Welcome!
Bill O’Connell, Ph.D., PCC, NCC, LICDC
President, OCA 2008-2009
My name is Bill O’Connell. I am honored to serve as President of the Ohio Counseling Association during the 2008-2009 term. I joined the Ohio Counseling Association ten years ago as a counselor providing direct services in community agencies and schools in order to keep up with legislative changes impacting the profession, network with counselors from around the State of Ohio and support my profession.
Joining OCA makes sense for Ohio counselors. OCA utilizes membership dollars to fund the professional legislative advocacy team of Towner and Associates. In the coming year, OCA will advocate for you with your state legislators and the executive office in order to help protect your right to practice counseling in Ohio. No other professional association impacts your state issued license like OCA! While you may choose to belong to alternate organizations that reward you with fancy certificates, OCA is composed of volunteer professional counselors from YOUR STATE working FOR YOU! Join OCA on line today or contact Marisa White (mw38@uakron.edu), Membership Committee Chair, for more information about benefits with the Ohio Counseling Association.
The Ohio Counseling Association and the Ohio School Counseling Association will co-host the 25th Annual All Ohio Counselors Conference (AOCC) November 5-7, 2008 in Columbus, Ohio. This is one way to “keep up” with new ideas and approaches to doing the work of counseling. If you are unable to make it to the annual state conference, contact your local chapter and discover opportunities for CEU’s throughout the year with Ohio counselors who live close to you (See Executive Council Page).
As a member of OCA, you will support efforts to advance the profession in many sectors. OCA is the parent organization to seven divisions that represent special interests to Ohio counselors. My goal as president is to cooperate with the talented leadership in each division to keep counseling on the forefront of the minds of decision makers and consumers. OCA will work to develop relationships with significant co-providers of service that impact counselor careers. In addition, OCA will be present at select public events to educate Ohio consumers about the benefits of professional counseling.
Professional counselors are trained to develop helping relationships with individuals, families, groups and organizations that lead to healthy life choices and opportunities to reach important goals. Counselors are experts in identifying what motivates people to act in new and creative ways to overcome personal and organizational obstacles. Professional counselors make a difference in the lives of Ohioans.
I congratulate you and all professional counselors for your dedication and commitment to professional and ethical practice. If you are not a member of OCA, reward your hard work and join the premier representative organization for your profession in Ohio today!
Sincerely,
Bill O’Connell, Ed.D.
President
Professional Clinical Counselor
Licensed School Counselor
Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor
Biography
Dr. Bill O’Connell is a native of Dayton, Ohio. He has lived in the Greater Cincinnati area for 22 years. Dr. O’Connell’s first counseling experience occurred at Children’s Hospital Medical Center during a supervised internship on the oncology and intensive care units in 1987. Dr. O’Connell has provided individual, family and group counseling in chemical dependency treatment facilities, a crisis care center, and community mental health agencies. For three years, Dr. O’Connell provided prevention and education services in Cincinnati Public Schools. As a private practice counselor, Dr. O’Connell completed a doctoral internship in the Christ Hospital Private Practice Pain Center with a multidisciplinary treatment team. Prior to joining the ranks of university faculty, he was Assistant Clinical Director for Talbert House, Inc., one of the largest behavioral health care organizations in Ohio. Currently, Dr. O’Connell is an associate professor with tenure in the Xavier University Department of School and Community Counseling in Cincinnati, Ohio. He provides scheduled consultation to local mental health agencies and is co-founder of the Hope and Healing Response Team. Dr. O’Connell is past president and an active member of the Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association, a chapter of the Ohio Counseling Association .
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