Guide to Professional Counseling Conferences (2025)
Counseling Schools Search
When you click on a sponsoring school or program advertised on our site, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.
Conferences have the potential to benefit professionals on multiple planes. Conferences introduce counseling professionals to new strategies, techniques, or knowledge to deepen their capacity to serve their clients. They also can connect counselors to their peers, providing a network for support, business partnerships, and more. They allow professionals to connect with businesses providing services, technology, or products that can be useful to them or their clients. Some even hold space to honor counselors doing groundbreaking or superlative work through awards ceremonies.
Although it has been a while since the world moved past the challenges of Covid-19, many organizations are still working to provide all the boons of the conference experience to those within the professional counseling community. Several organizations have embraced hybrid models, offering both virtual and in-person options to make conferences accessible to a wider audience. This approach allows participants to engage regardless of location, fostering broader participation and inclusivity.
The benefit of virtual conferences can be seen in CE opportunities. Most virtual meetings keep proceedings available on-demand well after the conference concludes, giving counselors the ability to earn as much CE as possible from their registration fee.
The lessons learned after the pandemic have influenced how counseling conferences are structured, with many continuing to offer hybrid formats. This ensures flexibility and accessibility, catering to professionals who may prefer virtual participation alongside traditional in-person gatherings.
The following guide to professional counseling conferences in 2025 offers information regarding specific conference offerings, registration price ranges, number of CEUs being offered, and conference format.
Conferences for Professional Counselors of All Disciplines
American Counseling Association 2025 Conference & Expo
This conference experience will be hosted by the American Counseling Association, a professional not-for-profit educational organization that is dedicated to the enhancement and growth of the counseling profession. Founded in 1952, the American Counseling Association is the world’s largest organization representing professional counselors in several practice settings.
The conference will offer continuing education credits, networking, and professional development for licensed counselors at this in-person flagship educational event. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with fellow mental health students and professionals and get the latest information, resources, and tools to support their work and earn continuing education (CE) credits.
- Date: March 27–29, 2025
- Location: Orlando, Florida
- Cost: Full Conference (member: $399 to $599; student, new professional, or retired member: $310 to $460; non-member: $640 to $840; and student non-member: $490 to $640); One-day (member: $200 to $300; non-member: $320 to $420)
- CE Opportunities: Varies by session
Multi-Disciplinary Conferences Offered By State-Based Counseling Associations
North Carolina Counseling Association (NCCA), a state branch of the American Counseling Association, represents professional counselors in various work settings. Titled, “Empowering Counselors: Nurturing Holistic Wellness Through Trauma-informed Care,” this annual conference will be an excellent opportunity for professional development, networking with peers, and engaging in inspiring sessions tailored for counseling professionals. NCCA has been approved by NBCC as an approved continuing education provider.
The conferences will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Concord Golf Resort & Spa in Charlotte, NC. The topics available to those attending include creating safe spaces through trauma-informed supervision; the power of child-centered play therapy part 1: helping children connect and heal; neuroscience-informed relational therapy: integrating trauma-focused and attachment-based models; and the power of child-centered play therapy part 2: a trauma-informed approach for working with children.
- Date: February 27 – March 1, 2025
- Location: Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Concord Golf Resort & Spa in Charlotte, North Carolina
- Cost: Member (pre-conference rate: $100; two-day conference rate: $250); non-member (pre-conference rate: $115; two-day conference rate: $300); student member (pre-conference rate: $65; two-day conference rate: $150); student non-member (pre-conference rate: $85; two-day conference rate: $175)
- CE Opportunities: Several NBCC Hours will be offered
The South Carolina Counseling Association, a state branch of the American Counseling Association, has been approved by NBCC as an approved continuing education provider.
The South Carolina Counseling Association’s 61st annual conference has introduced its Learning Institute. The Learning Institute is their new, enhanced format replacing the traditional pre-conference. Each session (morning, afternoon, evening) lasts three hours.
Topics for these sessions include ethically navigating the byzantine labyrinth of Medicaid; building safe spaces through the safe zone project; better together: building parent engagement within child-centered treatment; applied approaches to clinical supervision; navigating medical trauma: empowering counselors to support clients and families; custody conflict: ethical standards & best practices for mental health professionals; human trafficking; and brain hacking, among others.
- Date: February 26-28, 2025
- Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- Cost: Professional member (three-day pass: $375; two-day pass: $265; one-day pass: $140); student member (three-day pass: $225; two-day pass: $165; one-day pass: $90); professional non-member (three-day pass: $450; two-day pass: $315; one-day pass: $165); student non-member (three-day pass: $285; two-day pass: $205; one-day pass: $110)
- CE Opportunities: Specific details regarding the number of Continuing Education (CE) units available at the conference have not been provided in the available information.
