 
Ibrahim, F. A., Vontress, C. E., Ivey, A. E., & Hipolito-Delgado, C. P. (March 12 – March 15, 2015). Cross-Cultural/Multicultural Counseling in the 21st Century. Program presented at the nation conference of the American Counseling Association. Orlando, FL.
 
Reinders-Saeman, R. & Hipolito-Delgado, C. P. (March 12 – March 15, 2015). Understanding Practices of Allies to Communities of Color: Implications for Counselor Education. Program presented at the nation conference of the American Counseling Association. Orlando, FL.

Schaefle, S., Malott, K., Paone, T., (2015) Understanding White Dialectics and Racial Identity Development: New Findings and Implications for Counselor Training. ACES Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

Faculty Grants - Funded
Kirshner, B., Zion, S., and Hipolito-Delgdo, C. P. (2015-2017). Measurement of Young People’s Policy Arguments in Authentic Contexts. Funded $379,025 by the Spencer Foundation.
 
Hipolito-Delgado, C. P. and Estrada, D. (2015). The Lived Experience of Students of Color in Counselor Education. Funded $1,500 by the CU Denver Office of Research Services.


Recent & Forthcoming Faculty Publications

Allan, R. (2015). The use of Emotionally Focused Therapy with separated couples.Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy,

Allan, R., Ungar, M., & Eatough, V. (2015). “So I feel like I’m getting it and then sometimes I think OK, no I’m not”: Couple and family therapists learning an evidence-based practice.
Hipolito-Delgado, C. P. & Zion, S. (2015). Igniting the fire within marginalized youth: The role of critical civic inquiry in fostering ethnic identity and civic self-efficacy. Urban Education. doi: 10.1177/0042085915574524

Ibrahim, F. (2015). International consultation and training in South Asia, Journal for specialists in group work.

Poulsen, S. (2015). Review of the book Interracial couples, intimacy, & therapy: Crossing racial borders, by K.D. Killian. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 41(1), 128-129. Doi:
0:1111/jmft.12072

Malott, K., & Schaefle, S. (2015). Addressing clients’ experiences of racism: A model for clinical practice. Journal of Counseling and Development 93(3), 361–369.

Malott, K., Paone, T., Schaefle, S., Cates, J., & Haizlip, B. (2015). Expanding White racial identity theory:  A qualitative investigation of Whites engaged in antiracist action. Journal of Counseling and Development 93(3), 333-343.



 

Check out Dr. Ibrahim's new book!!
Dr. Robert Allan & Dr. Shruti Poulsen, CU Denver Counseling Program faculty and American Family Therapy Academy (AFTA) members hosted an AFTA  webinar featuring Dr. Susan Johnson in the spring. Over 40 people attended the event in the LSC!
OF INTEREST FOR STUDENTS:

November 14, 2015 -
Undoing Aloneness: The Transformation of Emotional Suffering  Featuring: Dr. Diana Fosha, Ph.D
 
 Special rate for CU Counseling Students!
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0E4DA8A92CA7F49-accelerated
 
Presented By: AEDP Rocky Mountains with support from University of Colorado-Denver’s Counseling Program and CU Denver’s CSI chapter.
 
About the Presenter:
 
Dr. Diana Fosha is the developer of A E D P (Accelerated Experiential-Dynamic Psychotherapy), and founder and current director of the AEDP Institute, an internationally recognized school that specializes in training therapists in a healing-oriented transformational approach to the treatment of attachment trauma.


 
4th Annual Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex Symposium

“Conversations That Matter”Please join the CU Faculty Council GLBTI Committee for its 4th annual symposium to provide a forum for faculty, staff and students at CU to exchange ideas and learn new strategies for being inclusive throughout the University. The symposium will held at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs campus on November 13th.
 
