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June 11, 2025
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
A warm welcome to this Annual General Meeting of the International Association for Counselling. It’s a pleasure to be with you, and to reflect on the progress we’ve made together over the past year.
Let me begin by sincerely thanking the members of the Executive Council. Your leadership, care, and commitment during a time of rapid and often unpredictable global change have kept IAC steady, innovative, and ever more relevant. To each of our Officers, and to our Regional Representatives from every corner of the globe, thank you. Your perspectives and voices help ensure that IAC remains truly international in vision and action.
Officers
Nate Peron, Secretary
Ruth Falzon, Interim Treasurer
Lisa Isenman, IAC Communications Chair
Dione Mifsud, IAC Past President
Members
Sue Mohnani, IAC Europe Regional Representative
Desiree Carlson, IAC Latin American Regional Representative from Mexico
Matthew Lyons, IAC North American Regional Representative from USA
Anna Maria Mora, IAC Caribbean Regional Representative from Trinidad and Tobago
Dominic Actionman Nsona, IAC African Regional Representative from Malawi
Tommaso Valleri, IAC Executive Member at large from Italy
Vacancies
Regional Representative (Asia)
Regional Representative (Middle-East)
Regional Representative (Oceania)
Member at large
I also would like to note that CEO Naoise Kelly is the only IAC member who works full time on behalf of IAC. Naoise brings a passion, energy, and knowledge to everything he does and is a pleasure to work with. With every task or issue he addresses he is innovative, precise, and detailed, and he responds quickly, professionally, and efficiently. Naoise, thank you for all of your excellent work in advancing the aims and activities of IAC.
We are growing in scope, scale, and substance.
Our regional development is accelerating. Our current focus is on Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe. Around the world our representatives are building stronger connections between national counselling associations. These regional networks are not just symbolic; they are shaping policy, agreeing on standards for education and practice, driving innovation, and building solidarity in the profession.
Europe in particular has shown what’s possible when counsellors organize regionally. The new IAC-Europe Branch is finalizing its structure and will be launched at the conference in Malta next month. This excellent model can be replicated in other regions—with adjustments for cultural context and national needs.
As we grow regionally, we also grow in purpose.
We are sharpening our identity as the world body and an association of associations—a truly international platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and coordinated action. Like other global professions in nursing, social work, and psychology, we are working on establishing IAC as a policy and practice hub that national organizations can rely on, learn from, and contribute to.
We’ve undertaken updates to our Constitution and Byelaws—ensuring that our governance matches our mission. These changes give regions a stronger voice and clearer mechanisms for cooperation. Our structure is now designed to support the scale of activities we are building—and the scale we aim for.
In our work, we are not just expanding—IAC is deepening.
We are collaborating across continents on some of the most pressing issues in our field. Our partnership on Climate-Responsive Counselling, working with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, is developing policy, training, and research that address climate anxiety, ecological grief, and resilience-building. All of you will be invited to be signatories to that milestone document.
Similarly, we’re responding to the ethical and psychological implications of artificial intelligence. How will AI shape therapeutic relationships? How can we protect human dignity, confidentiality, and empathy in the age of algorithms? These are not abstract questions—they are practical ones that our members are encountering now. We are convening experts and counsellors from around the world to explore, guide, and shape the field responsibly.
We’re also working with the American Mental Health Counselors Association to produce Global Guidelines for Remote Counselling. As distance therapy becomes a permanent and vital part of the counselling landscape, our goal is to ensure ethical, effective, and culturally relevant practice across every region and digital platform.
If there are other issues that you think we should focus on, please put them in the chat.
Meanwhile, the World Mapping of the Counselling Profession project continues to document the diverse forms of counselling worldwide—highlighting innovations, traditions, and gaps. This work informs our advocacy and supports governments and associations seeking to develop counselling infrastructures in their own contexts.
Our foundation is strong—and our vision is clear.
We are here because we believe in a world where counselling is available to all. Our mission—to serve as a catalyst for culturally relevant practice, research, and policy—is more relevant than ever in today’s fast-moving, interdependent world.
We’ve articulated our core values clearly: respect, integrity, excellence, service, commitment, and collaboration. These are not just words; they are the daily guideposts for our work with associations, institutions, and individuals alike.
So what comes next?
