Four Counselor Education programs unite for statewide conference

In an extraordinary show of collaboration and responsiveness, four counselor education programs from across the state of Michigan came together to plan and execute a highly successful statewide counselors conference — all within a mere seven-month turnaround. What began as an ambitious idea born out of one program's advisory committee quickly transformed into a vibrant, high-energy, one-day event that brought together more than 220 professional counselors, educators, supervisors and graduate students.

The joint effort was spearheaded by faculty and staff from Central Michigan University, Eastern Michigan University, Oakland University and Western Michigan University, who shared a vision to create a space for professional growth, networking, and inspiration for counselors and students at every stage of their careers. Despite the logistical and time challenges that typically accompany such a large-scale event, the team’s determination, creativity and shared purpose fueled rapid progress.

Hosted on the campus of EMU, the conference featured Dr. Jane Goodman, former American Counseling Association president and OU professor emerita, as the keynote speaker, interactive educational and roundtable sessions and poster presentations. Topics ranged from trauma-informed care and culturally responsive practices to the integration of technology in counseling.

"The energy was absolutely palpable from the moment people walked through the doors," said Dr. Patrice Bounds, one of the lead organizers from EMU and the incoming treasurer for CSI International and member-at-large-elect for North Central ACES. “We knew this conference was something special — not just because of the short planning window, but because of the way people showed up. The excitement, the collaboration, the deep conversations — we couldn't have asked for a better response and turnout.”

Supported by Chi Sigma Iota International's Statewide Networking Grant, over 30 graduate students attended a special roundtable session that was designated just for students. CSI Chapters from CMU (Mu Kappa), OU (Theta) and EMU (Pi Omega) wrote the grant that allowed for CSI honors cords to be distributed as door prizes and gifts of gratitude to the roundtable facilitators who presented on their areas of expertise and passion. 

Over 50 students attended the conference - the first one for them in their home state during their graduate school experience. Jennifer Bellinger, a counselor-in-training at CMU, stated, “It was amazing to connect with friends and meet new ones, along with getting energized for entering the field as an LLC soon! I also had the opportunity to co-facilitate a roundtable for the first time, and that was an amazing experience. Thank you so much for the event!" Another student expressed similar sentiments.

"This was my first time attending a counseling conference, and it was a meaningful experience! I really enjoyed being able to connect not just with other counseling students, but practitioners at all different stages of their careers,” stated Sydney Mancino, graduate student at WMU. “It is so empowering to be welcomed as part of a group of people who are so passionate about mental health and serving our community!”

Michigan has not had a statewide in-person conference for counselors in close to 13 years, with the last one being a collaboration between the Michigan Counseling Association and the Michigan School Counselor Association. Attendees expressed appreciation for the event’s inclusive atmosphere, the diverse range of speakers, and the practical takeaways that could be immediately applied to their work.

“This conference meant a lot to me as a student and clinician. Being able to interact with many different clinicians across the state, I was able to feel part of the Michigan Counselor Community. Being in private practice can sometimes be isolating, and you do not always feel you are making a difference, but this event reminded me of all the hard work our field is engaging in,” said Hayley Ostlund, licensed professional counselor and doctoral student at OU.   

“The success of this event proves what’s possible when we pool our talents and resources,” said Dr. Sheri Pickover, program director of the CMU Counseling Program. “This is just the beginning, but for our first time doing this, we are very proud of our efforts as well as the response from those in attendance.”

Looking ahead, organizers say they hope to make the conference an annual tradition, potentially rotating hosting responsibilities among the participating institutions or at various locations around the state for accessibility of all Michigan counselors. The hope is for other counselor education programs to join the planning team, with the ultimate goal of turning the conference back over to a statewide counseling professional organization. 

As the echoes of energized conversations and renewed purpose fade, one thing remains clear: When counselors come together with heart and intention, they can move mountains — even in just seven months. In addition to countless volunteers and our program graduate assistants, please join us in sharing gratitude to the main conference planning committee: Drs. Patrice Bounds and Jackie Dell (EMU); Drs. Allison Arnekrans, Sheri Pickover and Patrick Faircloth (CMU); Dr. Michael Chaney (OU) and Dr. Gary Bischof (WMU).