 Washington Mental Health Counselors Association
|
|
|
Insights Newsletter June 2026 |
|
|
WMHCA's 2026-2027 Board of Directors
President: Dr. Cristina Louk, LMHC
Past-President: Dr. Carolyn Russo, LMHC
President-Elect: Robyn Hansen, LMHC, CPT
Treasurer: Meg Curtin Rey-Bear, LMHC, NCE, EMDR
Secretary: Dennis McCarthy, LMHC
Graduate Student Representative: Lucinda Black
General Board Members:
Bree Sutton, LMHC
Raquel Sadler, LMHC, LPC
Dr. Melissa Mace, LICSW
Ellie Lovde, LMHCA
Dr. Amy Cummings-Garcia
Casey Akerhielm, LMHC
Heidi Ehrilch, LMHC
Dr. Jennifer Kennett, MBA, LMHC Toni Aswegan, LMHC, NCC, ACS
WMHCA is excited to share that our 2026–2027 volunteer board is complete with a full slate of 15 members. We're thrilled to welcome two new faces to the board, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Katie Schmitz, LMHC, as she transitions off. During her tenure, Katie made invaluable contributions to the Professional Development and Education Committee and played a central role in the Conference Task Force. We're delighted that she will continue to be an active part of our community — returning to the Conference Task Force and participating in the Policy and Professional Advocacy Committee in the year ahead.
|
|
|
WMHCA Board Members and staff at our 2026 Conference |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WMHCA proudly celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community—honoring the history, resilience, and ongoing fight for equality. Pride is a celebration of identity and a call to action—a reminder of our responsibility as mental health professionals to advocate for dignity, safety, and belonging for all people. Clinicians play a vital role in creating spaces of healing, affirmation, and justice. Whether providing gender-affirming care, challenging systemic barriers, or simply showing up with compassion and cultural humility, your work makes a difference. For many LGBTQIA+ individuals, especially youth, a supportive therapist can be a life-saving presence. In a time when anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation and discrimination continue to threaten well-being, our commitment to ethical, inclusive, and trauma-informed care is more important than ever. As clinicians, we can uplift voices, challenge stigma, and affirm the full humanity of those we serve. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Holding History, Honoring Healing: Mental Health and Juneteenth
|
|
|
June holds a lot. For Black Americans and all who care about justice, it is a month of deep historical reckoning centered on Juneteenth, June 19th, commemorating the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally heard word of their freedom, more than two years after emancipation had already been signed into law.
To honor Juneteenth is not only to celebrate freedom. It is to sit with the full weight of what freedom delayed means and to tend to the wounds that history leaves behind.
As a Black woman, this is not abstract to me. It is my life the extra weight I carry, the racism I navigate, the labor my white counterparts don't shoulder, and the resilience I draw on simply to show up.
Freedom Is Psychological, Too
The history surrounding Juneteenth enslavement, delayed liberation, ongoing racial injustice is not merely the past. Intergenerational trauma is real and documented. It shapes the mental and physical health of descendants in measurable ways.
For many Black Americans, this month can bring pride, grief, anger, exhaustion, and hope often all at once. Every one of those feelings deserves space. Culturally responsive mental health care recognizes that wellness cannot be separated from history, community, and the ongoing fight for justice. Healing doesn't happen in a vacuum. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) Survey
Please complete this 1-minute survey by June 30th and be entered into an optional $10 VISA gift card raffle! This survey will help the Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee (JEDI) of WMHCA put our anti-racist mission, values, and strategic plan into action.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WMHCA Member Day at the Reign FC Game |
|
|
WMHCA Member Day at the Seattle Reign Women's Soccer game! August 14th, 2026 at 7 pm. Watch the Seattle Reign FC take on the Chicago Stars FC at 7 pm and connect with colleagues in the counseling field!
WMHCA believes that all forms of injustice are interconnected and social justice is an essential aspect of wellness. That belief doesn't just live in our policy statements — it should show up in how we engage our members and what organizations we choose to stand alongside. Reign FC is one of those organizations.
Women's professional soccer, and Reign FC in particular, is built on the same values WMHCA champions. The NWSL and its clubs have long been at the forefront of advocating for gender equity, racial justice, and LGBTQ+ inclusion — not as add-ons, but as core to the game's identity. Reign FC has actively used their platform to advance health equity and break down barriers to wellbeing, and to shine a light on mental health stigma and encourage open, honest conversations about care. They've also committed to community investment in underserved areas, using soccer as a vehicle to support learning and social-emotional wellness for youth in marginalized and under-resourced communities.
By attending the game WMHCA members are showing up for an organization that shares our commitment to dismantling systems of oppression, uplifting marginalized communities, and centering mental and community health in everything they do.