We are moving toward more interconnected research, more cross-regional training, and more platforms for peer collaboration. We want to support national associations not just with solidarity, but with real resources, tools, and pathways to influence public policy. We are exploring ways to engage youth and early-career professionals globally, because the future of the profession depends on their leadership, innovation, and sense of possibility.
On behalf of the counselling profession, we are reinforcing our partnerships with organizations like the World Health Organization and other United Nations agencies with whom we have consultative status.
We have two specific events in the near future that reflect who we are and how we would like to move forward:
Once the changes to the constitution are approved, in the coming days we will be sending out a timeline for the upcoming election for members of the Executive Council. This is first IAC election to be held on line and will provide all members of the association the opportunity to vote.
Our annual conference will be held in Malta, 11-13 July. This will be an outstanding event and I would like to thank the University of Malta, the Malta Association for the Counselling Profession for partnering with us in offering what promises to be an outstanding event. I also would like to thank everyone involved in the massive amount of work that is required in preparing the conference. Naoise will provide some highlights in the CEO report.
In closing, the world is changing—fast, and counselling activity is growing exponentially. Counselling has a vital role to play in helping people make sense of that change, care for each other, and find purpose and peace in the midst of complexity. IAC wants to help individuals, groups, and communities to build a future that is inclusive, resilient and enduring.
Thank you for being part of it.
With appreciation,
Professor Bill Borgen
President
International Association for Counselling
17/06/2025 -
IAC President Dr. Bill Borgen (3rd from right) presented at the UNESCO NGO HUB in Paris in December 2024.
Event Overview
The 2024 International Conference of NGOs, held at UNESCO Headquarters from 17-19 December 2024, focused on "Building Capacity for Action." It gathered global stakeholders to discuss UNESCO’s priorities, enhance capacity building, and foster collaboration between NGOs and UNESCO's program sectors.
Day 1
Tuesday, 17 December 2024: The conference began with opening remarks from key figures, including UNESCO Deputy Director-General Xing Qu and H.E. Ambassador Simona-Mirela Miculescu. The session included an overview of UNESCO’s Programme and Budget for 2026-2029, presented by Zazie Schafer. Discussions focused on Priority Africa, with experts like Mohamed Elfarnawany highlighting capacity-building challenges and opportunities across the continent. A session on Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned explored collective action between NGOs, UNESCO sectors, and national commissions. Afternoon parallel sessions delved into specific topics, including Education for Peace, Human Rights, and Youth Engagement, facilitating direct dialogue between NGOs and UNESCO's sector leaders.
Day 2
Wednesday, 18 December 2024: Day 2 featured a plenary on Gender Equality, discussing issues like technology-facilitated gender-based violence, led by experts such as Begoña Lasagabaster. Other key moments included the launch of the Manual for NGO Participation in the Ocean Decade, and sector dialogues on Culture and Social and Human Sciences, with a focus on initiatives like MONDIACULT 2025 and the legacy of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. In the afternoon, NGOs contributed to the refinement of UNESCO's budget proposals for 2026-2029, followed by a workshop on multi stakeholder approaches to fostering change within institutions.
Day 3
Thursday, 19 December 2024: The final day featured a session on Building Partnerships, with Dumitru Drumea and others discussing NGO collaboration with UNESCO. It also included the presentation of the Activity and Financial Reports of the NGO-UNESCO Liaison Committee. The NGO Hub allowed civil society to share experiences, fostering networking and future collaboration. Dr. Bill Borgen, President of IAC, provided an overview of the association’s aims and activities and invited collaboration with other NGO’s with similar interests. The conference concluded with the approval of NGO Recommendations for UNESCO’s upcoming budget and program, followed by a closing session with outgoing and newly-elected Chairpersons.
Conclusion
The 2024 conference successfully brought together diverse stakeholders to discuss key issues like education, gender equality, and cultural preservation, fostering stronger partnerships and refining proposals for UNESCO's 2026-2029 priorities.
