AOCC 2026 Sessions Agenda

Browse the sessions agenda by date/time.
Tap/click one of the tabs below to peruse the list of sessions available during that specific time of day.

Wednesday, November 4


Pre‑Conference Workshops
Wednesday, November 4
10:00 AM – 1:15 PM

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Wednesday, November 4, 2026
P1 – Advocacy in Action: Building a Strong, Effective, and Thriving State BranchWorkshop – CE Hours 3 
P2 – Beyond One Narrative: Elevating and Advocacy for Multicultural Perspectives in Grief and MourningWorkshop – CE Hours 3 
P3 – Multiple Perspectives on Supervision: Working Through Difficult CasesWorkshop – CE Hours 3 (Supervision) 
P4 – Wait… I Have to Attest to That? Clinical Wills for Ohio Counselors Renewing LicensesWorkshop – CE Hours 3 (Ethics) 


Pre‑Conference Workshops
Wednesday, November 4
2:15 PM – 5:30 PM

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Wednesday, November 4, 2026
P5 – Action Methods in Clinical Supervision: Psychodrama for Reflective PracticeWorkshop – CE Hours 3 (Supervision) 
P6 – Clinical Advocacy with Queer Clients: Dissecting Gender Dysphoria and Writing Letters of SupportWorkshop – CE Hours 3 (Ethics) 
P7 – Elevate & Amplify: Fostering & Enhancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Amongst Clients and StaffWorkshop – CE Hours 3 
P8 – Ethically Ready for the Psychedelic MomentWorkshop – CE Hours 3 (Ethics) 


Breakouts Block A
Wednesday, November 4
6:00 PM

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Wednesday, November 4, 2026
A1 – Am I Being Too Nice? When Avoidance Undermines Professional ResponsibilitySession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
A2 – Becoming the Counselor: Fostering Professional Development and Identity in Graduate TrainingSession – CE Hour 1 
A3 – Betting on Awareness: Essential Gambling Basics for Mental Health and School CounselorsSession – CE Hour 1 
A4 – From Risk to Restoration: A Wellness-Oriented Paradigm for Work with Suicidal ClientsSession – CE Hour 1 
A5 – Honoring Culture, Strengthening Recovery: Supervision That RespondsSession – CE Hour 1 (Supervision) 
AB6 – Late-Identified and Overlooked: ASD and ADHD in Queer Adults 2‑HOUR SESSIONSession – CE Hours 2 
A7 – Little Stories, Big Feelings: Playful SEL Interventions Using Books and PuppetrySession – CE Hour 1 
A8 – Reclaiming Our Vitality: An Experiential Reset for Burnout and Counselor WellbeingSession – CE Hour 1 


Breakouts Block B
Wednesday, November 4
7:15 PM

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Wednesday, November 4, 2026
B1 – Artificial Intelligence: Ethical Guidelines for CounselorsSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
B2 – The Art of Courage: Creative Strategies & Advocating for Youth Navigating Non-Death LossesSession – CE Hour 1 
B3 – Elevating Care: LGBTQIA+ Substance Use and Identity-Affirming CounselingSession – CE Hour 1 
B4 – Ethical Measurement-Based Care: Aligning Outcomes, Integrity, and Individualized PracticeSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
B5 – From Vicarious Trauma to Transformation: Fostering Vitality within Ourselves and Our ProfessionSession – CE Hour 1 
B7 – Relational Safety and Suicide Prevention: A Trauma-Informed PathSession – CE Hour 1 
B8 – Using "Self" in Supervision: Integrating IFS Principles in the Terrain of SupervisionSession – CE Hour 1 (Supervision) 

Thursday, November 5


Doctoral Program Showcase
Thursday, November 5
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM  & 
9:20 AM – 9:50 AM

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Are you ready to take the next step in your career and education? Meet with representatives from the following universities to learn what each doctoral program can offer you!

