TCA
TCA’s roots trace back to 1935-1945 when interested counselors would meet during the Annual Convention of the Texas State Teachers Association. On November 29, 1947, a group of counselors convened for the first time as the "Guidance Section" at the annual TSTA Convention. This meeting dealt mainly with the establishment of guidance programs in public schools. In 1948, the decision was made to develop a counseling association. By 1950, the Texas Guidance Association (TGA) constitution was completed and an organization was born. The following year, the Deans of Women and Mental Hygiene Groups joined the association. In 1954 the association began its efforts to become a state branch of the American Personnel and Guidance Association (APGA). On April 9, 1963, TGA accepted the APGA state charter recognizing it as the Texas Personnel and Guidance Association (TPGA). In 1992, Texas followed the lead of the national association and the name was changed to the Texas Counseling Association (TCA). www.txca.org/history
HPSO Liability Insurance (opportunity to purchase)
TCA members have the opportunity to purchase liability insurance through Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO). TCA is proud to endorse HPSO and has selected it as the association’s professional liability insurance administrator because of HPSO’s benefits, features, affordable rates and commitment to superior service. TCA Master-level student members can purchase HPSO liability insurance for just $18.
State and Federal Advocacy
TCA works diligently to ensure that all professional counseling issues are a priority for legislators in Texas and Washington DC. TCA speaks on-behalf-of and alongside our members as the governmental bodies that regulate the counseling profession consider legislation and policy changes that impact your work. TCA hosts three Legislative Advocacy Days at the State Capitol during each Texas Legislative Session and also sends a coalition of TCA leaders to Capitol Hill each July. Additionally, TCA contracts the services of two independent lobbyists to more effectively draft legislation and influence public policy decisions.
Liaisons for State Licensure Boards
TCA appoints a number of volunteers to serve as liaisons to state licensure boards in Texas. These liaisons support your profession by monitoring and reporting on the work being conducted by licensure boards including: the State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors, the State Board of Examiners of Marriage and Family Therapists, the State Board for Educator Certification, and the Texas Education Agency. TCA works in conjunction with our liaisons to ensure that proposed rule changes and agency announcements are vetted by the association, and that input from TCA membership is solicited and submitted when appropriate.
Public Service Announcements
TCA has produced a series of hard-hitting TV and radio Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that focus on topics such as drug abuse, suicide, domestic violence, mental health issues, developmental disabilities, military deployment, and more. Viewers and listeners are encouraged to seek out counseling services and are directed to the TCA website where they can access the TCA Referral Bank as well as additional resources to support their emotional wellness.
Referral Bank
The TCA Referral Bank makes it easy for clients to find you. Our electronic database is searchable by city, zip code and language(s) spoken, as well as more than 70+ practice specialties. TCA actively drives traffic to the Referral Bank through a series of TV and radio public service announcements. All TCA members are listed in the Referral Bank using the professional contact and practice-specific information provided in their membership profile. Members who wish to be excluded from the database may simply opt-out from this feature.
Speakers Bureau
The TCA Speakers Bureau helps connect individuals, associations and businesses looking for a counseling professional for their next speaking engagement or event. TCA members must opt-in to have their professional contact and presentation information listed in the Speakers Bureau. Additionally, TCA members who present a workshop or program at a TCA conference will automatically have that session information added to their profile in the electronic database.
Division Membership
TCA members can connect and network with colleagues from similar practice settings by joining one or more of TCA’s 12 Divisions. Divisions often focus their efforts on targeted advocacy and professional development opportunities. Division membership dues are inexpensive and professionals can select from the following areas of practice: Adult Development and Aging; Assessment in Counseling and Education; Career Development; College Counseling; Counselor Education and Supervision; Counselors for Social Justice; Humanistic Education and Development; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling; Marriage and Family Counseling; Mental Health Counseling; Multicultural Counseling and Development; and School Counseling.
Chapter Membership
Counseling professionals looking to stay connected with colleagues in their geographic region are encouraged to join one of TCA’S 32 Chapters. Chapter borders are established along county lines and are segmented into five larger regions throughout the state. Many Chapters host annual workshops and meetings to help counselors in their area obtain professional development credits close to home.
Committee Service
TCA members who want to directly impact both the work of the association and the counseling profession are encouraged to apply for service on a Committee. Members of TCA committees are appointed each year, and a member may serve on the same committee up to three consecutive years. Committee work focuses on issues including public policy, research and ethics as well as association awards, grants, by-laws and membership.
Professional Growth Conference
TCA members receive discounted registration rates for our largest annual conference, the TCA Professional Growth Conference, held each year in November. The complete four-day event features 20+ program topics, 160+ program sessions (including pre- and post- conference workshops), and easily draws more than 2,000 attendees. Programs are intended for licensed professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, professional school and college counselors, directors of guidance, counselor educators, graduate counseling students, lead counselors and other mental health professionals. Hosted by TCA, all conference programs are eligible for LPC, NBCC, SBEC, LCDC, LMFT, SW, and Psychologist continuing education credits.
School Counselor Conference
The annual School Counselor Conference is held each February. This three-day event generally attracts 1,000+ attendees and is designed specifically for school counselors from across the education spectrum. Attendees can choose from 50+ programs to learn innovative and proven techniques for effective school counseling practices as well as new trends and issues related to student development and growth. Co-hosted by the Texas School Counselor Association (TSCA) and TCA, all conference programs are eligible for LPC, NBCC, SBEC, LCDC, LMFT, SW, and Psychologist continuing education credits.
College Counseling Conference
The annual College Counseling Conference is a two-day event that addresses the unique interests and continuing education needs of professional college counselors including those working in counseling centers, private practice, and rehabilitation, or as counselor educators and student service personnel. The conference is held in June or July and generally attracts 100+ attendees. Co-hosted by the Texas College Counseling Association (TCCA) and TCA, all conference programs are eligible for LPC, NBCC, SBEC, LCDC, LMFT, SW, and Psychologist continuing education credits.
Directors of Guidance Conference
The annual Directors of Guidance Conference is a niche two-day event serving the professional development needs of directors, coordinators, and supervisors of school counseling programs. Held each September, the conference generally attracts 100+ attendees. Co-hosted by the Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (TACES) and TCA, all conference programs are eligible for LPC, NBCC, SBEC, LCDC, LMFT, SW, and Psychologist continuing education credits.
Online Learning
TCA members receive free access to professional development webinars via our Online Learning Series. These on-demand webinars and modules focus on topics including financial aid and college and career readiness strategies for counselors in educational settings, as well as effective techniques and strategies for professionals in private practice. Expand your professional counselor toolkit without the added expense of travel. Each online program is worth 1.5 CEUs.
Career Center
TCA members have unlimited access to professional listings on the TCA Job Bank. Updated frequently, the Job Bank is teaming with leads and features new positions every month. TCA actively encourages mental health and educational employers to post available counseling positions to the Job Bank - free of charge; this helps ensure our members have access to more employment opportunities statewide.
LegalCare
A free TCA member benefit, LegalCare offers unlimited telephone consultations with an attorney for both professional and personal issues. All phone discussions are provided at no cost and services are strictly confidential. Members may call as often as desired for advice and consultation on any area of the law including licensing issues, collection problems, contract questions, government violations, criminal cases, divorce and more.
Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory, and Research
The Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory, and Research is the official journal of the Texas Counseling Association. Published bi-annually, the Journal of Professional Counseling is primarily technical and includes lengthy, researched articles of interest to counseling professionals. Abstracted online through EBSCO, the Journal of Professional Counseling is also mailed to all TCA members, twice annually. Non-members may purchase a subscription for $150.