 
The 7th Annual Co-LEADS Student Summit
From Tweets to Streets: Intersections of Mass Media, Social Media, and Social Justice
 Colorado Leadership for Equity, Advocacy, and Discovering Social Justice
Friday, October 2, 2015  –  8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
 
The Co-LEADS conference was established in 2009 by a group of individuals on the Auraria and DU campuses as a way to bridge discussions of leadership and social justice in a meaningful way. The Summit invites college students from across Colorado to join in discussions of social justice, activism, advocacy, and social change. Throughout the day students participate in a number of workshops that challenge, grow, and inspire them to make change in their own lives and their communities. For more information or to register visit our website at: http://www.du.edu/cme/programs-services/coleads.html
 
 

 
CU Denver Student and Community Counseling Center Happenings 
 

The CU Denver Counseling Center will be looking for 1-2 interns this Spring 2016. The deadline to apply is: Wednesday, September 16 (this is different than what is on the internship website and we are working to get it fixed). The interviews will the week of September 22nd. Please note: We typically take Clinical Mental Health track students as we cannot provide couple and family hours for our interns.


The Counseling Center plans to continue the popular Wednesday Workshop series during the Fall 2015 semester. The workshops are based in the tenets of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, which focuses on stress management, mood regulation, relationship boundaries and healthy communication, and mindfulness. Our wonderful interns from the Counseling Program run these workshops and are a tremendous asset to the Center.
 
Melody Brown has reinstated a Harm Reduction group that runs in the Counseling Center on Mondays. The group is for any member of the Auraria campus who is struggling with substance use and seeking support on ways to reduce the negative impact of substances on their life. Melody has also been instrumental in getting an AA group on campus to allow support for people seeking a sober support community. 

Dr. Pat Larsen, representing the SCCC, is co-chairing the emotional wellness subcommittee along with a representative from the SGA, for the CUDenver Wellness Center planning.  Several Counseling Program students have agreed to serve on the committee. 
PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Geneva Sarcedo has been an academic advisor at CU Denver in the School of Education & Human Development since 2012. Before coming the Denver, she worked as an advisor for the Student Support Services (SSS) and Educational Opportunity Program programs at University of California, Davis and the SSS program at University of California, Berkeley. In addition to working at CU Denver, she is also a PhD student in the Urban Ecologies program and instructor in the Urban Community Teacher Education program here. Those professional experiences have influenced her research interests in campus climate, critical race theory (CRT) and whiteness in academic advising, and best and promising practices for working with first-generation and low income college students.

E. Asher Eno, MA, MA, NCC is Owner/Psychotherapist of Infinite Possibilities Counseling, LLC. Asher is trained as a couple and family therapist who specializes in sexuality and gender transitions, the LGBTQ communities, open relationships, polyamory, BDSM, power dynamics, kinks and fetishes. In addition, Asher is teaching Techniques in Family Therapy at CU Denver. Previously, Asher has taught Human Sexuality Studies at the Community College of Aurora. Asher holds a BA in Psychology from CU Denver, an MA in Human Sexuality Studies from San Francisco State University, and an MA in Couple and Family Counseling Psychology from CU Denver. Asher and Dr. Diane Estrada work in collaboration to support non-binary gendered individuals' experiences in the CACREP counseling programs and how counselor educators and counselors-in-training can be better informed on working with these populations. Asher and Diane have submitted their manuscript for publication and will be presenting their findings at the 2015 Association for Counselor Education and Supervision conference. 

Jenny Cureton, LPC, ACS, NCC Five years into my first career in the business world, a set of life-changing events (e.g., surviving a tornado) woke me up to the counseling field. In 2005, I completed a Master's in Counseling while working in graduate education. 
After finishing my LPC, I opened a private practice and started teaching counseling as an adjunct professor. I fell in love with teaching, and wanted to learn more. Now in the last year of my Counselor Education and Supervision PhD program (CFT track), I am immersed in research, teaching, supervision, and practice. My specific professional interests include suicide, trauma, crisis, strengths and resilience, and diversity. My dissertation focuses on the preparation of graduate counseling students on issues of suicide in counseling.My counseling experience includes work in a career center, college/university setting, community-serving clinics, medical office (sleep center), and private practices. I have taught at UCD for two years: Multicultural, Advanced Theories and Techniques, Ethics, and now Internship. I also currently teach a Crisis and Trauma course online for Antioch New England and consult for the Colorado Department of Education on Graduation Guidelines. I just joined a private practice to provide trauma counseling to clients with developmental disabilities and/or sex offenses and started a job search with hopes to become a full-time professor next year!



