Dr. Kelsey Ward, LPCC-S (OH), NCC, CCMHC currently serves as Clinical Faculty at Adams State University, and also works clinically in Central Ohio, working with adolescents and adults who identify as LGBTGEQIAP+. Dr. Ward has clinical and research interests in gender-affirming care, neurodiversity, and clinical supervision. They have presented on LGBTGEQIAP+ issues in counseling at local, state, regional, and national conferences. They are also involved in their state’s SAIGE chapter in the technology and regional representative roles.

Mariah Payne is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and a graduate of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Heidelberg University. Mariah currently works in private practice and provides therapeutic services for individuals, couples, and families, with a specialization in affirming care for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and ethical/consensual non-monogamous relationships. They have completed comprehensive training on writing letters of referral for gender-affirming medical care. They are passionate about advocacy efforts for minority communities and intersectionality. She is honored to provide education on House Bill 68 as a trainer through the National Association of Social Workers, Ohio Chapter, and their Navigate New Laws Training. Mariah has previously served as a North Cenral Ohio Representattive for the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities in Ohio (SAIGEO) and the Government Relations Committee Liason from 2023-2024.

Michael M. Kocet is Assistant Vice Chancellor for Graduate Education and Professor of Counseling at the University of Colorado Denver. Previously, he served as Professor and Department Chair of the Counselor Education Department at The Chicago School in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Kocet earned his Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Arkansas and completed a graduate certificate in dispute resolution at University Massachusetts Boston. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (MA), a Board Certified Counselor, and an Approved Clinical Supervisor. His professional areas of interest include: ethical issues in counseling; counseling LGBTQ+ clients; grief counseling, and is author of numerous journal articles and book chapters on ethics, LGBTQ and diversity issues. He is the editor of the book, “Counseling Gay Men, Adolescents, and Boys: A Guide for Helping Professionals and Educators” published by Routledge Press and is co-author of the text Ethical Decision Making for the 21st Century Counselor by Cengage. Dr. Kocet is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association, the highest award given by the counseling profession. He served as member of the American Counseling Association Ethics Committee (2001-2007) and chaired the American Counseling Association Ethics Code Revision Taskforce (2002-2005). He is Past President and former ACA Governing Council Representative of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE) (formerly ALGBTIC). Dr. Kocet currently serves on the American Counseling Association Foundation Board. Dr. Kocet has been active in community service, providing pro bono counseling at the Center on Halsted, an LGBTQ Community Center in Chicago. He also served as a volunteer grief therapist for Comfort Zone Camp, the nation’s largest bereavement camp for children, ages 7-17. He has presented at local, state, and national conferences in counseling and student affairs and is sought out as a national speaker and consultant on ethics, diversity, LGBTQ issues, and grief counseling.

Dr. Mickey E. White, NCC, BC-TMH, Associate Professor, (Ph.D., Counseling, University of North Texas, 2019). Dr. White (he/him) currently serves as the program’s CACREP liaison. He has been part of the Counseling Program faculty at ETSU since 2019 and regularly teaches courses in substance use counseling, social and cultural foundations, telemental health, and clinical skills. He is an active member of professional counseling organizations, including the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE) and the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES). His areas of research center around the intersections of gender identity/expression and other marginalized identities, broader LGBTQ+ issues in counselor preparation, professional issues in counselor education, decolonization and liberation practices in counseling and counselor education, and animal-assisted therapy.

Dr. Jordan Westcott (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research focuses on how structural factors impact mental health and wellness for marginalized populations, particularly LGBTQ+ communities, older adults, people with disabilities, and intersections therein. She is particularly interested in how counselors can advance health equity for these populations through practice, research, and service.

Dr. Karli Iceman (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Counselor Education at Adams State University. Dr. Iceman obtained her bachelors’ degrees in English, History, and Psychology and her master’s degree in Counseling: Clinical Mental Health from Oakland University. Dr. Iceman has provided counseling services in partial hospitalization and private practice settings throughout the metro Detroit area and practices from a person-centered and a relational-cultural approach. Dr. Iceman has supervised counselors-in-training and enjoys supporting them in their professional development to be effective and culturally aware counselors. While Dr. Iceman’s research has primarily focused on online counselor education, she is also interested in exploring supervisory practices and supporting the diverse needs of supervisees and their clients.