Who We Are

The Idaho Counseling Association is an organization of counseling and human development professionals who work in education, health care, residential treatment, private practice, community agency, governments and business/industry settings.

Mission

Our mission is to enhance human development throughout the life span and to promote the counseling and human development profession.

Purpose

Our purpose is to enact the mission and enhance public confidence and trust in the counseling profession.

Vision

There is a common agreement among professional counselors that ongoing awareness, learning, and collegiality are the pathways to empowerment.  Well-informed, educated and skillful counseling professionals are whole people, responsible clinicians, and caring helpers who value the Idaho Counseling Association as an indispensable resource through which members can access essential information, opportunities for skills development, and peer interaction.  All of these experiences help members to become reflective practitioners who effectively teach their clientele to become problem-solvers in this challenging and ever-changing, global and diverse environment.  

The Idaho Counseling Association is comprised of multiple divisions and affiliated groups of human services professionals.  It supports member divisions through professional development programs, political advocacy and public policy development, networking, leadership development, professional recognition, rotation of officers and promotion and cooperation and understanding across member divisions.  

Greetings Idaho Counseling Association Colleagues,

As ICA President, I am committed to improving the communication and connection between ICA’s Executive team, Division and Chapters, and most importantly you as members of the Idaho Counseling Association. The theme for my presidency and this year’s annual conference is, “We are Stronger Together, Making Connections Matter.” I specifically chose this theme to remind us all that we all need each other! We are emerging from two years of fear-based isolation with some trepidation. Many changes have happened in the world, our personal lives, and within our profession. We have seen the need for counseling services exponentially increase and the shortage of counselors in all counseling fields. All the more reason to build those fruitful and significant professional relationships to help us through this next year. Its time to come out of hibernation and back into service, asking for help, networking, and committing to a profession we love!

We are excited to host our in-person annual conference on January 26th, 27th, and 28th, 2023 located downtown at the Boise Centre. We have included in our pre-conference day a march to the capital with a Legislature Luncheon on Thursday, January 26th . Whether you are joining us for the entire conference or pre-conference, or not at all, we highly encourage you to attend our march to the capital to show support for all counselors in Idaho and the specific issues we are fighting for this upcoming year. Let your voice be heard!

We are also proud to announce that we are pursuing legislation for the Counseling Compact this upcoming legislative session. Currently, the Counseling Compact includes 14-member states, including nearby Utah and Colorado. The Counseling Compact will increase licensure portability for practitioners while allowing member state regulatory boards to better protect consumers through enhanced sharing of licensure information. Existing interstate occupational licensure compacts have successfully reduced barriers for practitioners who wish to provide services in other states.

With the spirit of connection and improved communication, if you as a member of ICA have questions, concerns, suggestions or comments on anything counseling related, I am personally open to hearing from you! All inquiries are valuable and help ICA grow as an association. Thank you so much for providing the work that you do for the people of Idaho.

Thank you for your service to this association and thank you for your commitment to the counseling profession!

In best regards,

Lianna Erickson-Trembath LCPC, ACADC, CCTP

President, Idaho Counseling Association (2022-2023)