About Us
A Brief History of Clinical Counseling with VCA
Clinical Counselors have a long and important place and history within the broader counseling association. Advocacy and networking with all counselors in Virginia are the overarching themes for Clinical Counselors within VCA.
Clinical Counseling and VCA leadership have a long history working together as trailblazers advocating for and supporting legislation that advances the profession. As reported in The Clinician: A Newsletter of the Virginia Clinical Counselors Alliance (2003), “Three of the most notable achievements have been successfully advocating and lobbying for the creation of Virginia counselor licensure in 1975, mandated insurance reimbursement for Licensed Professional Counselors in 1987, and the 1993 revision of the Code of Virginia to reflect the contemporary practice clinical counseling [in] Virginia” (p. 3).
Virginia led the way in the movement for Counselor Licensure throughout the country. Through VCA and VACC advocacy work, Virginia became the first state to grant Licensure to Professional Counselors. The work to secure licensure included five members testifying before the legislature and shepherding the counselor licensure bill through to the finish line. We know that Fred Adair, Carl Swanson, and George Pratt were among the five who testified. Today, licensure for clinical counselors is a reality in all 50 states. It has been noted that before Virginia engaged in licensure advocacy “there was no model for clinical counseling advocacy . . , but what is now VACC was born of two major influences: The American Mental Health Counselors Association and the Virginia Counselors Association” (VACC Website: About, 2015)
Over much of the history of the Virginia Counselors Association (VCA) clinical counselors have been represented by two organizations within the larger organization. The Virginia Association of Clinical Counselors (VACC) was born around the time Professional Counselors were granted licensure and formally became a division within VCA in 1980, but they elected to separate from VCA in July of 2003. Within a year of the separation, leaders within VCA gathered and began to form a new organization to serve and represent Clinical Counselors within VCA. The VCA Board of Directors officially recognized the Virginia Clinical Counselors Alliance (VCCA) at the June 2004 board meeting. Both organizations exist today. VCCA exists within VCA, which is the state branch of the American Counselors Association (ACA). VACC continues to be independent of VCA and is the official State Branch of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA).
Initial organizational meetings for VACC began in 1978 and were generally in conjunction with VCA events. Russel Bigney was the first elected president of VACC, which was then generally referenced as the Virginia Mental Health Counselors Association. The “History” section of the current VACC website states that “Much of the early work of the organization was done by a small group of dedicated, vibrant individuals who would meet in each other’s offices and send out for pizza while setting the agenda of the fledgling organization that would shape not only the counseling profession in Virginia but in America. The reader must remember the climate of the time: professional counselors could not receive third party payments . The early work was largely that of organization and the pursuit of legitimacy.”
The group of leaders who formed VCCA designated that the new alliance would seek “to advance the specialization of clinical counseling and promote public confidence in the counseling profession” (The Clinician, July 2003, p. 3). Along the way the alliance encountered some sparse time with leaders moving out of state for employment reasons and professional lives evolving in new directions. VCCA began its rebirth over lunch at the VCA convention at Williamsburg in 2009. In April of 2011 a new “committed group of counselors met in Richmond to begin the process of rebuilding and strengthening VCCA” (VCCA Website: History Section, 2012). VCCA has stated the vision of their alliance to be, “to work collaboratively with other divisions of VCA to advance Clinical Mental Health and other counseling specializations in Virginia” (VCCA Website: Vision Section, 2012). You can find the VCCA legacy website here.
We aspire to…
Support
Collaborate
Promote
…with fellow counseling practices in the state of Viriginia.
VCCA Board
Elizabeth O’Neill Hunter, LPC, NCC, PhD, ACS
President
Elizabeth O. Hunter holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and is a Nationally Certified Counselor, board-approved clinical supervisor, and Licensed Professional Counselor in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She also holds the Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Provider (CCATP) Credential.
Currently, Dr. Hunter provides clinical supervision services to community mental health counseling residents and counselors in training within the non-profit sector and across the Hampton Roads community.
Dr. Hunter has been teaching in CACREP-accredited Community Mental Health Counseling programs since 2018 at the master’s and doctoral levels. Currently Dr. Hunter is a contributing faculty member within the Walden University Community Mental Health Counseling program.
