Washington Mental Health Counselors Association

Register now for WMHCA’s inaugural conference!

WMHCA's 2026 Conference, Weaving Connections: Building Belonging and Inclusion in Therapy will bring together professionals committed to fostering deeper connections and inclusive healing spaces in therapy. The Conference will be May 1st-3rd, 2026 in Seatac, WA.  May 1st will be an evening welcome reception and May 2nd & 3rd will be full days of continuing education - earn up to 12.5 CEs.

Check out some of our amazing presentations!

(and find the complete agenda here)

Joyce Miles Jacquote LMFT, LCDC 

Breaking Barriers: Mental Health Access & Equity for LGBTQIA+ and QPOC Communities 1.5 CEs

While awareness of mental health disparities is increasing, LGBTQIA+ individuals—especially Queer People of Color (QPOC)—continue to face systemic obstacles in accessing quality care. These challenges stem from intersecting forces of homophobia, transphobia, racism, economic inequality, and the lack of culturally competent, intersectional care.

This presentation explores structural and institutional barriers impacting LGBTQIA+ and QPOC communities, including discriminatory policies, provider bias, underrepresentation in the mental health workforce, and the failure to recognize nontraditional relationship structures such as queer-platonic partnerships and chosen families. We will examine how minority stress, generational trauma, and societal erasure shape mental health outcomes in these communities.

Dr. Phebe Brako LMFT, LMHC, NCC

Bridging Identities: Mental Health Impacts of Transracial Adoption Through a Bicultural Lens 1.5 CEs

The picture of transracial adoption is a complex intersection of culture, race and belonging that deelpy shapes mental health outcomes. Research has shown  an overrepresentation of adoptees in seekers of mental health support, especially when they make up only about 2.5% of the American adult population (Miller et al., 2000, Baden et al., 2012). 

This workshop draws from original qualitative research on the lived experiences of transracial adoptees of the Global Majority, who were raised in White adoptive families. This phenomenological research is analyzed through the Bicultural Identity Integration (BII) framework. 

Dr. Yvonne Unrau, PhD, LICSW (WA), LMSW (MI)

Dr. Miya Moore-Felton, Ph.D, LMFT

A Structured Mentoring Framework for Developing Clinical Supervisors: Integrating Multicultural and Social Justice Principles 1.5 CEs

This interactive workshop addresses the critical gap in clinical supervisor preparation by presenting an evidence-based, three-phase mentoring model. Participants will learn concrete strategies for mentoring emerging supervisors through: (1) Observation and Reflection, (2) Co-Supervision and Guided Practice, and (3) Supervised Independent Supervision. Drawing from current empirical research, the session integrates social justice principles throughout each developmental phase.

Key learning outcomes include identifying evidence-based mentoring strategies, analyzing supervisor developmental stages, and incorporating multicultural competencies into supervision mentoring. Participants will engage with practical tools, including supervision competency assessment rubrics, cultural responsiveness checklists, and reflective supervision protocols.

Interactive activities include mentoring plan development and peer consultation exercises. Attendees will leave with actionable frameworks applicable to their institutional contexts and a comprehensive resource toolkit for implementing culturally responsive supervision mentoring practices.

Jackie St. Louis, DPA, MSC, LMHC

More Than Cultural Competence: Cultivating Equity-Centered, Healing-Informed Practice through the Synergy Framework 2 CEs

Cultural competency is often treated as a checklist—facts about cultures and communities that clinicians are expected to memorize. But true equity-centered practice requires something deeper: sustained self-reflection, humility in relationship, and systemic awareness. This interactive workshop introduces the Synergy Framework, a practical model designed to help clinicians integrate three dimensions of ethical cultural practice:

• Me/I (Intrapersonal): clinician self-awareness, bias recognition, and the role of self-care in ethical engagement
• We (Interpersonal): fostering cultural humility, relational equity, and respectful communication with clients
• Us/Systems (Institutional): addressing systemic inequities and recognizing how structures of oppression impact client well-being

Through case scenarios, discussion, and reflective exercises, participants will explore how these dimensions intersect and how to apply them in practice. The training equips clinicians to move beyond cultural competence into equity-centered, healing-informed practice—while also sustaining themselves personally and professionally. This workshop fulfills Washington State CE requirements related to implicit bias, health equity, and cultural responsiveness.

Dr. Cristina Louk LMHC

Beyond the Grand Moments: Eliciting Narratives of Joy in Therapy 1.5 CEs

This presentation will challenge the idea that happiness must come from monumental events. Using a narrative approach, we will explore how a vulnerable and marginalized population describes their experiences of positive emotions. We'll provide practical strategies for clinicians to help clients articulate and connect with their own everyday sources of joy, using storytelling as a tool to broaden their perspective and build lasting personal resources.

Dr. Erika Miley PhD, LMHC, CST

Join the Rebellion: Pleasure as a Birthright, a Healing Practice, and a Radical Act (A Jedi-Inspired Approach to Inclusive, Intersectional Mental Health Care) 1.5 CEs

“The dark side thrives on fear, shame, and disconnection from the body. The rebellion begins when we reclaim pleasure.”

This training will blend psychoeducation, sci-fi metaphor, narrative exploration, and clinical tools for centering pleasure in healing work, particularly with clients whose bodies, identities, and desires have been marginalized.

We'll explore how:

• The “light side” of pleasure is self-knowledge, connection, and capacity to thrive

• The “dark side” of systemic oppression relies on shame, suppression, and control

• Therapists can act as rebels — radical witnesses — supporting clients in naming, reclaiming, and embodying their own sources of pleasure

• Why pleasure is political, not just personal

• The neurobiology of pleasure + trauma

• Clinical interventions for pleasure mapping, sensory re-integration, and counter-shame narrative work

• How to ethically integrate kink, neurodivergence, and sexual agency into inclusive care

We’ll cover:

Come ready to dismantle binaries, embrace the gray (hello, Jedi code), and build a new model of therapy that values pleasure not as indulgence — but as resistance.

Dr. Jennifer Kennett PhD, LMHC

Holding the Space: Developing a Supervisor Identity Rooted in Relationship and Respect 2 CEs

Who do you want to be when you step into the role of a supervisor? How will you show up in ways that inspire trust, invite vulnerability, and spark growth? Stepping into the role of a clinical supervisor is more than mastering techniques or keeping track of paperwork; it’s the act of shaping professional identity in a way that honors both the supervisor’s and supervisee’s humanity. More importantly, excellence as a clinical supervisor is foundational to career sustainability for supervisees. 

Drawing on research on the supervisory alliance, supervisor competencies, polyvagal theory, and cultural humility, this workshop helps supervisors deepen self-awareness, strengthen relational skills, and address cultural and systemic factors impacting the supervision process. Participants will explore how their journey as a clinician and their intersections of identity have shaped their identity as a supervisor, and envision the kind of presence they want to bring into every supervisory conversation. Using a mix of lecture, interactive discussion, and reflective practice participants will develop an understanding of the core competencies needed to effectively guide, challenge, and support supervisees within a clear supervisory framework.

The hotel room block is currently open, as well as the discounted airfare. Book your room early as space is limited. 

No refunds will be given.

Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMHCA) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP   No. 2079. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. WMHCA is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.