Washington Mental Health Counselors Association

Insights Newsletter

February 2026

Table of Contents

• Join the WMHCA Board: Board Applications Now Open
• Honoring Black History Month
• WMHCA Wants your Feedback Regarding our JEDI Goals and Priorities 
• Weaving Connections: Building Inclusion and Connection in Therapy 
• Nominate An Outstanding Peer: Excellence in Counseling Awards
• Partnership Highlight: Deconstructing the Mental Health System (DMHS)
• WMHCA's New Member Referral Program
• Board Member Spotlight: WMHCA Treasurer 
• Advocacy Day Reflections: From the Policy and Professional Advocacy Chair
• WMHCA Member Spotlight
• AMHCA Updates: Call to Action
• Thoughts for Change – A Practical Hands-On Tool for Healing and Change
• WMHCA Job Board

Join the WMHCA Board: Board Applications Now Open

The Washington Mental Health Counselor Association is accepting applications to our board for the 2026-2027 cycle. WMHCA is passionate about supporting clinicians through education, advocacy, and membership outreach.

WMHCA is accepting applications for President-elect, Treasurer, Graduate Student Representative, and general Board Members.  Any member of WMHCA is able to apply for these positions if they have been a member for at least one year (requirement waived for the graduate student representative).

Terms start July 1, 2026

• The Treasurer serves a 2 year term.

• The Graduate Student Representative serves a 1-year term

• General Board Members serve a 2-year term.

• President-Elect serves a 3-year term. (1 year as President-elect, 1 year as President, 1year as Past-president)

You can learn more about qualifications and responsibilities on WMHCA's dedicated Election page.  WMHCA Elections

Honoring Black History Month

During Black History Month, the Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMHCA) honors the resilience, leadership, brilliance, and enduring contributions of Black communities across the nation. We recognize that Black history is not separate from American history—it is foundational to it.

We acknowledge the ongoing impact of systemic racism on mental health, access to care, and lived experience. Racial trauma, inequities in healthcare, and the under representation of Black clinicians within our profession continue to affect individuals, families, and communities. As mental health counselors, we have both an ethical responsibility and a moral obligation to confront these inequities.

WMHCA remains committed to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within the counseling profession. This includes supporting Black counselors, advocating for equitable policies, promoting culturally responsive care, and challenging systems that perpetuate harm.

For those seeking to deepen their learning, donate, or volunteer in Washington State, we encourage engagement with organizations such as:

• Washington State Commission on African American Affairs (CAAA) – Advocacy, policy education, and community initiatives
• NAACP Spokane – Civil rights advocacy and local branch engagement opportunities
• Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle – Education, employment, housing, and economic empowerment programs
• WA Therapy Fund Foundation – Increasing access to mental health services for marginalized communities

We encourage counselors and community members alike to seek out local events, educational programming, and volunteer opportunities in their own regions throughout Washington.

Books to challenge and deepen our understanding of Black history

• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

• The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism, and Engage in Collective Healing by Anneliese A. Singh

• The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph

• Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson

WMHCA recognizes that these monthly cultural statements are inherently incomplete and cannot fully capture the complexity of each issue. Our intent is to raise awareness, share resources, and highlight actionable steps that support ongoing learning and advocacy. As clinicians, part of our professional responsibility is to engage in regular self-reflection, deepen our understanding of these issues, and seek meaningful connection with communities and populations beyond our own lived experiences.

Anti-racism is WMHCA's foundational commitment to confronting and dismantling racism, which sits at the root of many other forms of systemic oppression. We recognize that racism is interconnected with, and reinforces, other forms of discrimination—including sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and beyond.

Currently, WMHCA is putting the finishing touches on anti-racist trainings for all board members. (see January newsletter for the inclusive definition of anti-racism) The plan is for the first board training to start in April 2026 and the month of July going forward. Please fill out the quick survey link to share the importance of this goal to you

Weaving Connections: Building Inclusion and Connection in Therapy 

Plan Your Experience: 2026 WMHCA App Now Active

The official app for the 2026 WMHCA Conference, Weaving Connection: Building Inclusion and Connection in Therapy, is now live! 

Register now for the conference to:

• Customize your schedule with our full lineup of sessions.
• Access session details and speaker information.
• Book your room at the SeaTac Hilton before it fills up.

Volunteer Applications Open

WMHCA encourages all members to volunteer, and prioritizes students with historically marginalized identities—including but not limited to BIPOC, LGBTQEIAP+, disability, and immigrant identities—to advance representation, equity, and culturally responsive care.

CLICK FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO ACCESS THE VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

All conference information can be found on our dedicated conference page. 2026 WMHCA Conference

Nominate An Outstanding Peer: Excellence in Counseling Awards

Nominations close February 17th, 2026

WMHCA is excited to announce our inaugural Excellence in Counseling Awards to be presented at our conference this May 1st - 3rd, 2026. Please nominate candidates for the following categories: 

• Excellence in Service Awards: Honors sustained leadership, advocacy, and mentoring efforts. Typical recognition include those who have built DEI initiatives, accreditation teams, statewide committees, or volunteer training programs to name a few.
  