Dr. Hunter’s current research interests include vicarious trauma prevention, intervention, recovery, and education, as well as wellness-based and trauma-informed clinical supervision. She has published in professional journals and presented at community and state conferences and workshops. Much of Dr. Hunter’s clinical experience has taken place been serving those who have experienced interpersonal violence.
Ashley Laws, Ph.D., LPC
Division Treasurer
Ashley Laws is a licensed professional counselor in Virginia, North Carolina, and California, and holds a telehealth license in Florida. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of the Cumberlands and her Master’s degree in Counseling from Regent University. Dr. Laws is an active member of the American Counseling Association, Hampton Roads Counselors Association, Virginia Clinical Counselors Association and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
With a strong foundation in counseling, Dr. Laws is dedicated to fostering equitable and inclusive therapeutic spaces. She specializes in supporting adolescents and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, mood disorders, grief, self-esteem challenges, and life transitions. Deeply committed to social justice, Dr. Laws actively integrates awareness of reproductive rights and abortion access into her advocacy and counseling approach, recognizing the profound emotional impact these issues can have on individuals and communities.
Additionally, Dr. Laws is increasingly focused on addressing and researching climate-related distress, helping clients navigate the psychological effects of environmental change, eco-anxiety, and uncertainty about the future. Outside of her clinical work, Dr. Laws works in the counseling educator and supervision field to support future counselors and counselors in training.
Sah Ara Sanu-t, QMHP-T
Division Secretary
Sah Ara Sanu-t is a Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate student at Liberty University and a QMHP-T serving as an Intern-Clinical Therapist in an Intensive Outpatient Program in Richmond, Virginia. His clinical work centers on a neuro-informed approach to serious mental illness, personality disorders, and sexology, integrating neuroscience, trauma-informed care, and comprehensive clinical assessment to serve diverse populations across Virginia.
Sah approaches treatment and research through a holistic, biologically grounded lens, incorporating natural integrative strategies alongside evidence-based psychotherapy. His academic and clinical interests include sexual health and sexology, with a focus on how neurobiology and culture shape identity, attachment, and relational functioning.
As an Ọbàtálá Babaòòṣà (Indigenous Yorùbá healer), Sah’s understanding of precolonial African frameworks of sexuality and mental illness informs his broader perspective on human development, dignity, and communal healing. He maintains clear ethical boundaries between spiritual practice and clinical care while advocating for culturally informed, neuroscience-aligned models of counseling.
Susanne Preston-Josey
Ancillary Executive Board Member: Substance Abuse Counselor Representative
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Professional Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner. I have my PhD in Counselor Education and specialize in treating women’s issues and relationship issues. I provide clinical supervision for residents in Virginia and provide agency trainings for mental health providers and educational staff. I have taught Counseling at multiple universities. I currently run my private group practice, Virginia Beach Counseling Services. I was the President of VCCA from 2012 to 2013, and remained an active board member for several years. I am looking forward to reconnecting VCCA.
Kimberly Arnold, M.A., NCC, Resident in Counseling (VA)
President-Elect
Kimberly Arnold is a Doctoral Researcher and Student in Counselor Education and Supervision at Old Dominion University, where she also serves as a Graduate Teaching, Research, and Administrative Assistant. Dedicated to bridging systemic advocacy with clinical practice, her advanced research clusters focus on institutional governance and practitioner wellness;specifically evaluating organizational stress loads, counselor and graduate student wellness,spiritual wellness, and leadership preparation within high-acuity systems. Kimberly’s scholarly agenda additionally investigates systemic ethics, assessment validation, and community-engaged methodologies to examine how clinical diagnostics intersect with epistemic, cultural, and spiritual justice.
In addition to her executive leadership role as President-Elect of the VCCA, Kimberly maintains an active presence in state, regional, and national counselor education governance. She serves as the appointed Graduate Student Representative-Designee for the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES), representing graduate student interests across 14 states. Contributing actively to state-level advocacy, she also serves as a committee member for the Virginia Counselors for Social Justice (VA-CSJ). Kimberly’s ongoing leadership development is further supported by her selection to the national Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Leadership Academy and her recognition as a VCA Michele Dowdy Emerging Leader.
