Sue Pressman, 69th President of ACA
This year, as Thanksgiving approaches, I am especially grateful for my family, friends, colleagues in the American Counseling Association, and the mentors who have supported me on my career journey. As a professional consultant who has also identified himself as a career consultant for almost 40 years, every November is something very special for me. In addition to Thanksgiving, I (and my coworkers) celebrate National Career Development Month.
The intersection between career and mental health has never been so important. National Career Development Month is sponsored by the National Career Development Association (NCDA), which was founded in 1913 and one of the founding divisions of ACA is Goals, the month of November recognizes the importance of lifelong career development through an annual observation. Collaboration between counselors, teachers, students, families, communities, schools and businesses is a cornerstone throughout the month. Career poetry competitions, the development of new posters and infographics, events such as “career races” and cutting edge workshops have become the norm in November. It's all very exciting.
This year brings unique challenges and opportunities. For example, how do consultants implement these activities while at the same time keeping clients up and practicing self-care – all amid the coronavirus pandemic? The answer is not easy and there is no magic formula. We find that virtual gatherings, social media platforms, resource sharing, telecounseling, online handshaking, online networking, and working from home are some of the practical ways anyone can cope with this “new normal” becomes.
Resilience in the face of job loss, financial difficulties, trauma, stress and the other myriad problems one encounters in the course of one's life is a process in which one has to adapt to the transition to new beginnings. Resilience is the ability to overcome setbacks and challenges and then grow from experience. I often demonstrate the concept of resilience with a rubber band. When a new rubber band is stretched, it shows strong resilience by quickly springing back to its original shape. A worn elastic without stretching indicates a lack of resilience. Metaphorically, this means that changes are required. We are faced with it today in many ways.
The human mind is challenged. On the one hand, we mourn our losses and the ways of life that used to be. On the other hand, we create new ways to work, become productive and make contacts. As a global society going through a pandemic, we have learned to adapt through the use of technology to hold both small and large gatherings online. We learned that teleworking actually works and that telecounseling is not as far away as it used to be. We serve our customers – the world – in new and creative ways. We also found that traditional programs still provide viable means of learning and the continuation of lifelong learning.
I am pleased to announce that ACA is launching the ACA Mentorship Program in conjunction with National Career Development Month. I have a team working with me to implement the program, made up of representatives from the ACA Graduate Student Committee, Jan Gay, Reginald "Reggie" W. Holt and Alyx MacTernan. Anaid Shaver, an intern / assistant to Virginia Tech Education and Supervision Advisor; and Danielle Irving-Johnson, the content project manager at ACA.
The ACA Mentorship Program was developed with the aim of building relationships while empowering and empowering participants. The program offers both PhD students currently participating in counseling programs and newer professionals the opportunity to be mentored by experienced counseling leaders. Mentors guide, support, encourage and enable mentees to develop and improve their identity as professional advisors. This initiative supports ACA's mission to "promote the professional development of counselors, advocate for the profession, and ensure ethical, culturally inclusive practices that protect those who use counseling services". It also supports ACA's vision that "everyone has access to high quality professional advice in order to be successful".
