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Trauma work gets more effective and more honest when we stop pretending identity is optional. We sit down with Dr. Claire Martin, professional counselor, counselor educator, complex trauma specialist, and incoming AMCD President-elect, to talk about what culturally responsive, liberatory, trauma-informed care looks like in real clinical decisions and real professional leadership.

We start with the personal roots of her work: mentorship, immigration, and early experiences of political turmoil in Haiti that built a lifelong sensitivity to oppression and community harm. From there, we get practical about trauma treatment. Dr. Martin breaks down how she thinks about EMDR therapy for complex trauma, what “readiness” actually means, and how trauma-focused CBT principles like safety, psychoeducation, regulation skills, and client-led storytelling can strengthen counseling across settings.

Then we go where many clinicians hesitate: racial trauma and the myth that it only exists when clients bring it up first. Dr. Martin explains how to look for system-level impact, why trust and connection are central to healing, and how approaches like relational-cultural therapy help clients feel seen while counselors stay culturally humble. We also dig into the pipeline problems that shape access to care: gatekeeping versus “gate opening,” the supervisor shortage, incentives that could make supervision sustainable, and why integrative care, AI in counseling education, and advocacy for mental health funding belong in our shared future.

If this conversation adds language or tools you want to carry into session, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review so more counselors can find it.

Other Resources:

• https://www.drclairemartin.com/
• Find Dr. Martin on LinkedIn here.

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OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling

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 [email protected]!

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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, Lauren Collins-Knight, Victoria Frazier, and Shannon O'Mara

·Editing by Marisa Cargill

·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

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Laws don’t feel abstract when they land on your schedule, your billing, or your client’s ability to get through the front door. We’re back with a summer policy check-in that connects Ohio legislative news, federal rulemaking, and real clinical impact for counselors across the state.

We start in Ohio, where a vetoed absentee voting bill highlights how barriers to civic participation can hit the same communities we often serve. Then we dig into a big practice-stability win: new limits on insurance clawbacks, plus the Access to Care bills that could improve network adequacy, stop retroactive prior authorization denials for behavioral health, and require private insurers to cover telehealth mental health services. We also unpack fresh data on reimbursement gaps, provider shortages across Ohio counties, and what a steep drop in ACA marketplace enrollment could mean for clients who suddenly can’t afford coverage.

From there, we zoom out to Washington. We break down the proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, including the plan to extend the mental health telehealth in-person waiver, and why the numbers still matter for reimbursement. We also flag the “Do No Harm” earnings benchmark rule that could squeeze counseling programs and student loan access, even as the workforce shortage grows. Finally, we cover the status of 988’s specialized LGBTQ youth routing, what to update in safety plans right now, and the growing reach of the counseling compact for interstate telehealth.

If you want clear, counselor-focused mental health policy updates without the fluff, subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more counselors can find it.

State Level

• Gov. DeWine Vetoes HB 472 (Absentee Ballot ID Requirement) — No action needed; resolved. 
• SB 162 Signed Into Law (Insurer Recoupment Timeframe) — No action needed; know your new rights on billing clawbacks. 
• HB 219 — Network Adequacy Standards (Pending) — (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• HB 220 — Bars Retroactive Prior Auth Denials for MH/SUD Care (Passed House) — (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• HB 709 — Requires Telehealth Mental Health Coverage (Pending) — (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• Ohio Kids Losing Access to Mental Healthcare — (UPDATE) Use this data when advocating for HB 219/220/709. 
• Ohio's Largest-in-the-Nation ACA Marketplace Enrollment Drop — (UPDATE) Check in with clients about coverage changes at intake/renewal. 
• 30% of Ohio Women Didn't Get Needed Reproductive Care — (UPDATE) No specific action; context for client conversations. 
• Funding Gaps and Stigma Driving Ohio LGBTQ+ Health Disparities — (UPDATE) Consider affirming-care CEU/training opportunities. 
• House Bill 172 — Repeals ORC 5122.04 (Minor Consent for Mental Health Services) – (OPPOSE) Submit written testimony, contact your state rep to discuss in person.
• Senate Bill 274 — Repeals ORC 5122.04 (Minor Consent for Mental Health Services), Senate Companion to HB 172 – (OPPOSE) Submit written testimony, contact your state senator to discuss in person.
• ODM Recognizes DC:0-5 Diagnostic System for Infant/Toddler Mental Health — (UPDATE) No action needed; know the new billing crosswalk is available if you treat clients ages 0–5. 