Kansas Counseling Association has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider. Attendees can earn CEs by attending the 2025 KCA conference.
The conference will be held at Leawood, KS – Foundry at Church of the Resurrection. This year’s theme will be “Thriving in the Field. Strategies for Counselors Wellness and Success”. The conference will include keynote speakers, breakout sessions, awards ceremonies, and a president’s reception.
- Date: March 7-8, 2025
- Location: Foundry at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, KS
- Cost: KCA professional member: $160; non-KCA member: $250; KCA retired member: $80; KCA student: $60; KCA presenter: $120
- CE Opportunities: TBD
The South Dakota Counseling Association, a state branch of the American Counseling Association, has been approved by NBCC as an approved continuing education provider. The 2025 conference will be held at the Best Western Plus Ramkota Hotel & Convention Center, Sioux Falls. The theme for this year’s conference is “Embrace Your Journey”. It is important to note that while the association does give special consideration to presentations connected to the theme, their goal is to provide a well-rounded conference experience for all community mental health, private practice, and school counselors, and welcome a variety of presentation submissions.
SDCA is working on creating an exceptional professional experience for all counselors at the 2025 Conference. The 2024 conference covered topics such as testifying in court; personality disorders; trauma-informed practices; addictions; stress management; grief and loss; eating disorders; and survivors of family suicide.
- Date: May 1-3, 2025
- Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Cost: TBD
- CE Opportunities: TBD
Conferences for Addiction and Substance Abuse Counselors
NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, will hold its 2025 conference in person in Seattle, WA. The conference will include pre-conference training sessions as well as post-conference sessions.
NAADAC is currently seeking 2025 workshop proposals in the following areas: practice management, organizational competence, and technology; co-occurring disorders; psychopharmacology, medication for addiction treatment, pharmacotherapy, co-occurring medical issues, or advanced sud-specific treatment; cultural humility & demographic-specific treatment issues; process addictions; peer recovery and recovery support; and higher education and behavioral health workforce development.
In 2024, NAADAC’s annual conference provided attendees with a mixture of presentations, advocacy prep, professional development, networking, exhibits, culture, and community. The conference had over 70 nationally recognized speakers, more than 65 educational sessions, and over 51 CEs.
- Date: October 11-13, 2025
- Location: Hyatt Regency Bellevue on Seattle’s Eastside in Seattle, Washington
- Cost: TBD
- CE Opportunities: Up to 70 contact hours
UWSP 21st Annual Mental Health And Substance Use Recovery Training Conference
The theme for the 20th annual mental health and substance use recovery training conference was “Building Connections: Recovery Takes a Village”. The 2025 conference theme has not yet been announced as of December 2024.
This conference is ideal for people in recovery and family members, behavioral health professionals, adolescent treatment professionals and educators, clinicians in the criminal and juvenile justice system, and anyone interested in the topics discussed.
The 2025 conference is seeking approval for continuing education fours from the National Association of Social Workers, Wisconsin Chapter.
- Date: October 16-17, 2025
- Location: Kalahari Resort and Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, WI
- Cost: TBD
- CE Opportunities: TBD
Conferences for Grief Counselors
UWL International Death, Grief, and Bereavement Conference
Through its international death, grief, and bereavement conference, the University of Wisconsin La Crosse Center for Death Education and Bioethics is offering professional counselors the ability to learn more about the effects of ancestral, generational, and culturally shared grieving.
Conference topics for the 2025 International Death, Grief & Bereavement Conference that may pique counselor interest include mental health and spirituality of the dying and grieving; best practices and contemporary therapies for grief; children’s grief; conflict management and communication during grief; managing caregiver stress; and social justice and grief.
The conference is open to palliative care providers, hospice providers, program directors, funeral service directors, counselors, case managers, social workers, educators, individuals dealing with personal loss, and the general public.
- Date: Pre-conference (June 1, 2025) Conference (June 2–4, 2025)
- Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin
- Cost: Attendees (pre-conference – $325; actual conference: early registration – $659, regular registration – $789); students (pre-conference – $109; actual conference – $249)
- CE Opportunities: TBD
Conferences for Marriage and Family Counselors
“Shaping the Future: Advancing Relationships Through Systemic Advocacy” is the theme for the Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy’s annual conference in 2025. Taking place in Austin, this conference is dedicated to grounding Texas MFTs and friends of the field in systemic theory and practice.