IAC and UNESCO's Education Sector
The International Association for Counselling (IAC) engaged in a productive meeting with Astrid Gillet, Chief of the Executive Office of UNESCO’s Education Sector, and her colleagues to explore potential collaboration opportunities. During the meeting, IAC expressed a strong interest in supporting UNESCO’s mental health support in Education, career guidance initiatives (particularly those related to the BEAR Project), UNESCO's work in crisis conditions, and its regional frameworks in Africa and Europe. IAC will follow UNESCO’s upcoming Global Career’s Month in 2025 with interest, recognizing it as a valuable opportunity for future cooperation. IAC IAC President, Dr. Bill Borgen, IAC CEO, Naoise Kelly, and IAC Consultant Dr. Roberta Borgen were particularly encouraged by the alignment between IAC’s work and UNESCO’s educational priorities under the leadership of Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education at UNESCO. This initial conversation has laid the groundwork for further exploration of synergies between the two organizations to advance shared goals in education and social inclusion.
21/02/2025 -
The IAC Europe regional branch is making significant progress toward its official establishment in early 2025. Key associations and working groups have been meeting regularly, collaborating to achieve this important goal. The governance document, the result of a full year of dedicated work, is being finalized and will soon set the stage for formal recognition, marking a major milestone in the group’s journey. IAC Europe is led by regional representative Suzanne Mohnani, a counselor, counseling supervisor, educator, and Malta Adlerian Psychology Association treasurer.
The IAC Europe Standards Working Group has made excellent progress, and the work of the Advocacy Group has been instrumental in its initiatives. Recently, the group showcased its efforts at the Naples conference, marking another important step in the mission to establish IAC Europe. IAC Europe’s goal is to strengthen professional unity and foster a shared identity within the counselling profession. The collective impact of a unified profession is far greater than the sum of its individual parts. IAC Europe extends an invitation to associations and countries not currently participating to join them. For further details or to express your interest, please contact the IAC Europe Committee at iaceuropecommittee@gmail.com.
IAC's regional structure, which provides inclusivity and representation at a regional level, comprises IAC Africa, IAC Asia-Pacific, IAC-Carribean, IAC Europe, IAC Latin America, IAC Middle East and Central Asia, IAC North America, and IAC-Oceania. The purpose of the IAC Regional Branches is to advocacate for the legal recognition of counselling, set region-wide counselling standards, support national counselling associations, and to support region-specific education, research and practice programmes. Learn more about establishing an IAC regional branch.
14/12/2024 -
The IAC Africa regional group met online on 10 December, 2024, with 25 attendees from around the continent, including representatives from Botswana, Cameroon, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Facilitated by IAC Africa regional represenative Dominic Nsona, a practicing counselor and president of the Malawi Association for Counselling, the meeting included membership and conference updates, a discussion of the main challenges faced by counsellors in Africa, and initiatives for action and advocacy. The next meeting 4 February, 2025. Please contact Dominic Nsona if you would like to join.
IAC's regional structure, which provides inclusivity and representation at a regional level, comprises IAC Africa, IAC Asia-Pacific, IAC-Carribean, IAC Europe, IAC Latin America, IAC Middle East and Central Asia, IAC North America, and IAC-Oceania. The purpose of the IAC Regional Branches is to advocacate for the legal recognition of counselling, set region-wide counselling standards, support national counselling associations, and to support region-specific education, research and practice programmes. Learn more about establishing an IAC regional branch.
13/12/2024 -
IAC CEO Naoise Kelly with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
As the global representative body for the counselling profession and an international non-governmental organization with United Nations consultative status, IAC was invited to participate in three days of high-level meetings at the World Health Organization 8-10 October, 2024. IAC is representing its international community of counsellors at two key events:
Event 1: Meeting of Non-State Actors (NSAs) in Official Relations with WHO working on Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use (MNS) Conditions (8 October) Attending this meeting presents valuable opportunities for IAC to expand its global influence and advance its mission. Specifically, IAC is focused on:- Strengthening its partnership with the WHO and Non-State Actors (NSAs).
- Advocating for the essential role of counselling within the global health agenda.
- Aligning IAC's initiatives with WHO’s strategic priorities in Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use (MNS) conditions, ensuring that IAC’s contributions effectively support global health objectives in mental health.
- Addressing collaboration challenges to create more effective and impactful partnerships.
