Professional Organizations

Active participation in professional associations is vital to professional success — they help graduates stay current in the field and keep abreast of new trends and issues throughout their careers. We recommend that each of our graduate students join, at a minimum, one appropriate association. Membership dues are usually less for students and members receive professional newsletters, journals and announcements of professional activities.

All students are urged to join the American Counseling Association (ACA) in order to be bound by the association’s ethical standards and to obtain group malpractice insurance. Membership applications are available on the ACA website.

Doctoral students are also asked to join the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision and the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.

Professional organization websites

• American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
• American Counseling Association
• Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
• American School Counselor Association
• Association for Specialists in Group Work
• National Career Development Association
• American College Personnel Association
• American College Counseling Association
• National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
• American Association of Student Personnel Administrators
• American College Student Educators International
• Southern Association for College Student Affairs
• Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
• Virginia Association of Marriage and Family Therapy
• Virginia Counselors Association
• Virginia School Counselor Association
• Virginia Association for Specialists in Group Work
• Virginia Career Development Association