Kent State University
Ohio University
The Ohio State University
University of Cincinnati


 

ATRIUM EAST


Graduate Student Poster Presentations
Thursday, November 5
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM  & 
9:20 AM – 9:50 AM

Thursday, November 5, 2026

"Health and Wellness of the Sleeping Mind: Sleep, Mental Health, and The Reciprocal Relationship"
Megan Boltz - University of Dayton

"Aging and Self-Injury: Clinical Approaches to NSSI and Suicidal Ideation in Later Life"
Madison Cambier - Ever Well Community Health
Shannon O'Mara - The University of Akron

"Person‑Centered Support Group for Alzheimer’s Caregivers"
Anna Chapman - Youngstown State University

"Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Mental Health Counseling"
Autumn Cooper - Cleveland State University
Adelay Marks - Cleveland State University

"Pathological Demand Avoidance in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Increasing Awareness and Understanding"
Caroline Erak - John Carroll University
Pamela Ebert, PhD - Wellness Grove, LLC

"Talk Therapy & Talking Circles: Cultural Considerations when Counseling Indigenous Populations"
Isabella Frankel - Baldwin Wallace University

"The Forgotten Child: Living with a Sibling with Chronic Disruptive Behaviors"
Paula Mlinar - Bowling Green State University

"Supporting Black Athletes Through Identity Exploration and Transition Preparation"
Trinity Morton - The Ohio State University

"Reclaiming the Body: The Utilization of Feminist Therapy for Women with Eating Disorders"
Shannon O'Mara - The University of Akron
Jessica Headley, PhD - Wellness Grove

"Self‑Esteem, Peers, and Cyberbullying: A Longitudinal Look at Adolescent Life Satisfaction"
Chanhoon Park - Ohio University

"The Why Behind the Work: Purpose and Professional Identity in Counseling Practice"
Gabrielle Reilly - Ohio University

"Psychodrama Groups and the Transformative Power of the Hero’s Journey in Clients with PTSD"
Richard Troisi - Youngstown State University / MCBDD

 

ATRIUM EAST


Welcome / OCA Awards Presentation
Thursday, November 5
8:30 AM – 9:15 AM

Thursday, November 5, 2026

The Ohio Counseling Association invites you to the 2026 OCA Awards Presentation. This is an opportunity to stand together in recognizing and celebrating your peers and colleagues for their significant achievements and contributions to the counseling profession. Join us in acknowledging their hard work, dedication, and professionalism!

 

DUBLIN BALLROOM


Breakouts Block C
Thursday, November 5
10:00 AM

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Thursday, November 5, 2026
C1 – Carrying More Than Baby: Guilt, Shame, and Identity Loss PostpartumSession – CE Hour 1 
CD2 – Clinical Techniques for Managing Suicidal Clients 2‑HOUR SESSIONSession – CE Hours 2 
C3 – Document to Defend: Ethics, Law, and Best Practices for Counseling Minors in a Shifting LandscapeSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
C4 – Elevating Counselor Identity and Self-Efficacy in an Evolving ProfessionSession – CE Hour 1 
C5 – Elevating Early Career Counselors: Thriving in the First Year of Professional PracticeSession – CE Hour 1 
C6 – Expanding Insight in Supervision: Applying the Johari Window to Clinical Mental Health CounselingSession – CE Hour 1 (Supervision) 
C7 – Fighting the Unseen: A Guide to Support Athletes Through CounselingSession – CE Hour 1 
C8 – Hidden in Plain Sight: The Importance of Gambling Screening and Intentional LanguageSession – CE Hour 1 
C9 – OCD: Helping Others Live with UncertaintySession – CE Hour 1 
C10 – Private Practice & Professional Identity: Intentionally Align Your Practice & Combat Big-Tech TherapySession – CE Hour 1 


Breakouts Block D
Thursday, November 5
11:15 AM

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Thursday, November 5, 2026
D1 – Assessment in Consensual Non-Monogamy (CNM): What Clinicians Miss and How to ImproveSession – CE Hour 1 
D3 – Conceptualizing the Human Person: An Introduction to Thomistic Psychology in CounselingSession – CE Hour 1 
D4 – Elevating Emerging Clinicians: Self-Efficacy, Voice, and Vitality in a Gen Z ContextSession – CE Hour 1 (Supervision) 
D5 – Practice in Politics: Navigating Ethical Challenges in Unprecedented TimesSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
D6 – Preparing Ohio’s Behavioral Health Workforce for Psychedelic Crisis and Continuing CareSession – CE Hour 1 
D7 – Relational Trauma: When Attachments WoundSession – CE Hour 1 
D8 – Supporting Student Wellness Through Connection With NatureSession – CE Hour 1 
D9 – Unlocking Authentic Connection: Using RO-DBT Skills in Group Therapy to Improve Client OutcomesSession – CE Hour 1 
D10 – Uplifting LGBTQIA+ Clients: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Promote Professional AdvocacySession – CE Hour 1 


Lunch & Learn with OCA’s IAC & GRC
Thursday, November 5
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Boxed Lunch + Lunch & Learn
Grab your lunch and join us in room Dublin A from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM to feed your mind and your body!