Federal Level

• CMS Releases CY2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule — (OPPOSE Cuts to Fee Schedule) Submit comments by Sept. 14 (file code CMS-1848-P) at regulations.gov. 
• "Do No Harm" Earnings Provision Now in Effect, Threatens Counseling Education Programs — Contact your members of Congress and urge them to protect counseling and other helping-profession programs from this earnings test via ACA's Take Action center. 
• SB 5017 Bipartisan Senators Introduce More Paid Leave for More Americans Act — (SUPPORT) No action needed yet; bill just introduced. Good context for clients navigating unpaid leave, postpartum stress, or caregiver burnout. 
• H.R. 8800 National Defense Authorization Act SAVE America Act Attached to NDAA — Voter ID/Registration Bill (Contested, Outcome Uncertain) — (SUPPORT) Civic participation is a protective factor for many clients — documentation barriers under debate would land hardest on older adults, name-changed individuals, and people without easy passport/birth certificate access. 
• H.R. 139 - House Passes Sunshine Protection Act (Permanent Daylight Saving Time) — (UPDATE - WATCH) No action needed; informational. 
• HHS Withdraws Rule Threatening Hospital Medicare/Medicaid Access Over Trans Youth Care — (WATCH) Continue monitoring; situation still developing. 

Other — Advocacy & Community

• 988 LGBTQ+ "Press 3" Option: One Year Since Shutdown, Still Not Restored — Update your referral lists; in the meantime, the Trevor Project's own 24/7 line is 1-866-488-7386. Contact your representative to push HHS to move faster. 
• Pennsylvania Becomes 40th State to Join the Counseling Compact — No action needed; informational. 
• ACA Hill Day — Registration Closes July 31 @ 11:59 PM — Register now. 
• AOCC Registration Open — Early Bird Pricing — Register now to lock in the discount. 

Connect with Us on Any or All Socials at our Link Tree! 

OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling

Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee 
Hosted by Dr. Marisa Cargill
Pre-Production & Coordination by Dr. Marisa Cargill, Lauren Collins-Knight, Victoria Frazier, and Mariah Payne
Editing by Dr. Marisa Cargill

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Getting on an elevator shouldn’t feel like a group therapy exercise and yet, at a counseling conference, it somehow does. We’re pulling back the curtain on the weird, funny, and honestly inevitable ways the counseling profession rewires your brain. If you’ve ever found yourself in a politeness standoff at a hotel elevator, you already know the vibe. 

We talk through the counselor habits that follow us home: automatically nodding and using encouragers while watching a long TikTok, turning a simple checkout interaction into a surprisingly deep conversation, and hearing tone shifts and emotional language that other people miss. We also get into the subtle language changes that can “give you away” like calling adults “grown-ups,” catching yourself asking a classic therapy question, or being extra careful with “why” because you know it can make someone feel defensive. 

Then we zoom out to the tools and values underneath it all. We share the regulation supports we keep within reach (think bubbles, fidgets, blankets, and other grounding props), how we react when friends slide into negative self talk or body talk, and the accidental “we” that can slip into everyday conversation because collaboration is baked into how we relate. We end with a real reminder: most of these quirks are features, not bugs, as long as we stay intentional about context, boundaries, and impact versus intent. 

Listen, then tell us what counselor quirk you’ve picked up. Subscribe to Ohio Counseling Conversations, leave a five-star review, and share this with a friend who will instantly recognize themselves.

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

·Hosted by Victoria Frazier & Marisa Cargill

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

·Editing by Marisa Cargill

·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

Send us Fan Mail

If you’ve ever felt like counseling is happening in three places at once the therapy room, the classroom, and the policy arena you’re not imagining it. We talk with Dr. Chase Morgan-Swaney, an assistant professor at Baldwin Wallace University, an LPCC-S, and the newest president of the Ohio Counseling Association, about what it takes to practice and lead with clarity when the profession feels stretched thin.

