<img aria-descriptionby = "caption-attachment-21606" data-attachment-id = "21606" data-permalink = "https://ct.counseling.org/2019/07/from-the-president-what-is -Your mission / Paul-Sakuma-photographer-www-paulsakuma-com / "data-orig-file =" https://ct.counseling.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/big-heathertrepal_headshot.jpg "data-orig-size =" 427,640 "data-comment-opens =" 1 "data-image-meta =" {"aperture": "0", "credit": "Paul Sakuma Photography", "camera" : "Canon EOS 7D", "Caption": "Paul Sakuma Photographer www.paulsakuma.com", "created_timestamp": "1553690719", "copyright": "", "focal_length": "110", "iso": " 400 "," shutter_speed ":" 0.005 "," title ":" Paul Sakuma Photographer www.paulsakuma.com "," Orientation ":" 0 "}" data-image-title = "Trepal" data-image-description = "
Heather Trepal, the 68th President of the American Counseling Association
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Heather Trepal, the 68th President of the American Counseling Association
Me If you had asked me what I was looking forward to in spring 2020, I would have no doubt said the ACA Conference & Expo in San Diego. As you know at this stage, our Governing Council made the difficult decision to cancel the conference in mid-March. While this decision was made regarding the health and safety of our conference participants, members and staff, a lot of emotions were involved. After all, the annual conference is a time that many of us look forward to when we gather to learn, connect and celebrate our profession. For some, it's a form of self-care.
A lot has happened since this decision. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our personal and professional lives enormously. Many of us are under protective orders. Others have gone to work from home. Children, including mine, can now complete the rest of the school year online or through paper packages. Physical distancing has become a lifestyle. With most of the country subject to restrictions, restaurants, barbershops, cinemas, gyms, unnecessary shops and services, and bowling alleys have been temporarily closed. Places of worship have put their services online. The country's health workers are at the forefront. Life as we knew it has changed drastically. We live in uncertain and unprecedented times.
With all these changes, I was more than impressed with the way our profession responded. As I write this column (about a month before publication), some consultants have switched to telehealth health to meet their customers wherever they can. I have seen frequent discussions on electronic mailing lists on the subject. Experts in our advisory community have strengthened themselves and offered free online training to train and support their colleagues through new modalities. People shared resources. University programs have developed options for transitioning to online education formats and have taken clinical experience into account, with a focus on student success and meeting customer needs. Our state branches have worked to find important ways to provide emergency telemedicine services. Many members have emailed questions about online training, requirements from the state regulatory agency for telehealth, online monitoring and insurance coverage. School counselors have offered virtual sessions for students and parents and created online resources for families. College advisors have closed their campuses for the rest of the year. Many unanswered questions remain unanswered, but our community has retained a sense of professionalism and a focus on ethics when we faced the unique challenges that this pandemic poses.
We don't know what will happen to the global pandemic in the future. However, we know that we need to take care of mental health – now, perhaps more than ever. In addition to dealing with our worries, fears, and fears in response to this constantly evolving situation, we need to exercise self-compassion and make self-care a priority. As consultants, we have to promote our own well-being. In these unpredictable times, please remember to take care of yourself. Your well-being, your health and your safety have priority.
Finally, I would like to share my appreciation for the work of ACA CEO Rich Yep and the ACA staff who switched to remote work in mid-March. I want our members to know that ACA employees have worked hard to provide them and the public with up-to-date, relevant information on all aspects of counseling practice and COVID-19. Our government and public order team has been very active in advocacy in response to the evolving state and national level. Please continue to read the latest information on the ACA website at Counseling.org. I hope that you and your loved ones will continue to do well as we tackle these unprecedented challenges.
