Mission.

Counselors for Social Justice works to promote social justice in our society through confronting oppressive systems of power and privilege that affect professional counselors and our clients and to assist in the positive change in our society through the professional development of counselors.

Who is CSJ?

CSJ has been a consistent voice for counselors involved in social justice work. CSJ members have successfully advocated on a number of issues including: healthcare for women, equal access for disabled, issues of discrimination against the LGBTQ community, racism, classism, and immigration. CSJ has:

Design by Kate Madden

• Criticized the use of reparative therapy
• Developed and lead to ACA’s endorsement of the Social Justice Advocacy Competencies
• Promoted Multicultural Competencies and socially responsible approaches to counseling

Our History

Founding members believed in fostering increased levels of empowerment, psychological liberation, critical thinking, and the importance of having a social justice voice within ACA and the counseling profession. ​
CSJ began through discussions between individuals from groups such as the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD), the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW), and the National Career Development Association (NCDA), who wanted to discuss the multicultural competency movement and the opportunity for ACA to better commit to multiculturalism.

​Read more about the history of CSJ HERE
​Learn about the CSJ bylaws HERE

Moving ​Forward

Social justice is an issue that touches all lives. In 2018, CSJ joined with AMCD, ALGBTIC, and ASERVIC in solidarity to begin a new practice of joint webinars, advocacy statements, and service days as well as continued collaboration and support of social justice.

Looking forward, CSJ aims for greater impact through:

• Mentorship & support
• Learning & training opportunities
• Outreach
• Collaboration

Leadership

colette dollarhide

President (2020-2021)

Dr. Colette Dollarhide is a professor and program chair for Counselor Education and Associate Chair for the Department of Educational Studies at The Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio).  She has been a counselor educator for over 25 years.  She is a cisgender, able-bodied, straight, middle class woman with a highly diverse family; she never forgets her privilege and works to be a lifelong learner about whiteness, social justice, privilege, oppression, and psychological and systemic liberation.  She strives every day to be a co-conspirator, disrupter, and servant leader.  Her teaching and research interests include social justice, leadership, supervision, school counseling, pedagogy, and professional identity, all through a qualitative research lens.  She lives in Columbus, Ohio with her family (including four grandchildren) and four dogs. 

2020-2021 board 

President: Colette Dollarhide
President Elect: Delila Owens
Past President: Lauren Shure
Secretary: Teresa Gregersen
Treasurer: Chiquita Holmes
Communications Officer: Frannie Neal
Community Representative: Alexia DeLeon
Governing Council Representative: Edil Torres Rivera
Retiree/Limited Means Representative: Dianne Logan-Parr
School Representative: Shekila Melchior
Student Representative: Kshipra Jain

Past Presidents

2019-2020 Lauren Shure
2018-2019 Anna Flores Locke
2017-2018 Rachael D. Goodman
2016-2017 Jane Goodman
2015-2016 Rita Chi-Ying Chung
2014-2015 Fred Bemak
2013-2014 Selma Yznaga
2012-2013 Rhonda Bryant
2011-2012 Manivong Ratts
​2010-2011 Judy Daniels

2009-2010 Michael D’Andrea
​​​2008-2009 Eric Green
​2007-2008 Hugh Crethar
2006-2007 Edil Torres-Rivera
2005-2006 Vivien McCullough
2004-2005 Stuart Chen-Hayes
2003-2004 Farah Ibrahim
2002-2003 Sandra Lopez-Baez
​2001-2002 Azara Santiago-Rivera
1999-2001 A. Michael Hutchins