Clinically, Kimberly is a National Certified Counselor and a Resident in Counseling in the Commonwealth of Virginia, practicing within the private sector. Her background includes intensive outpatient individual and group interventions, trauma-informed care, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her clinical lens is informed by over 18 years of holistic wellness advocacy and community coaching, alongside more than a decade of experience directing nonprofit operations and community governance structures. By integrating systems-level analysis with a dedication to sustainable professional wellness, Kimberly works to support collaborative leadership and balanced, evidence-based practices that advance the counseling profession.
America Maxwell, Resident in Counseling, M.S.Ed., Ph.D. Student
Secretary-Elect
America Maxwell is a second-year Resident in Counseling in Virginia and a doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at Old Dominion University. She earned her master’s degree in counseling from Old Dominion University. America’s clinical work is guided by acceptance and commitment therapy and relational-cultural theory. Her clinical focus is supporting individuals navigating anxiety, ADHD, and related neurodevelopmental differences, perfectionism, self-criticism, and life transitions.
In addition to her clinical work, America’s scholarly pursuits center on clinical supervision and supervisor development. Her research focuses on strengthening supervision practices, ethical decision-making, supervisor identity development, and preparing supervisors for competent, reflective, and culturally responsive practice.
America is committed to supporting counselors, residents, supervisors, and counselor educators through advocacy, leadership, and service.
Samara J Williams, M.S.Ed., MBA, NCC
Treasurer-Elect
Samara J Williams is a National Certified Counselor and Resident in Counseling in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She holds a Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Master of Business Administration. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Old Dominion University.
Samara is the owner of SJW Counseling and Coaching Services, LLC, where she provides culturally responsive and trauma-informed counseling services to adolescents, adults, couples, and families. In addition to her clinical practice, Samara has experience in counselor education, teaching, mentorship, and clinical supervision. She has supported master’s-level counselors-in-training through practicum supervision and has facilitated coursework related to group counseling, ethics, leadership, and supervision. She was also selected as a 2026 Pete Warren Fellow through the Virginia Counselors Association Foundation.
Samara’s research interests focus on intersectionality in clinical supervision, multicultural broaching, the professional experiences of supervisors with marginalized identities, and the development of culturally responsive supervision tools. She has presented her scholarship through professional posters, roundtables, conferences, and counselor education forums. As a U.S. military veteran, military spouse, business owner, clinician, educator, and advocate, Samara brings both financial leadership and a strong commitment to equity, wellness, and service to her role as VCCA Treasurer-Elect.
Dontrell Gilmore
CES Graduate Student Representative
Dontrell “Donnie” Gilmore is a doctoral candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision at Old Dominion University’s Darden College of Education, where he is currently completing his dissertation centered on understanding the path to incarceration for Black men and missed supports. He serves as a Graduate Assistant at ODU with teaching, supervisory, and administrative responsibilities, and is completing his doctoral internship at Impact Counseling and Rapha Counseling Services. Donnie’s scholarly interests center on the school-to-prison pipeline, Black male mental health, and healing-centered group interventions. Donnie is pursuing Virginia LPC licensure and is committed to advocacy, equitable access to care, and the development of the next generation of counselors.
Alivia L. Evans, M.Ed.
School Counseling Representative
Alivia Evans is a school counselor, counselor educator-in-training, and advocate for student wellness. She currently serves at a gifted specialty middle school in Virginia, supporting academically gifted, neurodivergent, and emerging student leaders while pursuing her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Old Dominion University.
In addition to her work in K-12 education, Alivia serves as a graduate assistant, researcher, and instructor within counselor education. Her professional interests include school counseling leadership, counselor supervision, counselor wellness, advocacy, and bridging the gap between research and practice. Her emerging research interests center on counselor development, wellness, identity, and the factors that influence growth and resilience across educational and counseling settings.
Alivia approaches counseling through a holistic lens, recognizing the interconnected nature of emotional, mental, social, cultural, and spiritual well-being. She believes meaningful wellness extends beyond symptom reduction and academic success, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, connection, purpose, cultural identity, and spiritual humility as essential components of growth and healing. Her work is grounded in culturally responsive, strengths-based practices that support authentic development and resilience.
As the VCCA School Counselor Representative, Alivia is committed to elevating the voices of school counselors, fostering professional collaboration, and supporting initiatives that enhance the well-being of counselors, students, and communities throughout Virginia.
Become a Member
To join VCCA, you need to join the Virginia Counselors Association and select VCCA as a division.