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Counselor Education Research Guide

Governmental Agencies

Professional Affiliations

  • ACA: The American Counseling Association is the world's largest association for counseling. It was developed to provide support systems for professionals with similar needs. Increasing acceptance of the counseling profession has lead to the establishment of more jobs, better wages, and greater recognition of our value to society. Membership provides access to professional identity, development, and support.
  • CACREP: The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the accrediting body of the American Counseling Association (ACA), was incorporated in 1981. Its purpose is to work with institutions offering graduate-level programs in this field so that they might achieve accreditation status. CACREP offers professional recognition, access to Licensure and certification, and portability of credits.
  • NBCC: The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), an independent, not-for-profit organization, was incorporated in 1982 to establish and monitor a national certification system, to identify for professionals and the public those counselors who have voluntarily sought and obtained certification and to maintain a register of those counselors.