The 2020 Counseling Psychology Conference and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned in Cultivating Change Through Liberation

Simultaneous to the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic, the 2020 Counseling Psychology Conference was in the final stages of preparation. It was impossible to hold the conference in the midst of university restrictions on nonessential travel and government restrictions of large gatherings. We document the 2020 Counseling Psychology Conference as originally planned for historical purposes and describe the leadership challenges associated with cancellation. Further, we describe the virtual events arising from the 2020 Counseling Psychology Conference that were held to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Counseling Psychology. Finally, we make recommendations for the field's constituent professional organizations and future leaders for planning future national conferences based on these experiences. Consistent with the theme of the conference, “Counseling Psychology at 75 Years: Reflections on Shared Identity, Cultivating Change, and Building a Counseling Psychology of Liberation,” our manuscript is framed from a liberation psychology perspective.

Fostering Diversity of Membership and Leadership in Psychology Teaching and Learning Organizations

Many organizations dedicated to learning and teaching in the field of psychology struggle with diversifying and widening international representation. The drive for diversification of membership and leadership occurs as such groups increasingly prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. In this paper, we offer evidence-based guidance on the benefits of increasing diversity in organizational leadership as well as the means to do so. Further, we share approaches from our organization, the US-based Society for the Teaching of Psychology, to expanding diversity, as well as gaps in equity and inclusion initiatives. We conclude by discussing the importance of all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives more generally within the field of the teaching of psychology and of advancing global psychology via psychology learning and teaching associations.

Future Shock: Counseling Psychology in a VUCA World

This article represents the conclusion of our special two-part issue of The Counseling Psychologist focused on leadership in counseling psychology. In this article, we reflect upon the state of leadership in counseling psychology as captured in the articles in this special issue. First, we explain the concept of a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world and why it is important to considerations of leadership by counseling psychologists. Next, we comment on each of the articles that comprise this two-part special issue, noting their strengths, relevance to current knowledge about and concepts of leadership, and questions that remain unanswered and thus ripe for further study. We conclude with recommendations for leadership-related efforts in counseling psychology as a field. It is our hope that this brief critique provides directions for future study and action regarding leadership in counseling psychology.

Leadership and Counseling Psychology: What Should We Know? Where Could We Go?

In this article, we present an introduction to the scholarly literature in leadership, especially as related to counseling psychology. Although many counseling psychologists engage in professional leadership roles across various settings in which they function, there is little formal knowledge about leadership represented in principal books and journals in the field, nor is leadership addressed formally in most programs providing education and training for counseling psychologists. In this article, we first summarize the most important theories, constructs, and processes in the body of knowledge regarding leadership. We also consider the applicability of this knowledge to the field of counseling psychology, particularly noting values and commitments that may position counseling psychologists for effective leadership. We then outline several cross-cutting issues in leadership for counseling psychologists that arise across settings and roles, concluding with a call for more formal attention to leadership by counseling psychologists.

Leadership Development in Counseling Psychology: Voices of Leadership Academy Alumni

In 2012, the Society of Counseling Psychology instituted the Leadership Academy (LA) to develop a pipeline of diverse leaders within the Society and the field of psychology. The present study aimed to: (a) better understand the retrospective perceived impact of the training on LA alumni, and (b) provide data about how LA alumni view their leadership development within the context of counseling psychology values. Fourteen LA alumni responded to a series of open-ended survey questions, and we examined the data through qualitative content analysis. Results yielded seven thematic categories: (a) Influences of the LA on Leadership Development and Leadership Skills, (b) Supports to Leadership Development, (c) Barriers to Leadership Development, (d) Greater Awareness of Diversity and Social Identities, (e) Growth Areas of the LA, (f) Personal Definition of Leadership, and (g) Leadership Attainment. Implications for leadership training programs are discussed.