Rhonda Bryant 

Recently, I visited with a friend whose neighborhood has become more urban and densely populated than when she began living there decades ago. Sitting in her living room, we talked about our children, careers, and other things we have in common. Toward the end of our talk, my friend noted that she found the stillness of her neighborhood comforting because it offered an escape from the “busyness” of the city.

Since its inception, the counseling profession has positioned itself on the front-lines of social change and the amelioration of social disparities. For example, from Frank Parsons’ brave Boston Vocational Bureau movement to Carl Rogers’ groundbreaking peace and reconciliation work in apartheid era South Africa, counselors have demonstrated the grit, skill, and determination necessary to bring unification, valuing of differences, and resolution of conflict at micro, meso, and macro societal levels. Our profession’s core values of care, compassion, and empathy have and continue to serve society well during difficult times.