This year’s keynote speakers include Sonya Jensen, an LMFT-S certified Gottman Therapist and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, and Dr. Diane Gehart, an award-winning author, educator, and TEDx speaker who has trained thousands of licensed mental health professionals over the past 30 years.
Topics at the conference include love, sex, and therapy; systemic advocacy in gender-affirming therapy; exploring polyamory in the therapy room; ethical considerations for immigrant minors; witness thinking: creating future possibilities; telesupervision for marginalized MFT supervisees; the relational window of tolerance for couples; postmodern therapy, EDMR, trauma, addiction, & teens; and the neuro-emotional technique for trauma.
- Date: February 27-28, 2025
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Cost: Full conference (member: $410; non-member: $560; student member: $275; student non-member: $325); one-day pass (member: $210; non-member: $275)
- CE Opportunities: 25+ contact hours
Conferences for Mental Health Counselors
The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) has been approved by NBCC as an approved continuing education provider. It is a growing community of thousands of mental health counselors whose members are committed to furthering the education of licensed mental health counselors.
In addition to chapter leadership summits, keynote/plenary sessions, lunch and learns, and educational sessions, the 2025 has pre-conference training offerings as well. Most attendees will be able to accumulate their continuing education hours during the core conference days; however, they can earn additional continuing education hours by attending pre-conference workshops.
Conference topics include gender identity and sexual identity; children and adolescents; crisis counseling; supervision; substance use and co-occurring disorders; specialized clinical assessment; neuroscience; immigration and human trafficking; geriatric; forensic evaluation; developmental and learning disability; and couples and family.
- Date: June 24-27, 2025
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Cost: Clinical or regular (early bird: $499; regular: $549); student, retired, or emerging member (early bird: $349; regular: $449); non-member (early bird: $499; regular: $599); non-member with one year of membership (early bird: $549; regular: $649); onsite rates (clinical or regular – $599; student, retired, or emerging – $499; non-member – $649; non-member with one year of membership – $699)
- CE Opportunities: up to 16 contact hours
Conferences for School Counselors
The 2025 ACCA Annual Conference will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference theme is “Ready to Connect: Adapt & Recharge.” This year’s theme is dedicated to highlighting what it means to foster deep, meaningful connection as an antidote to the loneliness epidemic amongst the college population, considering the changing landscape of living in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world, and fostering the well-being of mental health professionals.
Breakout sessions will be on topics such as building transformative relationships through culturally responsive outreach activities; supporting students of color as black professionals at a PWI; creating a strategic, data-driven communication plan to show effectiveness, highlighting areas of student struggle, and advocating for resources; trauma-informed teaching and practice; using the neurosequential model as the north star in our compass of applied practice in the classroom or therapy session; checking privilege: exploration of disability affirming clinical supervision; and practical & ethical applications of trauma-informed supervision.
- Date: January 30 – February 2, 2025
- Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Cost: ACCA professional members: $450; ACCA student members: $349; non-member professionals: $520; non-member students: $389; retired members: $349; one-day registration: $275
- CE Opportunities: 13.5 contact hours for the conference and six additional contact hours for the pre-conference workshop
“Navigate and Innovate” is the theme for the American School Counselor Association’s 2025 conference which will be at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. ASCA’s conference offers school counselors the opportunity to network with peers from across the country, the chance to find companies offering products to help with their work, and the opportunity to earn continuing education units.
This conference will include informative breakouts, inspirational keynotes, and in-depth looks at hot topics in the school counseling profession. The American School Counselor Association invites attendees to join K-12 school counselors, college professors, graduate students, school district directors, and counseling supervisors at the Long Beach Convention Center for this ASCA Annual Conference.
Approximately 5,000 school counselors attend each ASCA Annual Conference and come ready to learn about their organization and make purchasing or referral decisions. With numerous breaks and special activities scheduled in the exhibit hall, attendees will witness some of the best traffic they’ve ever seen.
- Date: July 12-15, 2025
- Location: Long Beach, California
- Cost: ASCA members (in-person: $449 to $549; virtual: $229); student members (in-person: $349 to $449; virtual: $189); retired members (in-person: $349 to $449; virtual: $189); principal ($449); non-members (in-person: $649 to $749; virtual: $399); presenters ($349 to $449); one-day only ($219 to $259)
- CE Opportunities: TBD
Becca Brewer, MEd
WriterBecca Brewer is building a better future on a thriving earth by healing herself into wholeness, divesting from separation, and walking the path of the loving heart. Previously to her journey as an adventurer for a just, meaningful, and regenerative world, Becca was a formally trained sexuality educator with a master of education.