"Turning Denials into Action: A Guide to Ethical Grievance Filing"

Counselors are often faced with several systemic barriers when trying to provide mental health care to diverse populations despite there being several regulatory bodies that offer oversight regarding accessibility for client care. This experiential presentation will equip counselors with a clear, ethical framework for filing an insurance grievance across state and federal regulatory bodies. Participants will learn how to distinguish between inquiries, complaints, and learn how to navigate and submit effective reports while maintaining the ACA Code of Ethics (2014).

Complimentary with registration, provided by OCA
 

Session – CE Hour 1 (Ethics)DUBLIN A


Breakouts Block E
Thursday, November 5
2:15 PM

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Thursday, November 5, 2026
E1 – A Legal & Ethical Balancing Act: Best Practices for Clinical Counselors Employed in School SettingsSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
E2 – Beyond Performative: Practicing Real Social Justice in CounselingSession – CE Hour 1 
E3 – Dismantling Doubt: Elevating New Advocates Above Impostor Syndrome Through Feminist InterventionsSession – CE Hour 1 
E4 – Elevating Our Practice: Integrating Nature into Urban Counseling SettingsSession – CE Hour 1 
EF5 – From Risk to Response: IPV Assessment, Prevention, and Intervention 2‑HOUR SESSIONSession – CE Hours 2 (Ethics) 
E6 – From Wounds to Wisdom: Restoring Wholeness and Healing Intergenerational TraumaSession – CE Hour 1 
E7 – Lifestyle Determinants in Counseling: Bridging Evidence, Training, and Clinical ImplementationSession – CE Hour 1 
E8 – Queer Feminist Narrative Therapy: State of the Evidence Base for Affirmative RestoryingSession – CE Hour 1 
E9 – The Risk Behind the Role: Supervision, Ethics, and Liability in CounselingSession – CE Hour 1 
E10 – Using Your Voice with Parents and Caregivers of Youth: Breaking Through Communication BarriersSession – CE Hour 1 


Breakouts Block F
Thursday, November 5
3:30 PM

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Thursday, November 5, 2026
F1 – Application of the Bio-Ecological Cross-Cultural Supervision (BECCS) Model to Serve Minority ClientsSession – CE Hour 1 (Supervision) 
F2 – Beyond Survival: Slavery’s Psychological Legacy and Clinical Implications for Work with Black WomenSession – CE Hour 1 
F3 – Climate Change and Mental Health: Why it Matters and What We Can DoSession – CE Hour 1 
F4 – Fatness as a Social Identity: Understanding the Impact of Body Size in the Counseling RelationshipSession – CE Hour 1 
F6 – School Re-entry & Re-integration after Suicide Hospitalization: Promoting Mental Health and SafetySession – CE Hour 1 
F7 – Technically, I’m Eclectic: Multimodal Therapy as a Transdiagnostic Treatment Approach for CounselorsSession – CE Hour 1 
F8 – Thinking Differently: Neurodiversity-Informed Adaptations for Counseling PracticeSession – CE Hour 1 
F9 – Whipping Clients into Shape: Counseling Kinky ClientsSession – CE Hour 1 
F10 – Writing with Purpose: Documentation that Supports Care and Clinical PracticeSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 


Breakouts Block G
Thursday, November 5
4:45 PM

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Thursday, November 5, 2026
G1 – Affirming Care with Integrity: Using Motivational Interviewing to Navigate Ethics in LGBTQIA+ CareSession – CE Hour 1 
G2 – Burnout, Boundaries, and Ethical Practice: Practical Strategies for Sustainable Clinical WorkSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
G3 – Crossing the Unknown Sea: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Interventions for Clients in MidlifeSession – CE Hour 1 
G4 – Elevating, Valuing, & Supporting Clients of ColorSession – CE Hour 1 
G5 – From CACREP to Campus: The Importance of Integrating Student Affairs and Professional CounselingSession – CE Hour 1 
G6 – From Survival to Reintegration: Identity, Meaning, and Experiential Approaches with VeteransSession – CE Hour 1 
G7 – Helping Survivors of Human Trafficking Feel Human AgainSession – CE Hour 1 
G8 – Living with OCD: A Family Therapy Framework for Supporting Loved OnesSession – CE Hour 1 
G9 – Navigating Generational Differences in Supervision: Practical and Relational StrategiesSession – CE Hour 1 (Supervision) 
G10 – Walk & Talk Therapy: Utilizing Movement-based Therapeutic Modalities for Bilateral ReprocessingSession – CE Hour 1 


Ohio Counseling Conversations  Live!
Thursday, November 5
6:15 PM – 7:15 PM

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Be part of the excitement at our live recording of Ohio Counseling Conversations, the official podcast of the Ohio Counseling Association (OCA). Experience inspiring discussions as members, leaders, and experts from the counseling field come together to share insights and stories about counseling in Ohio. This is your chance to connect with our chapters, divisions, and committees as they engage directly with listeners. The Media, Public Relations, and Membership Committee proudly manages the podcast.