Event 2: WHO Mental Health Forum 2024 (9 & 10 October) “Global Mental Health in Motion: Looking Back, Looking Forward”
This forum, convened by WHO, is a crucial gathering focused on advancing the global mental and brain health agenda. It began with strategic remarks from WHO leaders, including Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dévora Kestel. The event centers on addressing Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use (MNS) conditions, which remain a significant global health burden. Its purpose is to enhance collaboration between WHO, Member States, and NSAs, sharing best practices and aligning efforts with WHO’s strategic goals in mental health care, neurological health, and substance use treatment.Attendees include representatives from over 80 countries, alongside major global organizations such as the Red Cross, UNICEF, the World Bank, and leading academic institutions, emphasizing the importance of global representation. The forum covers critical mental health issues, including mental health in emergencies, neurodiversity, youth suicide prevention, and new policy guidelines.A key moment of the forum is the launch of The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on mental health in Ukraine, adding urgency to the discussions surrounding mental health in crisis situations. Breakout sessions and presentations dive deep into regional mental health initiatives, fostering a collaborative and action-oriented atmosphere. The closing plenary reinforces attendees' commitment to advocacy and global cooperation, emphasizing the pivotal role of international partnerships in addressing mental health challenges and improving outcomes worldwide.The Global Mental Health Forum, coinciding with World Mental Health Day, is a cornerstone event for uniting global efforts to ensure mental health, neurological care, and substance use prevention are prioritized on the global health agenda. (details here).
09/10/2024 -
More than 40 counselling leaders and representatives from every world region gathered for the IAC Associations’ Roundtable on June 29, 2024, during the annual conference in Naples, Italy.
IAC President Bill Borgen opened the meeting by reaffirming IAC's mission, vision, and core values. Referring to a central component of IAC's strategic plan, he emphasized IAC's role as an association of associations, which enables IAC to be a conduit toward the development of counselling and an official consultant to the United Nations to impact policy and practice. Dr. Borgen also summarized other key IAC inititatives, including developing more robust regional representation, collaborating with the American Mental Health Counselling Association (AMHCA) to address online counseling standards and practice, and working with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) to promote policy development, research, and exchange of information regarding climate change counselling.
Breakout groups addressed a range of counseling topics with global impacts, including licensing, standards, recognition, training, identity, awareness, AI, telehealth, scope of practice, international standards and guidelines, and international partnerships, collaboration, and trans-educational opportunities.
31/07/2024 -
IAC's 2024 conference, in association with Assocounseling, Italy's largest counselling association, will take place in the beautiful city of Naples, Italy. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, Naples boasts a UNESCO-designated historical center and a wealth of art and architecture, beautiful churches, charming piazzas, and of course, the world's best pizza! Nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum, at the foot of still-active Mt. Vesuvius, are an easy day trip, and the dramatic Amalfi Coast provides a stunning getaway. Here are some resources we pulled together for conference attendees wishing to take in the best of what this region has to offer:NAPLES
Time Out 12 Best Restaurants in Naples Viator tours in and from Naples Michelin Restaurants in NaplesPOMPEII
AMALFI COAST
01/04/2024 -
As an international non-profit organization with a humanitarian mission, IAC promotes well-being, respect, social justice, and peace. We are deeply saddened and concerned by the recent violence in the Israel-Hamas conflict and the tragic loss of lives across the region. IAC wants to express solidarity with our counselling colleagues and the communities you serve around the world. More than ever, we believe mental health is a human right and decry and deplore the violence and brutality that threatens it.
Acknowledging the importance of culturally relevant counselling practices around the world, IAC has assembled a few resources for counsellors who are serving those affected by the conflict, both directly and indirectly. We have included resources that offer support in the face of bigotry, especially anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and the need to cope with a news cycle full of violent photos and images. Please reach out if you have further suggestions of resources for your peers. We will continue to add to this page. Thank you for being part of our international counselling community and for the essential humanitarian work that you do.