• Excellence in Supervision Award: Bestowed on counselor educators or clinical supervisors who have advanced supervision theory, innovated practicum models, or curated mentoring approaches.
  
• Excellence in Clinical Innovation Award: Recognizes novel counseling programs, leadership in clinical partnerships, or technological enhancement (e.g., tele-mental-health, mobile apps, hybrid supervision).
  
• Excellence in Teaching Award: Acknowledges excellence in pedagogical design, experiential learning, or curriculum transformation.
  
• Excellence in Research Impact Award: Celebrates peer-reviewed publications, data-driven supervision research, or grant-funded scholarship that shifts counselor education discourse.
  
• Excellence in an Emerging Professional Award: Given to early-career educators or clinicians demonstrating leadership potential, advocacy, or scholarship.
  
• Excellence in Volunteer Service Award: Awarded to volunteers who have significantly impacted the profession at the state or local level.
  

Partnership Highlight: Deconstructing the Mental Health System (DMHS)

Deconstructing the Mental Health System Inc, (DMHS) is a group for Mental Health Professionals who are actively increasing access to mental health & wellness services for Black people, Indigenous people, and People of Color.

They assist emerging Black Therapists, Indigenous Therapists, and Therapists of Color in obtaining, maintaining, and navigating the bureaucracy of mental health licenses by offering free public advertisement & marketing of services in our Therapy & Wellness Directory, as well as encouraging participation in the DMHS Free Therapy & Wellness Program. DMHS also offers the necessary tools including free clinical supervision by fully licensed Approved Supervisors.

From DMHS

"Last year, with the support of Best Start for Kids, DMHS hired our first ever Clinical Director for the Free Therapy & Wellness Program and a Training Coordinator. In partnership with WMHCA, DMHS was able to run year 3 of  'Legal Requirements & Cultural Considerations of Forming a PLLC is a no-cost to attend opportunity geared toward BIPOC providers interested in learning about ethics of private practice, while simultaneously considering how culture impacts ethics. 

Three attendees were awarded scholarships to assist with costs associated with opening their businesses, totaling 9 attendees over the last 3 cycles who were able to launch their Private Practices!

These collaborative efforts are to expand culturally relevant and sensitive services for our communities of color, who are in need of safe and trusting providers. Our vision and goal is to reduce barriers to accessing these services, and BIPoC and QTPoC provider retention is part of that mission. 

If you would like to support our work on an ongoing basis, we encourage you to consider monthly support: https://dmhsus.org/donate/"

More about Deconstructing the Mental Health System: https://linktr.ee/DMHS

WMHCA's New Member Referral Program

At WMHCA, we believe our strongest advocates are our members—and we want to thank you for spreading the word! When you refer a colleague who becomes a new WMHCA member, you’ll receive a $10 credit toward any future WMHCA workshop.

It’s simple:

1. Invite a colleague to join WMHCA.

2. Make sure they list your name as the referral during sign-up.

3. Once their membership is confirmed, you’ll receive a $10 workshop credit.

There’s no limit—refer multiple colleagues and earn multiple credits! It’s our way of saying thank you for helping grow our community of dedicated mental health professionals.

Start referring today and invest in your professional development—on us!

*new student membership are not eligible for the referral program

Board Member Spotlight: WMHCA Board Treasurer

Meg Curtin Rey-Bear, LPCC, LMHC

co-owner of a group private practice in Spokane

Wellness Therapies Spokane

What inspired you to become a therapist?

My journey to becoming a therapist has its origins psychology. As an undergrad I had a keen interest in and worked as a research assistant in addiction research. My original plan was to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology, but the more I looked at graduate schools, the more I noticed the desire to work directly with the individuals struggling. In particular, adolescents and their families. This led me to exploring counseling programs, and eventually to the University of New Mexico where I was able to work as a graduate assistant for the Center for Family and Adolescent Research, staying connected to addiction research while learning to be a family therapist.

What is your specialty?

I specialize in offering Clinical Supervision, and working with people experiencing complex trauma and families coping with parenting challenges, high conflict/tension, individuals within the family resistance to help, and family estrangement.

What is your favorite part of your work?

It is hard to pick just one thing. We focus extensively at Wellness Therapies on therapist well-being and it is a real joy to just show up at work. Clinically I'd say working with families is a favorite part. Getting to see systems repair is a gift.

What do you enjoy most about being a WMHCA member?

There are a number of things I find invaluable about being a WMHCA member, but what I love most are the opportunities to support and advocate for the healthy growth of our field in the state of Washington, and the people I meet during these opportunities. WHMCA has opened a lot of doors for me professionally and helped me to be a better advocate for my profession and myself.

