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What if cultural responsiveness wasn’t a training you attend, but a posture you carry into every session? We welcome Carmella Hill, current president of the Ohio Counseling Association, to unpack how engagement, competence, and identity come together to strengthen counselors and the communities we serve.

Carmella traces her path through OCA leadership and shows why unity across divisions, regions, and specialties is essential right now. We dig into what cultural humility looks like moment to moment—reading nonverbal cues, honoring family norms, and checking in about community events that weigh on clients. She pushes us to articulate counselor identity with clarity: we use theory, ask intentional questions, apply evidence-based interventions, and measure outcomes that demonstrate change. We also tackle the tools shaping our future, including responsible, ethical uses of AI to support preparation and psychoeducation without losing the human core of the work.

Mentorship and supervision emerge as the backbone of growth. Carmella shares formative stories of leaders who opened doors, modeled humility, and told the truth with care—habits that shape how we mentor the next generation. We talk practical wellness for busy caseloads, from one-minute breathing resets to journaling on the go, faith and community grounding, and peer consultation that turns isolation into momentum. On the systems side, we name the tough conversations: reimbursement, session limits, and legislative pressure, alongside concrete ways OCA creates connection through conferences, workshops, coaching, and committees.

If you’ve been feeling stretched thin or uncertain about how to describe the value of your work, this conversation offers language, tools, and a rallying cry. As Carmella puts it, together we stand and together we advance. Hit play, and then tell us: what practice shift will you try this week? Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review so more Ohio counselors can find and fuel their fire.

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If you’re a counselor in Ohio and would like to get involved as part of production or as a guest, or know someone who might be interested, please email us at ohiocounselingconversations@gmail.com!

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Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee

·Hosted by Victoria Frazier

·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill and Victoria Frazier

·Editing by Leah Wood & Marisa Cargill

·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood