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04/14/2026

2026 PCA Conference Information!

Greetings All! 

Are you ready for PCA 2026?? Your PCA conference committee is hard at work preparing for another excellent conference in State College from November 5-8th this year! We wanted to share a few updates about parts of the conference experience that you can access already! 

Call for Exhibitors and Sponsors: 

The Pennsylvania Counseling Association (PCA) is excited to invite you to partner with us as a sponsor or exhibitor at our  2026 Annual Conference, which is taking place November 5-8th, 2026 in State College, PA.  Each year, our conference brings together approximately 400 counseling professionals and students from across the state of Pennsylvania to learn, connect, and grow!

This year, we are offering a range of sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities designed to showcase your organization to our statewide network of counselors, educators, and students.  As a sponsor or exhibitor you will gain visibility through recognitions at events, marketing, platforms, and exclusive opportunities to engage with attendees.

The exhibitor and sponsor application can be accessed here: https://forms.gle/32aeAPVKY1RQPmRz8

Call for Awards Nominations:

The Pennsylvania Counseling Association is pleased to Invite Award Nominations

Deadline: 11:59pm – Sunday, September 6, 2026

This is the call for nominations to honor the hard work, commitment, and dedication of Pennsylvania counselors, students, supervisors, and programs. Please consider nominating a colleague, program, or graduate student for an award. The award categories are listed below. Winners will be announced during the 2026 PCA Conference November 5-8, 2026, in State College, PA.

Submissions of award nominations will go through an online portal located here: https://forms.gle/k9Sw6tJCNoFsBJBT9 

  1. PCA Outstanding Practitioner Award: Awarded to an outstanding professional counselor for service to the profession; nominees must be current PCA members.
  2. PCA Lifetime Achievement Award: Awarded to a PCA member who is a Commonwealth of Pennsylvania resident and who has demonstrated outstanding dedication, service, and/or achievement in professional counseling. A PCA member can only receive this award once.
  3. PCA Outstanding Counselor Education Program Award: Awarded to an outstanding professional counseling program in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. At least one member of the counselor education program must be a PCA member.
  4. PCA Outstanding Graduate Student Award: Awarded to an individual who is currently a graduate student in professional counseling within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and who shows excellent potential and professionalism; preference will be given to a PCA student member who has had some involvement with the association.
  5. PCA Outstanding Research/Publication Award: Awarded to a PCA member who has contributed to the professional counseling profession through outstanding effort in the area of research and/or publication.
  6. PCA Outstanding Supervisor Award: Awarded to a PCA member who has demonstrated outstanding work as a supervisor in a university, community/mental health counseling, or school setting.
  7. PCA Outstanding Professional Teaching Award: Awarded to a PCA member to honor excellence in teaching in a counseling, counselor education, or counseling supervision program in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  8. David W. Hall Advocacy Award: Awarded to a PCA member who has promoted the profession of counseling through advocacy to whom the many professional counselors in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are forever indebted.   

Guidelines for Submitting a PCA Award Nomination

Nominations for PCA Awards should follow the guidelines below, and the process has two stages:

First, nominators should: Create one combined PDF file that includes the nomination letter and the additional support letter. A letter of nomination that clearly states the award for which the nominator is nominating the person (or program) and the reason why the individual (or program) should be honored as the recipient of the award. ONE additional letter of support that clearly states the award for which the person (or program) is being nominated and the reasons the award should be granted to the individual (or program). Additional letters of support are welcome to strengthen an application. 

Second, complete the online form document. The link is here: https://forms.gle/ZNor7xyiU33Cngt38 

The form requires the nominator to input their contact information AND the nominee’s contact information, as well as a PCA membership number. Nominations for non-PCA members will be considered with the approval of the PCA board. 

The form also requires the nominator to upload their combined PDF file that contains their nomination and additional support letter.

  1.  All PCA Award nominations are due by Sunday, September 6, 2026 – 11:59 pm. At that time, the form will close.
  2. The Awards Committee will review and score all proposals. For objectivity, all names will be redacted for a blind review by the award committee participants.
  3. Awards will be presented at the PCA Conference held November 5-8, 2026, in State College, PA.
  4.  Award recipient notifications will be made by Monday, September 28, 2026.
  5. Questions should be directed to Dr. Cornelia Sewell-Allen, Awards Committee Chair, at cvsewell15@gmail.com AND pca.programs@gmail.com.
  6. If no nominations are received within certain categories, those awards will not be awarded for that year.
  7. Incomplete nominations will not be considered.

Conference Updates: 

Please reach out to pca.programs@gmail.com with any additional questions! 

 

Conference Committee

Joe Charette, PhD, LPC, NCC, PCA President

Stephanie Onkst, PhD., LPC, NCC, Programs Chair

Michael Stephens, PhD, LPC, Logistics Chair

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