A Reign FC WMHCA Member Day is more than a fun outing. It's an opportunity to put our JEDI values into action, celebrate an organization whose mission echoes our own, and remind our members that the work of justice and healing extends beyond the therapy room — and sometimes, that's exactly where community is built. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Board Member Spotlight
Heidi Ehrlich, PhD candidate, LMHC, NCC
Hope Haven Counseling
Adjunct Instructor in the Counselor Education Department at Gonzaga University |
|
|
What inspired you to become a therapist?
There are a lot of factors that contributed to wanting to become a therapist, so I will share one of the the most salient memories. When I was in high school, I had a wonderful mental health counselor named John. I was in a lot of emotional pain due to what was happening in my life, and John provided a corrective attachment experience in counseling. He came to my school for appointments and even met with me over the summer going to the location closest to my home. When I was having panic attacks, he met me at the emergency room and sat with me when I did not have anyone else to call. He never judged me and he was one of the first people who challenged me to believe that I had potential. I will never forget him!
What is your speciality?
Clinical Mental Health Counseling is my counseling specialty area. My niche is trauma and grief. I am certified in EMDR and as a first responder counselor. I also am a certified grief educator.
What is your favorite part of your work?
I enjoy the relationships built with others whether it is clients, colleagues, students, or the community. Being with others doing this work is a gift!
What do you enjoy most about being a WMHCA member?
The relationships and opportunities for networking is my favorite part of being a member of the WMHCA. Working in private practice can feel isolating, and it is nice to have spaces to connect with the greater counseling community.
What advice would you give a new WMHCA member?
I would recommend they continue to hold professional membership because the WMHCA will be a place to get up to date training and information necessary for their licensure. Additionally, I would encourage them to become involved in leadership or advocacy.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love to spend time with my spouse, children, dogs, and cats. Traveling, learning about history, being outdoors, reading, weight training, spending time with friends, and volunteering in the community.
Is there anything else you want us to know?
It is an honor to serve with all of you; this is hard work! |
|
|
|
|
Partnership Highlight: Therapy Fund Foundation
Reclaiming Wellness Conference
WMHCA is a Proud Sponsor of the Reclaiming Wellness Conference! Help us Reclaim Wellness this BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month with The Therapy Fund Foundation’s 4th Annual Reclaiming Wellness Behavioral Health Conference & Resource Fair!
This event will take place on July 10th, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle's Southport. This is a full-day conference dedicated to improving mental health outcomes for communities of color.
This is a can’t miss event for anyone working in, or aspiring to work in, the behavioral health field, as well as community members interested in creating health equity and change for those who have been historically excluded. |
|
|
|
|
Enter to Win Tickets to the Reclaiming Wellness Conference! WMHCA is excited to raffle off two tickets to the Reclaiming Wellness Conference on July 10, 2026. The Reclaiming Wellness Conference is the first BIPOC-led and BIPOC-focused behavioral health conference in Washington State and on the West Coast. The conference is dedicated to advancing mental health equity and improving behavioral health outcomes for communities of color through culturally responsive education, connection, and advocacy. We encourage members who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), or who serve and support BIPOC communities in their professional work, to enter the raffle for an opportunity to attend this important event. Don't miss the chance to learn from leaders in the field, build community, and engage in conversations that promote wellness and equity in behavioral health. Winners will be announced June 22, 2026. Please do not enter raffle if you can not commit to attending. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Call for Proposals is Now Open The Professional Development and Education Committee has opened up our call for proposals. If you would like to be a presenter for WMHCA you can find out more information here: https://wmhca.org/CEapproval |
|
|
|
|
Membership Benefit: Discounted Rates for Group Members
Did you know WMHCA offers group memberships for a discount for group practice owners and other organizations. Group practices can offer WMHCA membership as a benefit to their employees and receive a discount on the annual membership dues: - 10% off for 5-14 members
- 15% off for 15-20 members
- 20% off for 20+ members
Group members all share a renewal date. The entire group is charged one membership fee, which is invoiced to and paid by the group coordinator. The coordinator can also remove and replace group members as needed when employees leave or get hired. Replacing members does not incur any additional fees unless additional memberships are added. Each group member can utilize benefits on their own and will fill out their own membership profiles. Reach out to info@wmhca.org for more information. |
|
|
|
|
If you would like to be considered for the member spot light please fill out this FORM. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FEATURED
Crisis Therapist
Seneca - Tacoma, WA
Full-time
|
Posted: Jun 3, 2026
Salary: $35.33 - $42.06 Hourly
Application Deadline: N/A
|
|
FEATURED
Associate Mental Health Therapist
Thrive for the People - Seattle, WA
Full-time
|
Posted: Jun 2, 2026
Salary: $75.00 - $75.00 Hourly
Application Deadline: Mar 18, 2026
|
|
FEATURED
Licensed Mental Health Therapist
Thrive for the People, PLLC - Seattle, WA
Full-time
|
Posted: May 27, 2026
Salary: $100.00 - $120.00 Hourly
Application Deadline: N/A
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you would like to submit an article for the WMCHA Insights Newsletter, email info@wmhca.org.
|
|
|
|