We start with professional counselor identity across clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, and couples and family work, and why those boundaries are not as clean as training programs sometimes imply. From there, we get practical about clinical supervision: what “meeting supervisees where they are” really looks like when values clash, stress is high, and the ethical duty to avoid imposing values is real. We also explore how trauma-informed counseling has expanded to include culture and oppression, alongside post-traumatic growth and resilience.

On the clinical side, Chase breaks down Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for CBT-trained counselors, including the role of mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based action. We dig into affirmative therapy with LGBTQ and neurodiverse clients, how to hold space for discrimination without pathologizing a reasonable response, and how cultural broaching can build trust. Finally, we zoom out to OCA leadership, managed care pressures, continuing education, member value, and one system change that could reduce burnout: paying counselors for the administrative work that makes care possible.

Subscribe for more Ohio Counseling Conversations, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more counselors can find the show.

Connect with Us on Any/All Socials at our Link Tree!

OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling

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 [email protected]!

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

·Hosted by Marisa Cargill

·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Lauren Collins-Knight, Victoria Frazier, and Shannon O'Mara

·Editing by Marisa Cargill

·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

Send us Fan Mail

Surprise insurance clawbacks, fast-moving Medicaid rule changes, and a growing stack of bills that reshape client access can make it feel like the ground is shifting under counselors’ feet. We lay out what’s changing in Ohio right now and translate policy language into practical realities for counseling practices, community agencies, and the people we serve.

SB 162 (SUPPORT) Third party payments are considered final one year after the payment is made and providers are given 60-days to appeal a claw back. Awaiting signature from Gov DeWine
HB 718 (SUPPORT) - Expands certification pathways for Qualified Mental Health Specialists (QMHS) and renames the Chemical Dependency Professionals Board to the Behavioral Health Professionals Board. In Committee; watching for updates.
EO 2026-01D (UPDATE) - New Ohio Medicaid rules that moderate provider credentialing and attempt to mitigate fraud: 5160-1-17.4 -  Length and type of provider agreements; 5160-1-17.6 -  Termination and denial of provider agreement; 5160-1-42 -  Provider credentialing.
SB 315 (UPDATE) - Medicaid Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Bill impacting Medicaid providers, managed care organizations (MCOs), and other stakeholders in Ohio’s Medicaid program; Legal Analysis Shumaker
    ->The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Services Providers - Updated Guidance & ODM Provider Office Hours
HB 718 (SUPPORT) - Could create a formal path for Qualified Mental Health Professionals and rename the Chemical Dependency Professional Board to the Behavioral Health Professionals Board.
HB 346 (WATCH) - Creates redundant law that healthcare providers must report suspected child abuse.
SJR 10 (OPPOSE): Constitutional amendment that would enshrine the states' existing photo ID requirements into the state constitution; on the Ohio ballot in November.
HB 472 (OPPOSE): Waives ID and birth certificate fees for houseless individuals and includes a provision requiring absentee voters to present ID.
SB 276; SUB-SB 156 (OPPOSE):  SUB-BILL which includes creating a requirement that  6-12 grade schools teach "Success Sequence.” 
HB 347; HB 324 (OPPOSE) - Increased barriers to accessing timely abortions/abortion medication.
SB 274 (OPPOSE) - Removing a minor’s ability to access services in crisis without parental consent.
Justice Department Settles With Cleveland Clinic (UPDATE)
H.R.2616 (OPPOSE) - Restrictions in Education around LGBTQIA+ topics
Regulation for Federal Assistance (OPPOSE) - A sweeping overhaul of federal assistance rules; includes prohibitions on diversity, equity, inclusion policies or gender affirming practices.
American Counseling Association: Hill Day (ACTION) - Collaborate with ACA to meet up in Washington DC and engage in legislative advocacy.
    ->Article: A Counselor's Most Powerful Advocacy Tool

Connect with Us on Any or All Socials at our Link Tree!

• OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling

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

·Hosted by Mariah Payne

·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Lauren Collins-Knight, Victoria Frazier, and Mariah Payne

·Editing by Marisa Cargill

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A three-minute song can do something a 50-minute conversation struggles to pull off: it tells the truth fast. We’re exploring “accidental music therapy,” the tracks that were never designed to teach counseling skills, yet somehow nail grief, self-compassion, boundaries, identity, and resilience with a few lines and a melody that sticks. To be clear, this is not a replacement for counseling, and it’s not music therapy as a credentialed clinical discipline. It’s the pop culture side of mental health and why certain songs feel like emotional permission. 