What advice would you give to a new WMHCA member?

Get involved. It doesn't take a big time commitment to participate at a more active level, and it can be really fulfilling, especially right now, to feel like you are a part of something bigger.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

This is a long list. Baking, sewing, gardening, reading, cooking, meals with friends, walking, and traveling whenever I can.

Is there anything else you want us to know?

Being involved in a professional organization can be a profoundly rewarding experience. To thrive, and remain resilient, it's my belief that psychotherapists, no matter what licensure path we take to get here, need community and this is a great community to belong to.

Advocacy Day Reflections: From the Policy and Professional Advocacy Chair

This year marked my third time attending advocacy Day. In my first year, I arrived as a novice, lending my presence in support of passing the Counseling Compact and learning how the advocacy process worked. By last year, the conversations had become more substantive. Legislators often framed their primary concern as a behavioral health workforce shortage, but as we met with them, many of us respectfully pushed back. We shared our perspective that the challenge is not simply about numbers—it is about pay equity. We talked about sustainability, the long-term viability of our profession, and the need for fairness and transparency in insurance contracting so that counselors can afford to remain in the field. Those conversations began to shift the tone in meaningful ways, and several legislators seemed to genuinely hear what we were saying.

One meeting, in particular, captured the power of that dialogue. After listening carefully to our concerns, a legislator proposed, in real time, an amendment directing the Washington State Department of Health to study the feasibility of establishing a governing board. We later watched from the gallery as the amended bill passed. It was one of those rare moments when advocacy feels immediate and tangible—when you can see the connection between sharing our lived professional reality and policy beginning to take shape.

What inspired you to become a therapist?

I spent many years immersed in the liberal arts and working with individuals from multicultural backgrounds. As an immigrant from Bosnia and Herzegovina, my life has been shaped by resilience and rebuilding, which deepened my commitment to uplifting diverse voices and creating spaces where people feel safe and seen. Across professional roles ranging from academia to community outreach, it became clear that mental health counseling embodies where my heart was headed all along.

What is your specialty?

My work focuses on emotional understanding and connection, grounded in culturally responsive care, psychodynamic frameworks and empirically supported strategies with individuals from all walks of life.

What is your favorite part of your work?

Feeling present and attuned with my clients; staying engaged with mental health research; and connecting and learning from other professionals in our field.

What do you enjoy most about being a WMHCA member?

WMHCA creates an invaluable space for professional growth, meaningful connection, and continuous learning. It is supportive and inclusive, offering a safe place for members to show up as they are and grow together.

What advice would you give to a new WMHCA member?

I encourage you to stay curious, attend events, both in person and virtual, and engage with our community.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Reading, writing and telling stories, experimenting with ingredients in the kitchen, drinking good coffee, and spending time with the people I love.

Is there anything else you want us to know?

I feel deeply honored and grateful to do this work and welcome connection with others who feel similarly.

If you would like to be considered for the member spot light please fill out this FORM.

AMHCA Updates: Call to Action

Federal Loan Caps and the Exclusion of Counseling and Therapy Programs from "Professional" Status by the Department of Education

Summary of the Issue

The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) is deeply concerned by the Department of Education’s preliminary implementation guidance for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which establishes new federal student loan caps for graduate and professional students beginning July 1, 2026 and issues the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) to replace existing loan repayment programs, including the Grad PLUS Program and much of the Parent PLUS program. Under these changes, counseling and therapy programs—including Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, and related master’s and doctoral degrees—are (1) not included among the eleven “professional degree” programs though this degree meets a professional and licensure standard and (2) therefore will be restricted to the lower graduate-level cap of $20,500 per year for student loans rather than the $50,000 per year for professional degrees.

Thoughts for Change – A Practical Hands-On Tool for Healing and Change

Thoughts for Change (TFC) cards are designed to support cognitive restructuring. These cards bring concepts into a readily available format to encourage productive thoughts, exploration of feelings and observation of behavior patterns.

• TFC cards are ideal for helping individuals recognize, challenge and shift thought patterns in an engaging way. Easily used with individuals, groups or as homework assignments.
• Client card selection invites active participation and self-reflection, helping clients take ownership of their growth and therapeutic goals. Using TFC cards help to turn abstract concepts into concrete application that clients can touch, see, and practice in the moment.
• Thought prompts are grounded in established therapeutic frameworks—CBT, ACT, DBT, IPT, mindfulness and trauma recovery.
• TFC cards are easy to integrate; no preparation needed – just pull a card to prompt exploration, reflection or practice.

Visit thoughtsforchange.com today and add this engaging cognitive restructuring tool to your practice.

www.thoughtsforchange.com

Questions and comments are welcome. Contact: Deanna Norvell LMHC at deanna@thoughtsforchange.com

This is a Paid Advertisement: WMHCA does not endorse any product.

WMHCA Job Board

If you would like to submit an article for the WMCHA Insights Newsletter, email info@wmhca.org.