SELECT RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS:
Broaching Current Events with Clients, April 10, 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ET
Current events can profoundly affect mental health, yet many counselors struggle with when and how to address sociopolitical realities in session. This poster focuses on how to navigate these conversations within polarized political contexts while maintaining therapeutic neutrality and cultural responsiveness.
Tell Me About Your Mother: Maternal Health as Indicators in Global Data, April 10, 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET
What if a society’s well-being could be measured through the lives of its mothers? This poster explores how maternal health, education and empowerment serve as indicators of collective social well-being worldwide. Drawing on longitudinal data, the research demonstrates that maternal mortality, adolescent birth rates, and female education not only influence women’s outcomes but also predict men’s educational attainment and broader human development.
Between Two Worlds: Trauma-Informed School Supports for Immigrant Youth, April 10, 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET
Imagine being eight years old, arriving in a new country after months of uncertainty, having witnessed violence, and entering a classroom without speaking the language. For many immigrant children, trauma is misinterpreted as “misbehavior,” “shyness,” or “inattention,” while parents — working multiple jobs and facing language barriers — may hesitate to engage with schools. This poster demonstrates how counselors can collaborate with school staff to help immigrant children and families feel safe, welcomed and supported.
A Practical Guide for School Counselors to Address Bullying Collaboratively, April 10, 4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
Given the profound effects of bullying on students’ mental health and social-emotional development, school counselors play a vital role. This session explores collaborative strategies for elementary school counselors to prevent and address bullying, emphasizing family engagement and systemic prevention.
Evidence-Based Approaches to the Treatment of Oppositional Defiant Disorder, April 11, 10 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. ET
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a childhood behavioral disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of anger, defiance or vindictiveness toward authority figures that disrupts family, school and social life. With prevalence rates as high as 10%, ODD is one of the leading reasons families seek counseling. This session explores evidence-based approaches for treating ODD.
Supporting Students Through a School-Based Substance Use Intervention, April 11, 10 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. ET
Many schools continue to face challenges related to adolescent substance use, leaving both school-based and clinical counselors seeking practical strategies to better support students. This poster session highlights an innovative, school-based counseling intervention — Choosing Healthy Actions and Modeling Peer Support Program (CHAMPS) — designed to elevate student voice, replace negative behaviors with positive ones and strengthen peer relationships.
A Group Counseling Systematic Review to Promote Wellness in Chronic Illness, April 11, 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET
Living with chronic illness affects far more than physical health; it challenges overall wellness and quality of life. Group counseling offers a powerful, evidence-based approach to addressing these multidimensional needs, yet the research remains fragmented. This poster presents findings from a systematic review of 27 peer-reviewed studies examining group counseling interventions that promote wellness and quality of life among adults with chronic illness.
A Counseling Approach to Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy, April 11, 1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET
This session explores the humanistic and evidence-based promise of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAP) as an empowering, novel alternative to traditional medication management. Drawing from research and lived experience as a therapist in a psychiatric hospital, the researcher examines PAP’s ability to produce sustained symptom relief, reduce readmissions tied to medication noncompliance, and improve outcomes for housing-insecure, rural, and underserved populations.
College Students’ Experiences Using Mental Health and Wellness Mobile Apps, April 11, 2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET
College student mental health concerns have increased over the past two decades. Institutions of higher education have expanded preventive wellness initiatives, yet demand continues to exceed capacity. Wellness-focused mobile applications are emerging as scalable interventions. This poster presents findings from a modified consensual qualitative research study of 78 students who engaged with wellness apps as part of a wellness course. Findings highlight benefits such as improved sleep, increased motivation, and emotional support, as well as barriers including inconsistent use, technical challenges, and cost.
Effective Diagnosis & Treatment of Female ADHD: Ten Counseling Strategies, April 11, 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET
Too often, women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) go unrecognized or misdiagnosed and are dismissed as anxious, overwhelmed or “emotional.” Traditional diagnostic criteria — developed largely around young males — often fail to capture how symptoms manifest in females, including masking, internalized hyperactivity and compensatory perfectionism. This poster session shines a light on the hidden ways ADHD presents in women and how counselors can recognize and treat this population more effectively.
View the full agenda for the complete list of posters and education sessions.
About the American Counseling AssociationFounded in 1952, the American Counseling Association (ACA) is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession. ACA represents more than 62,000 members and is the world’s largest association exclusively representing professional counselors in various practice settings. For more information, visit the ACA website and read more about the Conference & Expo.