We start with the big question: why do some songs land so hard? From “Vienna” to “Never Grow Up,” “Landslide,” and “Lose You To Love Me,” we talk about how music can hold the complexity of loss, transition, and growing up. Then we shift into self-worth and the inner critic with songs like “Born This Way,” “Who Says,” and “That I Would Be Good,” using lyrics as a practical bridge when it’s hard to find your own words. 

From there, we connect the playlist to therapy frameworks and real skills: resilience and post-traumatic growth, ACT ideas like cognitive diffusion and psychological flexibility, and parts work vibes inspired by “Surface Pressure” and “Anti-Hero.” We also dig into nervous system regulation and mindfulness, including why singing can be grounding and why “Weightless” by Marconi Union stands out with actual anxiety-reduction research behind it. 

If you’ve ever felt seen by a chorus at exactly the right moment, you’re not alone. Listen, grab the playlist link in the show notes, then subscribe, share with a colleague or friend, and leave a review so more people can find the songs that help them heal.

Spotify Playlist

What do you think? Send us your questions or topics you'd like us to unpack!

OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling

Connect with Us on Any/All Socials at our Link Tree!

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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 [email protected]!

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

·Hosted by Victoria Frazier & Marisa Cargill

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

·Editing by Marisa Cargill

·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

Send us Fan Mail

Talk therapy is powerful, but sometimes words are the slowest route to the truth. We sit down with Amanda Cole, LPCC-S, counselor educator, and doctoral candidate, to unpack psychodrama as an experiential action method that helps clients move from “thinking about it” to actually feeling it safely in the room. Amanda breaks down what psychodrama is (and what it is not), why warm-ups matter so much for pacing and containment, and how group cohesion makes deeper work possible without turning therapy into a performance.

From there, we get extremely practical about telehealth counseling. Amanda shares how to adapt sociometry, spectrograms, and even empty chair work to online groups using features like renaming, chat, shared whiteboards, and collaborative tools. We also talk about why telehealth is not a one-to-one copy of in-person therapy, and how changing expectations can open up new ways to build rapport and engagement rather than getting stuck comparing formats.

If you work with youth, this conversation is packed with real, usable ideas for online child and adolescent therapy: normalizing movement, planning multiple backup activities, using virtual sand tray and shared screen games, sending a “therapy box” packet, doing room tours for clinical context, and using music and playlists to connect with teens. We also connect psychodrama principles to counselor supervision and training, including role reversal for empathy and doubling to name what might be unspoken. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review with the creative intervention you want to try next.

OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling

Connect with Us on Any/All Socials at our Link Tree!

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 [email protected]!

****

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

·Hosted by Marisa Cargill

·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Victoria Frazier, and Shannon O'Mara

·Editing by Marisa Cargill

·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

Send us Fan Mail

Policy can feel far away until it lands in a session as grief, fear, shame, or burnout. Join the Ohio Counseling Conversations Team as we bridge the gap between the clinical couch and the Ohio Statehouse with a rapid, practical briefing on the bills most likely to affect counselors, and clients across Ohio.

We start with House Bill 698 and its push to withhold public university funding based on DEI compliance, including annual certification requirements and tracking of prior DEI roles. We talk plainly about why that matters for counselor educators trying to uphold CACREP expectations and the counseling profession’s ethical commitments to beneficence and social justice. From there, we break down Senate Bill 156’s “success sequence” curriculum mandate for public schools and why a one-size-fits-all definition of success can invalidate students from LGBTQ communities, non-traditional families, and many real-life paths our clients live every day.

We also cover House Bill 347’s 24-hour waiting period tied to reproductive care and the risk created by scripted, legally loaded requirements for providers. On the practice side, we dig into Senate Bill 162, a critical insurance reform aimed at limiting insurer clawbacks and reducing administrative burdens that can destabilize small practices and shrink access to mental health care. We round out the update with House bills on an all-payer claims database and behavioral health well checks, privacy protections for mental health professionals, Ohio’s Senate Bill 113 DEI ban, and a national legal challenge that could restrict federal student loans for counseling and other professional degrees.