ACA article: Crisis Counseling: A Blend of Safety and Compassion
ACA article: Prioritizing Trauma-Informed Care
ACA article: Treatment strategies for race-based traumatic stress
ACA web page: Trauma and Disaster Mental Health
BACP toolkit: The EDI Coalition toolkit
BBC article: Israel Gaza war: History of the conflict explained
Berkeley Greater Good magazine article: Resources for Peace and Conflict
Berkeley Greater Good magazine article: Six Tips to Avoid Being Overwhelmed by the News
Childline web page: Worrying about Israel and Gaza
CNN article: How to protect your mental health while keeping tabs on the Israel-Hamas war
CNN Podcast: How to Cope with The Current News Cycle
Common Sense Media: How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War
Learning for Justice: Discussing War and Conflict: Resources for Educators, Parents and Caregivers
National Association of Independent Schools (U.S.): Resources for Educators About the Conflict in the Middle East
Northwestern University: Self-Care Strategies for Managing Secondary Traumatic Stress
NPR article: How to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza
SAMSHA fact sheet: Tips for Survivors: Coping with Grief after a Disaster or Traumatic Event
SAMSHA web page: Compassion Fatigue and Self-care for Crisis Counselors
SAMSHA web page: Incidents of Mass Violence
UNICEF web page: How to talk to your children about conflict and war
WHO free publication: Mental health of refugees and migrants: risk and protective factors and access to care
WHO web article: Five key themes for improved mental health care for refugees and migrants
WHO Fact Sheet: Mental Health in Emergencies
WHO Fact Sheet: Mental Health and Forced Displacement
Know of other helpful sources to share on this page? Please email Lisa Isenman.
17/10/2023 -
by Dominc Nsona, Malawi Association for Counselling President and IAC Africa Regional RepresentaiveMalawi was one of the worst hit countries by Cyclone Freddy. "We have nothing left; we lost everything: our families, our children and parents, everything," said a representative of one camp for survivors. "Today I have to take alcohol to sleep," he continued.
In Malawi, the cyclone was devastating to communities, with a state of disaster being declared in 14 districts that were severely affected. Over 500,000 people were displaced by the storms and the death toll rose to over 1,000, while more than another 500 people were reported missing. Public infrastructure such as schools, health facilities, and district and main roads were damaged in all affected districts.
Behind each of these shocking figures is a story of a person, a family, a home washed away.
As in most countries faced with a similar situation, partners rushed to provide support food, shelter and clothing, the basic needs for the body. The soul, i.e. emotions and feelings, however, was mostly left unattended. The need for counselling services was huge.The Malawi Association for Counselling (MAC) collaborated with the All-Africa Conference: Sister to Sister (AAC:SS), a team of professional psychosocial counsellors, to provide needed support to the survivors. The goal was to access technical support in the area of counselling for the sisters and plan to visit the camps. MAC provided an orientation, an initial assessment to understand the areas that needed support for the counsellors since some of them were trained many years before. Following the orientation was a plan for counselling activities at the camps. Selection included hard to reach and never visited camps, among others.During the visits, survivors shared their experiences and the deep pain of the loss of their loved ones, property, and land. The counsellors provided a chance for them to narrate their lived experiences, including watching their loved ones die, houses collapse, property being washed away, and land being filled with sand, rocks and wood. The survivors expressed their feelings towards themselves, the government, and partner organizations. They were safe and free to cry, and they sang funeral songs, something they were unable to do during the burial rites of their loved ones. The counsellors travelled to the burial sites with survivors.Traditionally in Malawi there is an expectation when one visits somone encountering life difficulties, that the visitor will tell the person what to do. This is one of the challenges the counsellors faced. The counsellors, however, were able to provide support and encouragement to move forward. AAC:SS provided for the logistics to travel and MAC supported technical aspects of the visit. The end result was that the survivors were visited and psychosocial support was provided. This is the importance of collaboration and partnership.
28/06/2023 -
IAC's Counselling Practitioners Roundtable, a forum for international practitioners to come together to discuss practice and research across multicultural contexts, met on May 26 with participants from around the world.
After introductions, IAC Counselling Practitioners’ Roundtable Chair Nate Perron shared IAC updates including activities with UN and national association partners, information on IAC’s international conference in Naples in 2024, a summary of redefined world regions, and review of the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Professional Counselors.
Members contributed their research and expertise on:
- broaching in counselling and international implications
- a collaboration between the American Mental Health Counselors Association and IAC to provide guidelines for the practice of telehealth
- counselling issues in Kenya, including stigma, radicalization, poverty, and the need for more government support
- the National Board of Certified Counselors’ Mental Health Facilitator program
- cultural awareness and connotations of the term Desi to describe South Asians
- the effects of cross-cultural issues on suicide prevention
...and more.
The next meeting will be at the end of July on Zoom (date tbd), and all IAC members are welcome. Contact Nate Perron to learn more.
30/05/2023
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