Each year, the Wisconsin Counseling Association (WCA) recognizes outstanding counselors, counseling professionals, students, educators, supervisors, leaders, and programs whose work contributes to the counseling profession throughout Wisconsin.
WCA is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 WCA Annual Awards. Award recipients will be recognized in conjunction with the 2026 WCA Annual Conference, October 9–10, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin.
This year, WCA is also excited to expand its professional recognition opportunities with two new awards: the Emerging Counselor Award and the Outstanding Clinical Practice Award.
We encourage WCA members, counseling professionals, counselor educators, supervisors, students, and colleagues throughout Wisconsin to recognize individuals and programs whose contributions deserve statewide recognition.
Please nominate an individual or a program you feel is deserving of one of the following professional recognition awards. Individuals should be active members of the Wisconsin Counseling Association. At least one faculty from a program should be a current WCA member.
To submit a nomination, click on the link below for the respective award to complete the form. You will also need a 1-page letter of nomination providing a rationale for why this person or program is deserving of the award. Also, include an additional 1-page letter supporting the nomination. Submit no more than three (3) additional pages of supporting documentation specific to the award criteria. Please be sure the information supports your nominee’s eligibility for the award.
You will need both a letter of nomination and a supporting letter in order to submit the forms.
Deadline: Nominations must be submitted by Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Questions? Contact Amanda Falkers, WCA Past President, at wisconsincounseling@gmail.com
Individual Awards
David Van Doren Leadership and Service Award – Recognizes a counseling professional who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and service to the counseling profession in the State of Wisconsin and/or the region.
Nominees should demonstrate a sustained commitment to leadership, professional service, advancement of the counseling profession, and meaningful contributions to counselors, clients, communities, or professional organizations.
Click here to submit a nomination for the David Van Doren Leadership and Service Award.
Legislative Advocacy Award – Recognizes a counseling professional or member of the legislature who has made significant contributions to the counseling profession through legislative advocacy efforts.
Nominees may be recognized for efforts that increase awareness of issues affecting professional counselors, advance the counseling profession, strengthen the professional identity of counselors, improve access to counseling services, or otherwise contribute meaningfully to legislative advocacy affecting counseling in Wisconsin.
Click here to submit a nomination for the Legislative Advocacy Award.
Outstanding Counselor Educator Award – Recognizes an individual who, through leadership, education, professional activities, and student mentorship, has made significant contributions to the continued training and development of competent and ethical professional counselors.
Nominees should demonstrate a commitment to counselor development, professional identity, ethical practice, mentorship, and excellence in counselor education.
Click here to submit a nomination for the Outstanding Counselor Educator Award.
Outstanding Supervisor Award – Recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence in the clinical supervision and professional development of graduate counseling students and/or provisionally licensed professional counselors, including LPC-ITs.
Nominees should demonstrate a commitment to ethical supervision, mentorship, professional identity development, clinical growth, and preparation of the next generation of professional counselors.
Click here to submit a nomination for the Outstanding Supervisor Award.
Outstanding Counseling Graduate Student Award – Recognizes a graduate student enrolled in a Wisconsin counseling program who demonstrates outstanding scholarship, leadership, professional engagement, service, and/or advocacy throughout their counselor training.
Nominees should demonstrate a strong commitment to the counseling profession and show promise as an emerging professional counselor.
Click here to submit a nomination for the Outstanding Counseling Graduate Student Award.
NEW — Emerging Counselor Award– Recognizes an early-career professional counselor who demonstrates exceptional promise, professionalism, leadership, service, and commitment to the counseling profession.
This award is intended to recognize counselors who are in the early stages of their professional careers and are already making meaningful contributions to their clients, workplaces, communities, and/or the counseling profession.
Nominees may demonstrate excellence through areas such as clinical practice, professional involvement, advocacy, community engagement, innovation, mentorship, leadership, or service.
For purposes of this award, nominees should generally be within the first five years of professional counseling practice following completion of their graduate counseling program.
Click here to submit a nomination for the 2026 Emerging Counselor Award
NEW — Outstanding Clinical Practice Award – Recognizes a professional counselor who demonstrates exceptional commitment to excellence in direct clinical counseling practice.
This award honors counselors whose work reflects high standards of ethical, compassionate, client-centered, and evidence-informed care and whose clinical contributions have positively impacted clients, families, communities, and/or the counseling profession.
Nominees may demonstrate excellence through direct counseling services, development of clinical programming, service to underserved communities, specialized clinical expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration, improvement of access to counseling services, or other significant contributions to professional counseling practice.
Click here to submit a nomination for the Outstanding Clinical Practice Award.
Program Award
Outstanding Counselor Education Program Award – Recognizes a counselor education program that makes consistent and meaningful contributions to the counseling profession through professional advocacy, leadership, education, service, and engagement with the profession, community, and/or Wisconsin Counseling Association.
At least one faculty member from the nominated program should be a current WCA member.
Click here to submit a nomination for the Outstanding Counselor Education Program Award.