Conferences

Disability Conference

Encouragement. A word spoken by a man who voiced that his life would not exist without the encouragement of those in human services. We, as human service professionals, are in the business of encouragement, and that is a message that I will continue to carry with me. As I listened through each individual speaker and spoke with colleagues, I was reminded of the importance of this field, and the reason behind why we strive for the bettering of our services. To provide others with the best services possible, along with being able to provide the encouragement needed in order to aid in their success. Being a part of the disability conference not only provided me with a further look into the world of disability, but allowed me to meet those who are already making a positive difference everyday. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about legislations and how current professionals are implementing these into practice. Part of what made the disability conference such a meaningful experience was the dedication of Dr. Bruch, Dr. Dalgin, and the rest of the fantastic staff and faculty who worked to ensure the topic and information provided would be received and utilized in our careers. Finally, I could not be more proud to have been a part and witness such extraordinary support that both the conference and the keynote speaker had received. I highly encourage those who were not able to attend the conference this year to be a part of such a wonderful experience when the next conference arrives. You will not be disappointed. Written by: Michael Martinez Rehabilitation Counseling Student

Pictured left to right:

Liam Mooney (RC Student), Nelson Lauver (evening keynote speaker), Michael Martinez (RC Student)

PCA Conference

The 48th Pennsylvania Counseling Association Conference was held on November 11-13th, at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, State College, PA. This year’s theme was Celebrating Creativity and Ingenuity in Counseling. Dr. James Alexander was the Conference keynote speaker. Dr. Alexander is one of the most prolific scholars and clinicians in family counseling all over the world, and he is the creator of Functional Family Therapy (FFT). Dr. Datti and Dominick Petitto, B.S., (CMHC Student) presented twice, once for the Pre -Conference on LGBT Affirmative Practices, and once during the conference on Transgender Life in College.

PCA is a state branch of the American Counseling Association, the national professional association that represents professional counselors who live and practice in the United States. PCA is an organization of professional counselors who value a collegial community, continuous learning, service to others, visionary leadership, and a commitment to professional ethics and standards of practice.

We encourage all students and faculty to become a member. www.pacounseling.org

Dr.Datti & Dominick Petitto after one of their presentations.