NARACES President – Year-End Briefing

Greetings NARACES members

First, I want to thank all the board members for their work this year! We are gearing up for the 2026 conference in Manchester, NH and are so excited to see you there. We received about 300 conference proposals. Thank you to the proposal reviewers who worked so quickly. At this point you should have received notice if your proposal was accepted. If you didn’t, please reach out to our conference coordinator. We are currently exploring options for the location of our 2028 conference so you can expect to hear some updates around that this fall. We have several variables we are considering such as accessibility, member safety, and cost. Please remember starting in July all emails will come from our naracesmembership@acesonline.net email so please be sure to add it to your list of contacts to avoid important messages going to your junk folder!

I want to take a moment to extend my gratitude to our board who put so much thought and heart into all they do. Dr. Matt Nice (Past President), Dr. Zoya McCants (President Elect), Dr. Thomas Killian (Treasurer), Dr. Fatma Salem (Secretary), Saiber Saikh (Grad Student Representative), Dr. Joe Charette (Conference Coordinator), and all our committee chairs – Dr Ben Willis (Awards), Dr. Sarah Baquet (Advocacy), Dr. Kathleen Muirhead (Advocacy), Dr. Jocelyn Novella (Wellness), Dr. Rachele Hartley (Wellness), Dr. Carl Sherperis (Journal Editor), Dr. Derek Parker (Communication), Dr. K. Lynn Pierce (Accessibility), Dr. Anthony Zazzzarino (Research Grants), Sarah Litt (State Affiliates), Dr. Michael Mariska (Technology), Justin McDonald (By-laws), Rachael Pursell (Social Media), and Dr. David Moran (PR Task Force). We have seen some excellent webinars from our Advocacy and Wellness committees this year and I know they have plans for more upcoming trainings. We have seen more supports for our graduate students including the new writing support group! We have also seen the team behind the Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision improve turnaround time on article reviews with international readership! I look forward to seeing what is to come for our region and will do my best to continue to support in any way I can as my time as President comes to an end.

While I still have this role, I would be remiss to not acknowledge our current reality. We know that things have been difficult; being a counselor, counselor educator, or supervisor is no easy task. You are navigating your own reality while also navigating that of your clients, students, and supervisees. It can feel defeating to watch the news, or to simply look outside and hear/see the continuous harm occurring. Many of the organizations in our profession have put emphasis on listening spaces and looking at self-care. There has also been a call to remember our code of ethics and what that means. It is critical that we look at the actionable steps we can take starting with the very work you do in showing up and how you show up. That is the first form of advocacy which then extends to writing letters, voting, engaging in active protest, and even in writing medically compliant yet protective case notes and treatment plans.

I also want to acknowledge that the weight many of you are carrying is not hypothetical, but lived, both daily and cumulatively. For some this includes holding space for grief, fear, and anger that mirrors your own. For others, it is that quiet exhaustion of continuing to show up while you feel depleted. These experiences are valid and do not diminish your commitment, they speak to your humanity. I think sometimes we forget the reality of what that means. I want to be clear that you are making a difference. Systems often feel unresponsive especially when progress isn’t noticeable and outcomes seem uncertain, yet the relational work you do matters so very much. Every moment of attunement, every instance of advocacy, every effort to provide safety is no small act. These are foundational and will ripple in ways we cannot even see.

As an organization we will continue to look at resources and strengthening professional development opportunities while also continuing to advocate at the local, regional, and national levels to support you and those you serve. We encourage you to stay connected to your colleagues, community, organizations, and the values that brought you into being a counselor educator or supervisor. There is no perfect way to navigate our world, just the ongoing practice of showing up with intention, humility, and courage and I’m incredibly honored and proud to walk with you in that. I’m grateful for all that you do.

With gratitude,

Ashley J. Luedke Ph.D., LMHC-D (NY), LMHC (FL)

NARACES President