Connect with the Ohio Counseling Association's Legislative Advocacy Committee

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OPPOSE House Bill 698- withholding higher-ed funding tied to DEI compliance and annual certification requirements
OPPOSE  Senate Bill 156- the “success sequence” requirement in public schools plus likely harm for marginalized students
OPPOSE House Bill 347- creating a 24-hour waiting period for reproductive care and adding provider compliance risks
SUPPORT Senate Bill 162- reducing insurance takeback timelines and easing appeals to protect small practices and client access
WATCHING House Bill 716- proposal for an all-payer claims database to support data-driven health care improvements
SUPPORT House Bill 724 requiring coverage for behavioral health well checks without a diagnosis
WATCHING House Bill 718- changes to the Behavioral Health Professionals Board and why legislative language matters
WATCHING House Bill 837- aiming to protect residential and familial information for mental health professionals
OPPOSE Senate Bill 113- banning DEI efforts in K-12 and why OCA submits formal opposition
SUPPORT the National lawsuit challenging federal student loan rules that narrow what counts as a professional degree, including counseling 

Connect with Us on Any or All Socials at our Link Tree!

• OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling

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

·Hosted by Victoria Frazier & Lauren Collins-Knight

·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Lauren Collins-Knight, Victoria Frazier, Mariah Payne, and Chase Morgan-Swaney

·Editing by Victoria Frazier

Send us Fan Mail

Sunshine can feel like a promise: more energy, better mood, fewer heavy days. But we’ve learned the hard way that seasonal change, especially the spring shift into warmer weather, can also bring real mental health risks and clinical surprises. Victoria Frazier sits down with Jared Sparks, clinical counselor and supervisor at Cleveland Sex and Intimacy Counseling, to talk about what actually happens when the temperature rises and why “feeling better” isn’t always the same thing as being stable.

We dig into research showing that even small increases in average monthly temperature can correlate with higher suicide rates, then connect that to what we see in practice: irritability, impulsivity, sleep loss, and the ways longer daylight can disrupt circadian rhythm. We also spend time on bipolar disorder and why light sensitivity and shifting sleep cycles can be a major factor during daylight saving time and seasonal transitions.

From there, we get practical. You’ll hear the sleep hygiene tips we lean on with clients (consistent sleep and wake times, keeping the bed for sleep and intimacy only), how shift work complicates everything, and why tools like blackout curtains can be surprisingly powerful. We also talk medication considerations, including heat intolerance, dehydration, and sun sensitivity, plus how we can help clients ask better questions of their prescribers without stepping outside our scope.

If you’re a counselor, therapist, or a client wondering why spring feels harder than it “should,” hit play. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review so more people can find it. What changes first for you when the weather warms up?

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

·Hosted by Victoria Frazier & Jared Sparks

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

·Editing by Marisa Cargill & Victoria Frazier

·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood

Send us Fan Mail

Your next mentor might be one conversation away, but most of us still hesitate to reach out. We sit down with Dr. Jake Protivnak, counselor educator at Youngstown State University, past president of the Ohio Counseling Association, and current president of Chi Sigma Iota International, to talk about what mentorship actually is and why it shapes who we become as counselors.

We start with Jake’s own story and the mentors who guided him, including Dr. Tom Davis, the namesake of OCA’s Tom Davis Mentorship Award. From there, we get practical: how mentoring differs from advising, how it differs from clinical supervision, and why the best mentoring keeps a mentee’s values and goals front and center. If you’ve ever wanted someone to “just tell you what to do,” we unpack how great mentors support autonomy without leaving you alone.

We also zoom out to the bigger picture of professional identity and community. Jake explains why Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) matters for counseling students beyond a resume line, including leadership opportunities, professional development, scholarships, and real connection for busy or commuting students. Then we dive into counseling history, digital archives, and Ohio’s leadership in counselor licensure and accreditation, plus what gets lost when a profession forgets its own story.

If you’re a counselor in training, newly licensed, or a seasoned clinician looking to give back, you’ll leave with clear next steps and renewed pride in the counseling profession. Subscribe, share this with a colleague or cohort member, and leave a review so more counselors can find the mentors and community they deserve.

OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling

Connect with Us on Any/All Socials at our Link Tree!

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 [email protected]!

****

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

·Hosted by Marisa Cargill

·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Victoria Frazier, and Shannon O'Mara

·Editing by Marisa Cargill

·Original music selections by Elijah Satoru Wood