Time: 12 – 1 p.m.
ACA Members Only
This live virtual community conversation will feature a panel of counseling professionals and published authors whose work focuses on counseling with immigrant communities. As immigration policies and public discourse continue to evolve, counselors are navigating complex clinical, ethical, and advocacy considerations. This informal and interactive session will center on the current state of immigration and its impact on clients, families, and communities. Panelists will share insights from their clinical experience, and scholarship, while responding to participant questions in real time. In this open forum, panelists will explore the realities facing immigrant clients today, discuss what they are seeing in practice, and offer perspective grounded in research, scholarship, and lived experience. Whether you work directly with immigrant populations or want to deepen your cultural responsiveness, this session offers an opportunity to learn from trusted voices in the field and connect with colleagues in meaningful dialogue.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
- Discuss considerations for culturally responsive and ethically informed work with immigrant clients.
- Examine the role of counselors in supporting immigrant individuals and families within the current sociopolitical climate.
- Reflect on practical approaches to strengthening competence and confidence when working with immigrant populations.
CE: This webinar is informational and does not offer CE credit.
Disclaimer (sponsored content): The views, information, or opinions expressed are those of the sponsor and do not necessarily reflect those of the American Counseling Association. Appearance of this content does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by ACA.
Format: Recurring monthly live webinar series designed to create a structured space for engagement around timely topics in the counseling profession. Unlike continuing education programs, this series is not instructional or credit-bearing. Instead, it provides an opportunity for counselors to engage with current issues, hear perspectives from invited guests, and submit questions and reflections in real time. This will be for ACA members only. Participants will engage through the Zoom chat and Q and A features by submitting comments and questions throughout the session. A moderator will curate audience input and direct selected questions to the presenter.
Presenters:
Patricia Arredondo, EdD, NCC
Patricia Arredondo is a prominent counseling professional and author whose work has shaped multicultural and social justice–oriented counseling practice. She served as president of the American Counseling Association and the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development and brings decades of scholarship and leadership promoting culturally responsive counseling for immigrant and refugee clients. As co-editor of Counseling With Immigrants, Refugees, and Their Families, she integrates social justice frameworks with clinical insight to guide counselors in meeting the needs of diverse communities.
Sandra Bertram Grant, PhD
Sandra Bertram Grant is a counseling professional and co-editor of Counseling With Immigrants, Refugees, and Their Families. She completed her doctoral studies in counseling psychology and contributes to the field through her research on culturally responsive counseling with immigrant populations. Sandra’s work emphasizes contextual frameworks that support counselors in adapting practice strategies when working with diverse and historically underserved communities.
Mary Fawcett, PhD, LPC
Mary Fawcett is a counseling educator, clinician, and co-editor of Counseling With Immigrants, Refugees, and Their Families. She serves as a professor of counselor education and has held leadership roles in professional counseling associations. Her contributions focus on advancing culturally grounded counseling practices and enhancing counselor preparation to work effectively with immigrant, refugee, and multicultural populations across practice settings.
Dawnette Cigrand, PhD, LPC
Dawnette Cigrand is a counselor educator, clinician, and co-editor of Counseling With Immigrants, Refugees, and Their Families. She is a professor and department chair in counselor education and has served in leadership positions in state counseling organizations. Her scholarship and practice emphasize multicultural competence, social justice, and the ethical responsibilities of counselors working with immigrant and refugee clients and families.
Rieko Miyakuni, PhD, LMHC
Rieko Miyakuni is a counselor educator and co-editor of Counseling With Immigrants, Refugees, and Their Families. With a global perspective informed by her own background, she teaches in a counselor education program and focuses on culturally responsive counseling practice. Rieko’s work highlights the importance of challenging stereotypes, understanding diverse cultural identities, and recognizing the strengths and contributions of immigrant communities in counseling contexts.