07/08/2025

PCA President's Message

Hello PCA Members! 

It is with sincere pleasure and excitement that I begin my term as the 57th President of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association (PCA) effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. I have served in leadership roles in PCA since 2019 through PS-SAIGE and on the PCA Board through the conference committee since 2023. As I step into this role, I am filled with gratitude for the incredible work each of you does every day across our commonwealth and with great hope for what we can achieve together this next year. 

For those who don’t know me, like many of you, I am a counselor who wears many hats. I grew up in Carlisle and have called State College, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and now rural Berks County home. I joined PCA as a graduate student because I was fortunate enough to have dedicated faculty at Duquesne University who encouraged all students to be engaged in professional associations. I started my career working in inpatient psychiatric care and have worked in various levels of care since then including residential treatment, assertive community treatment, outpatient co-occurring treatment. I spent time as a full time counselor educator and see clients in private practice. Currently I serve as an administrator at a children and youth residential care facility. I am bringing diverse clinical, teaching, and supervisory experience with me to the board and my leadership approach is grounded in inclusivity and responsiveness to the diverse roles and experiences that make up our profession.

As President-Elect, I worked diligently to assess the needs of our dynamic organization and draft a plan for the future of PCA. I worked with the Government Relations Committee to keep PCA members updated on current legislation, advance the counseling compact legislation, and determine our next advocacy frontier as a profession. I worked to expand and reorganize our conference committee to ensure we meet the needs of our members and those who have yet to hear about us! As your president I am looking forward to another successful annual conference, the launch of our leadership development program, and reinvigorating our membership beginning with student town halls. As an association, we have a tremendous opportunity to expand and enrich what we offer to our members. This means increasing access to high-quality professional development, creating more spaces for peer connection and mentorship, and offering tools and resources that meet the diverse needs of our members at every stage of their careers. We will also seek new ways to elevate your voices, celebrate your contributions, and support you in navigating the challenges and possibilities of our field.

Our profession is at a critical crossroads. We are witnessing growing awareness of mental health disparities across all communities, yet we are also facing evolving societal crises, emerging technologies, and shifting landscapes in health care delivery. In this ever-changing world, our role as counselors has never been more vital, or more complex. PCA stands poised to be at the forefront of these challenges, and I believe we are uniquely positioned to lead with courage, compassion, and innovation. As your president, my goal is to ensure that we continue to grow as a professional community—amplifying our voice, advancing our practice, and strengthening our impact. Together, we will advocate for policies that support access and equity, provide opportunities for continued learning and collaboration, and uphold the highest standards of ethical and inclusive care.

I would like to congratulate our 56th President, Dr. Eric Owens on PCA’s successes during his Presidency in 2024-2025. I have benefited from the learning opportunities, wise counsel, and good sense of humor over the last year. I appreciate his continued involvement as Immediate Past-President. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the many great leaders within PCA that have supported my journey to this role. Past-presidents, division leaders, committee chairs, volunteers, and dedicated students have all shaped me. I carry their wisdom and experience with me to our board. I would also like to congratulate the new PCA officers on their election:

Dr. Joseph Birli - PCA President-Elect

Dr. Erica Rhoads - Treasurer

Jason Kuna - Secretary 

I look forward to working with our new leaders and the board we are privileged to continue to serve with. 

Most importantly, I hope our members hear this: I want this to be a shared journey. I welcome your input, your ideas, and your partnership as we shape the future of this association and the profession we all care so deeply about. I also encourage you to reach out to the board if you are interested in being more active in any of our many leadership efforts.  

Thank you for your trust and your commitment. I look forward to the road ahead and to the work we will do together in service of a more compassionate world.

Looking ahead together, 

Joseph Charette II, PhD, LPC, NCC
(He/HIm)
57th President of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association
pca57.president@gmail.com