{{Short description|Member organization of professional counselors}} {{Third-party|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox organization | formation = 1952 | abbreviation = ACA | type = Nonprofit, Professional Society | purpose = Advancing the counseling profession, mental health and well-being through education, advocacy, community, inclusion and research. | headquarters = Alexandria, Virginia | membership = 60,000 | leader_title = President | leader_name = Elsa Soto Leggett | publication = Counseling Today | name = American Counseling Association | website = {{URL|http://www.counseling.org}} }} The '''American Counseling Association''' ('''ACA''') is a membership organization representing licensed professional counselors (LPCs), counseling students, and other counseling professionals in the United States. It is the world's largest association exclusively representing professional counselors.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2022-07-04 |url=http://www.counseling.org/about-us/about-aca |website=American Counseling Association |title=About ACA}}</ref>

Its stated mission is to "enhance the quality of life in society by promoting the development of professional counselors, advancing the counseling profession, and using the profession and practice of counseling to promote respect for human dignity and diversity".<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2022-07-04 |url=http://www.counseling.org/about-us/about-aca/our-mission |website=ACA: About us |title=Our Mission & Strategic Plan}}</ref>

The association headquarters is located in Alexandria, Virginia.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.counseling.org/about-us/contact-us---alpha |title=Contact Us |website=www.counseling.org |access-date=2017-05-05}}</ref>

==History== [[File:Embassy of Tajikistan (Washington, D.C.).JPG|thumb|Former headquarters of the American Personnel and Guidance Association in Washington, D.C.]] The group was founded in 1952<ref>{{cite web |title=History (Dr. Pope Welcomes You) |url=http://www.umsl.edu/~pope/history.html |website=University of Missouri - St. Louis |accessdate=5 April 2017}}</ref> as the American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA), formed by the merger of the National Vocational Guidance Association (NVGA), the National Association of Guidance and Counselor Trainers (NAGCT), the Student Personnel Association for Teacher Education (SPATE), and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). The American Personnel and Guidance Association changed its name to the American Association of Counseling and Development (AACD) in 1983.

On July 1, 1992, the association adopted its current name.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2022-07-04 |url=http://www.counseling.org/about-us/about-aca/our-history |website=ACA: Our History |title=Our History}}</ref>

===Divisions, regions and branches=== There are 20 chartered divisions within the American Counseling Association.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2022-07-04 |url=http://www.counseling.org/about-us/divisions-regions-and-branches |website=ACA Divisions |title=Divisions Regions and Branches}}</ref> They are listed here with their founding date:

* Association for Adult Development and Aging (AADA) (1986) * Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC) (1965) * Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling (ACAC) (2010)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-11-21 |title=About Us - Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling |url=https://acachild.org/about-us/ |access-date=2023-03-16 |language=en-US}}</ref> * Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC) (2004)<ref>{{Cite web |title=ABOUT ACC |url=https://www.creativecounselor.org/about-acc |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=creative-counselor |language=en}}</ref> * American College Counseling Association (ACCA) (1991) * Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) (1940)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Administrator |date=2016-10-09 |title=Professional Associations - IResearchNet |url=http://psychology.iresearchnet.com/counseling-psychology/counseling-skills-training/professional-associations-counseling/ |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=Psychology |language=en-US}}</ref> * Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC) (1931)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259683079|title=Association for Humanistic Counseling: The Heart and Conscience of the Counseling Profession &#124; Request PDF}}</ref> * Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD) (1972) * American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA) (1958)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bartle |first=Lisa |title=Library Guides: Rehabilitation Counseling: Organizations |url=https://libguides.csusb.edu/c.php?g=453905&p=3103843 |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=libguides.csusb.edu |language=en}}</ref> * Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) (1974) * Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) (1973) * Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) (1999)<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.counseling-csj.org/history.html |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=COUNSELORS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE |language=en}}</ref> * International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling (IARTC) (2021)<ref>{{Cite web |title=IARTC History |url=https://www.iartc.org/about-4-1 |access-date=2023-03-16 |website=IARTC |language=en}}</ref> * International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC) (1972) * International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC) (1989) * Military and Government Counseling Association (MGCA) (1984) * National Career Development Association (NCDA) (1913) * National Employment Counseling Association (NECA) (1966) * Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE) (1975)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Story – Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities |url=https://saigecounseling.org/our-history/ |access-date=2023-03-16 |language=en-US}}</ref> * Affiliate: Association of Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness (ACSSW) (in or before 2018)

The ACA also has multi-state regional bodies, and branches for various US states and territories. There is also a "Europe" branch.

===Publications=== ACA publishes books, journals and other educational materials on counseling topics including ''Journal of Counseling & Development''.<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2022-07-04 |url=http://www.counseling.org/publications/overview |website=ACA Publications |title=Overview}}</ref> The organization's flagship magazine, ''Counseling Today'',<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2022-07-04 |url=http://ct.counseling.org |website=Counseling Today |title=Counseling Today - A Publication of the American Counseling Association}}</ref> is published once a month and sent to all ACA members via U.S. mail.

=== 2017 conference === In 2016, ACA moved its 2017 San Francisco Conference & Expo from Nashville, Tennessee to San Francisco, California after Tennessee's legislature passed a bill, HB 1840/SB 1556, targeting members of the LGBTQ community and others. The bill allowed counselors in Tennessee to turn clients away based on "strongly held principles". The ACA stated that the legislation "denies services to those most in need, targets the counseling profession, and violates the ACA's code of ethics".<ref name="Biz">{{Cite web |first=Chris |last=Rauber |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/2016/06/counseling-san-francisco-nashville-lgbt-haslam.html |title=Convention moves from Nashville to S.F. over anti-LGBT legislation |website=www.bizjournals.com |date=June 16, 2016 |access-date=August 23, 2018}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == * {{official|https://www.counseling.org}}

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Category:Academic organizations based in the United States Category:Mental health organizations based in Virginia Category:American organizations established in 1952 Category:Organizations based in Alexandria, Virginia