 
IMPORTANT ORGANIZATIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC)
http://www.algbtic.org
 
ALGBTIC is a Division of the American Counseling Association. The mission of ALGBTIC includes the recognition of both individual and social contexts representing the confluence of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, spiritual or religious belief system, indigenous heritage in order to promote greater awareness and understanding of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues among members of the counseling profession and related helping occupations; and to improve standards and delivery of counseling services provided to LGBT clients and communities.
 
The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA)
http://www.amhca.org
 
AMHCA is a growing community of more than 6,000 clinical mental health counselors. Together, we make a critical impact on the lives of Americans. AMHCA succeeds in giving a voice to our profession nationwide and in helping to serve you and your colleagues in your state. AMHCA's mission is to enhance the profession of clinical mental health counseling through licensing, advocacy, education and professional development, and to be the national organization representing licensed clinical mental health counselors and state chapters, with consistent standards of education, training, licensing, practice, advocacy and ethics. 
 
Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD), a division of the American Counseling Association
http://www.multiculturalcounseling.org/
 
The Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development seeks to develop programs specifically to improve ethnic and racial empathy and understanding. Its activities are designed to advance and sustain personal growth and improve educational opportunities for members from diverse cultural backgrounds.
AMCD is charged with the responsibility of defending human and civil rights as prescribed by law. It encourages changing attitude and enhancing understanding of cultural diversity. Provisions are made for in-service and pre-service training for members and for others in the profession. Efforts are made to strengthen members professionally and enhance their ability to serve as behavioral change agents. Operationalization of Multicultural Counseling Competencies by AMCD represents a benchmark for the counseling profession and the American Counseling Association.
AMCD seeks to develop programs specifically to improve ethnic and racial empathy and understanding.  Its activities are designed to advance and sustain personal growth and improve educational opportunities for members of diverse backgrounds.   
The AMCD mission is: To promote a greater awareness and understanding of multiculturalism and the impact of cultural and ethnic differences on the counseling process among members of the counseling profession and other helping professions
 
Colorado Counseling Association
http://www.coloradocounselingassociation.org/
 
The Colorado Counseling Association (CCA) is a state branch of the 50,000 member American Counseling Association (ACA). CCA is an organization of counseling professionals who work in education, health care, residential, private practice, community agencies, government and business/industry settings. Serving as a dynamic network of professional counselors in the State of Colorado, CCA is devoted to professional development and maintenance of high standards for those involved in the counseling profession.
 
While CCA is a state branch of ACA, you must register and pay dues at the state level separately to become a member of CCA; you do not automatically become a member of CCA when you become a member of ACA.
 
Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ)
 
CSJ is a division of the American Counseling Association (ACA).  CSJ is a community of counselors, counselor educators, graduate students, and school and community leaders who seek equity and an end to oppression and injustice affecting clients, students, counselors, families, communities, schools, workplaces, governments, and other social and institutional systems. The mission of CSJ is to work to promote social justice in our society through confronting oppressive systems of power and privilege that affect professional counselors and the clients they serve.  This mission is accomplished by promoting positive change in society and through professional development training, educational initiatives, community action projects such as disaster relief work, advocacy on behalf of clients and communities, and direct work with clients. 
 
American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy (AAMFT)
http://www.aamft.org/iMIS15/AAMFT/
The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) is the professional association for the field of marriage and family therapy. AAMFT represents the professional interests of more than 24,000 marriage and family therapists throughout the United States, Canada and abroad.
Since its founding in 1942, the AAMFT has been involved with the problems, needs and changing patterns of couples and family relationships. The association leads the way to increasing understanding, research and education in the field of marriage and family therapy, and ensuring that the public's needs are met by trained practitioners. The AAMFT provides individuals with the tools and resources they need to succeed as marriage and family therapists.
AAMFT develops standards for graduate education and training, clinical supervision, professional ethics and the clinical practice of marriage and family therapy. The AAMFT hosts an annual national training conference each fall as well as a week-long series of continuing education institutes in the summer and winter. AAMFT publishes the scholarly research journal Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, news about the field in Family Therapy Magazine, and a variety of brochures and pamphlets that inform the public about the field of marriage and family therapy. Also, AAMFT offers a range of professional and practice development products, including videotapes, books and brochures.
When you become a member of AAMFT, you automatically become a member of CAMFT (Colorado Association for Marriage & Family Therapy): http://www.coamft.org/ohana/website/index.cfm?p=95575656523