 

 

Friday, November 6


Breakouts Block H
Friday, November 6
8:30 AM

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Friday, November 6, 2026
H1 – Elevating the Referral Bridge: Lessons from Clients Transitioning from Lay Pastoral CareSession – CE Hour 1 
H2 – Ohio CSWMFT Board Presentation  
H3 – Responding to the Emotional Tears of Children and AdolescentsSession – CE Hour 1 
HI4 – Supervision Challenges and Interventions for Counselors Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence 2‑HOUR SESSIONSession – CE Hours 2 (Supervision) 
H5 – Therapy Collaborative: How Connection and Collaboration Benefit Therapists in Private PracticeSession – CE Hour 1 
H6 – When Clients Aren’t Progressing: Recognizing Physiological Clues in Clinical PracticeSession – CE Hour 1 
H7 – When the Work Is Personal: Managing Vicarious Trauma as a Queer ClinicianSession – CE Hour 1 
H8 – Whole Brain Supervision: Integrating Creativity and Rationality in SupervisionSession – CE Hour 1 (Supervision) 


Breakouts Block I
Friday, November 6
9:45 AM

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Friday, November 6, 2026
I1 – Addressing Supervisees' Professional Dispositions Through Trauma-Informed Supervision ApproachesSession – CE Hour 1 
I2 – Childbirth Medical Trauma: Evidenced-Based, Compassionate Treatment for Birthing PersonsSession – CE Hour 1 
I3 – Coexistence in Counseling: Working Across Difference Without Self-ErasureSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
I5 – Facing the Void: Counseling Clients Through Existential Anxiety TodaySession – CE Hour 1 
I6 – God and a Good Therapist — Why People Don't Have to ChooseSession – CE Hour 1 
I7 – Masking at Work: The Hidden Cost of Being a Neurodivergent Counselor in Neurotypical SpacesSession – CE Hour 1 
I8 – Using Interpersonal Neurobiology for Trauma-Informed Care with LGBTGEQIAP+ ClientsSession – CE Hour 1 


Breakouts Block J
Friday, November 6
11:00 AM

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Friday, November 6, 2026
J1 – Elevating Supervision: Restoring Counselor Vitality as an Ethical ImperativeSession – CE Hour 1 (Supervision) 
J2 – Ethical Leadership in a Changing Counseling LandscapeSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
J3 – Examining the Experiences and Mental Health Needs of Lesbians Who Come Out During Mid-AdulthoodSession – CE Hour 1 
J4 – The Forgotten Child: Recognizing Trauma in Siblings of Children with Disruptive BehaviorSession – CE Hour 1 
J5 – A Qualitative Study on the Role of Expressive Writing in Mitigating Loneliness in College StudentsSession – CE Hour 1 
JK6 – Values in Action: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Primer for Counselors 2‑HOUR SESSIONSession – CE Hours 2 
J7 – What’s Beneath the Defenses? Protective Patterns in Religious & High-Control ContextsSession – CE Hour 1 
J8 – "You Good, Bruh?" Engaging Millennial Black Men in CounselingSession – CE Hour 1 


Breakouts Block K
Friday, November 6
12:15 PM

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Friday, November 6, 2026
K1 – Beyond Burnout: The Ethical Responsibility of Counselor Work EnvironmentsSession – CE Hour 1 (Ethics) 
K2 – Creativity and Partnership: Innovative Approach to Develop Self-Awareness and Resilience Among YouthSession – CE Hour 1 
K3 – How to Apply a Queer-Affirming Framework to Major Supervision ModelsSession – CE Hour 1 (Supervision) 
K4 – Many Ways to Love: Developing CNM and Kink-Informed Therapeutic CompetencySession – CE Hour 1 
K5 – Parenting on the Edge: Counseling Strategies for Overwhelmed CaregiversSession – CE Hour 1 
K7 – Rethinking Trust: Anti-Blackness in Counseling RelationshipsSession – CE Hour 1 
K8 – Who Are You? Maintaining Your Values While Working with Children and AdolescentsSession – CE Hour 1