Guidelines Newsletter
Published quarterly, Guidelines is the official TCA newsletter. It includes TCA Chapter, Division, and Committee news as well as association announcements, conference updates, and articles by TCA leadership and membership alike. Guidelines is sent to all TCA members electronically and is publically archived on the TCA website.
eMembership Updates
Published each month, eUpdate emails are sent to all TCA members and include state and federal grant announcements, request for proposals (RFP) and request for applications (RFA) for mental health services in Texas, alerts and announcements from state and national agencies and licensure boards, legislative updates, and important notices for counseling professionals. View a sample eMembership Update;
Action Alerts
During each Texas Legislative Session, TCA sends a series of weekly Action Alerts to all members. These streamlined emails include important counseling bills being heard in committee that week as well as talking points and legislative contact information to help build support for a bill’s passage. Additionally, TCA sends Action Alert emails to all members whenever a federal issue (such as Medicare coverage or Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program grants) is being addressed at the national level. View a sample Action Alert;
Newsline and TCA in the News
Sent electronically every Wednesday to all TCA members, Newsline is a comprehensive collection of timely news articles, from across Texas and around the nation, which focus on topics of interest to counseling and mental health professionals. Newsline is archived electronically and articles that directly mention TCA or TCA members are highlighted on the Newsline webpage.
Educational Endowment Fund Grants
TCA members may apply for Educational Endowment Fund grants of up to $500 for 1) academic coursework toward completion of a graduate degree in counseling or human development, 2) original research, conference attendance or specialized study, or 3) other professional development and continuing education activities. Applications are accepted three times annually and individuals must be a TCA member for at least 12-months to qualify.
Professional Development Grants
TCA Chapters and Divisions are eligible to apply for Professional Development Grants of up to $200 to enhance and strengthen regional, grassroots efforts to provide professional development programs. Grants are awarded for workshops, seminars, continuing education programs (CEUs), and lectureships across the state.
Professional Brochures
TCA offers a variety of brochures to help educate individuals, lawmakers, and the public about the unique roles, responsibilities, and education requirements of professional counselors. Brochures include the Licensed Professional Counselor brochure, Professional School Counselor brochure, Professional College Counselor brochure, and Assessment in Texas Schools brochure. TCA members may request up to 50 free copies.
TCA Divisions
TCA's 12 affiliated Divisions are segmented by distinct professional interests to address specific mental health populations and counseling issues.
Texas Association for Assessment in Counseling and Education |
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Promotes research, development, technical competency and ethical practices for measurement and evaluation in counseling. |
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Texas Association for Adult Development and Aging |
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Promotes resources and leadership on the development process of adults through the life span and the problems of aging. |
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Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision |
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Promotes the preparation of professional counselors through accreditation, certification, supervision and professional development. |
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Texas Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling |
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Promotes tolerance and non-threatening counseling environments that support the unique needs of clients and reduce stereotypical thinking and prejudice. |
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Texas Association for Humanistic Education and Development |
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Promotes human development practices that emphasize education of the whole person and instructional strategies that foster humanistic approaches. |
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Texas Association of Marriage and Family Counselors |
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Promotes issues, interests and the delivery of services in the area of marriage and family therapy, divorce counseling and mediation. |
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Texas College Counseling Association |
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Promotes college counseling programs that foster student development, support ethical practices and encourage cooperation within higher education. |
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Texas Career Development Association |
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Promotes a greater understanding of the meaning of work; fosters career development over the life span; and establishes standards of professional service in the field of career development. |
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Texas Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development |
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Promotes the understanding and appreciation of ethnic, racial and cultural diversity; human and civil rights, and multicultural counseling. |
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Texas Mental Health Counselors Association |
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Promotes improvements to the availability and quality of mental health counseling services for professionals in private practice, agency, hospital, business and industrial settings. |
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Texas School Counselor Association |
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Supporting counselors, strengthening students, promoting success: providing advocacy and best practice resources to empower school counselors to deliver comprehensive guidance and counseling programs which promote student success. |
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Texas Counselors for Social Justice |
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Fosters optimal social, emotional, and cultural development with dignity for all individuals by actively promoting societal equity, access, participation, harmony, empowerment, and advocacy. |