counselors to stand united through our professional organizations. Together, we must advocate for our profession, educate our communities, and promote an accurate understanding of the work we do. Too often, Hollywood and popular culture either glamorize or vilify counseling, creating misconceptions that fail to reflect the realities of our profession. As counselor educators and practitioners, many of us spend significant time helping students, clients, and communities understand the meaningful and transformative work counselors do every day.  

I am humbled, honored, and excited to serve as President of the South Carolina Counseling Association this year. I look forward to working alongside each of you as professionals, advocates, stakeholders, and community leaders to strengthen our profession and improve the mental health services and resources available to all South Carolinians.

One of my primary goals for the coming year is to elevate the profile and influence of SCCA by cultivating partnerships with state leaders, including the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the District Governor of Rotary International, and other service and professional organizations. Through these collaborative relationships, I believe we can create meaningful opportunities to expand the reach of mental health services, increase public awareness of the counseling profession, and improve access to quality mental health care throughout our state.

If you are new to the profession or to SCCA, welcome! I encourage you to become involved by joining one of our committees, attending our annual conference in Myrtle Beach this February, or participating in local networking opportunities as we continue to build and strengthen our regional chapters. Your energy, ideas, and passion are needed.

For those of you who have been with us for many years, thank you. Your experience, wisdom, and historical perspective are invaluable. We need your voice at the table, your leadership on committees, and your willingness to mentor the next generation of counselors through presentations, workshops, and conference involvement.

The coming year presents an incredible opportunity for South Carolina to emerge as a leader in our profession as one of the early adopters of the Counseling Compact. We have the opportunity to be pioneers, helping shape a process that could ultimately lead to greater portability and national recognition for professional counselors. This work matters, and your participation in SCCA is essential to its success.

So, welcome to the South Carolina Counseling Association. I am excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work alongside all of you as we lean in and TAKE CHARGE of our profession, our practice, and our advocacy for the often underappreciated, but vitally important, work we do as counselors.

Together, we can elevate our profession, strengthen our communities, and ensure that every South Carolinian has access to quality mental health care and the support they deserve.

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Katherine DeWitt PhD LPC LPCS