2026 Advancing Equitable Access to Counseling Awards

Professionals around the world are increasing access to mental health care. NBCC is proud to recognize the profound importance of three of those who are working to meet the mental health needs in their communities and to meet people where they are.

Edil Torres Rivera, PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC; Prakash Pradhan, ICAP-I; and Ted Remley, PhD, JD, NCC, LPC, are the 2026 Advancing Equitable Access to Counseling Award recipients. This award celebrates their service to their colleagues, individuals seeking mental health support, and the Counseling profession. Additionally, these recipients have served in leadership positions where they upheld, maintained, and modeled high professional standards.

Dr. Torres Rivera is a Professor at Wichita State University (WSU), Past President of the American Counseling Association (ACA), and an ACA Fellow.

“To represent my family, to represent where I came from—because I came from the public projects of Puerto Rico, an uneducated mother—those little milestones mean something for my family and for my people,” he says.

Dr. Torres Rivera was the first Puerto Rican to serve as ACA president and contributed to the development of Latinx course offerings at WSU. He says that while Latine individuals make significant contributions in the United States, opportunities can be limited.

His mother, Iris Rivera, raised three boys and put her dreams on hold because of economic circumstances. Dr. Torres Rivera honors the impact of both her wisdom and her sacrifices. One of Dr. Torres Rivera’s greatest achievements was finishing his doctorate degree, as it gave him an opportunity to represent his family while completing the highest level of Counseling Education. Now, as a leader in the Counseling profession, his goal is to create opportunities for others.

“If you become a professor, that means you open the door for a large group of people who eventually will do the job that you do as well. So, I think that being a professor is a gatekeeper and a gateway to trying to open the doors for other people to do what I do,” he shares. “ [I’m] trying to open doors for others in my position of privilege.”

Through his leadership, he listens to others so they can share their input. Additionally, he stays informed on developments in the Counseling profession and how they impact practicing Counselors.

“I want to say that when I’m trying to give a voice to those who cannot speak, it’s not to take their voice. It’s only to allow them to speak because I think it’s very important how many people come to these [leadership] positions and try to speak for others. My idea was to try to present [other voices] as much as possible and whenever possible to give them that voice in that table,” he shares.

Dr. Torres Rivera says that winning the NBCC Award affirms his work to support Latine individuals, create opportunities for more people to become Counselors, and ultimately increase access to mental health care.

“I think that the recognition means something, particularly nowadays in which every time we talk about diversity it seems to be a bad word. We need something to continue to encourage that diversity is important,” he shares.

He encourages other professionals to continuously learn and lean on their community.

“Continue to be curious, continue to be excited about the profession, and ask for help.”

Mr. Pradhan is Principal Counselor for the Medical and Health Professions Council (MHPC), which is under the Bhutan Qualifications and Professionals Certification Authority. He oversees the registration of mental health professionals in Bhutan, ensuring they align with a strong code of conduct and earn continuing education credits. Prior to this role, he supported the Bhutan Board for Certified Counselors.

“Counseling is an evolving profession—the theories and therapies are changing. What worked yesterday may not work today. [Counselors] have to keep abreast with evidence-based practices. . . . this will directly or indirectly help them in delivering their services in the best possible way," he says.

Earlier in his career, Pradhan served as a Professional Counselor and supported individuals affected by domestic and gender-based violence. Client-facing experience taught him the importance and impact of mental health care. Now, he plays an integral role in maintaining professional standards in Bhutan to reduce potential harm to clients. That includes developing documents to govern regulations, which involves research and literature reviews.

Pradhan looks at Counseling best practices from around the world and how they can be applied in Bhutan. Through his work at MHPC, he fosters international collaborations with organizations such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia, CACREP, and NBCC.

“I keep in touch with them and we exchange ideas. That is how we learn. It is all about professional growth,” he says.

Bhutan is a small country, with a population around 800,000 according to the United Nations Population Fund. In larger countries, such as the United Kingdom, Counseling remains an unregulated profession. Pradhan’s work has helped to advance the Counseling Profession and public protections in ways that surpass even larger countries where regulation of this profession is still in the early stages. Pradhan’s work demonstrates the importance of ensuring people have access to high-quality mental health care by vetted professionals.

“We are a small nation with a small population. I would like to put it here on record that all [mental health professionals] are well equipped with a lot of trainings, with a lot of knowledge, and they discharge their duty in the best possible way they can. That is what gives me satisfaction," Pradhan shares.

He says that receiving the NBCC Award has empowered him and his colleagues to remain steady in their work advancing the Counseling profession in Bhutan.

“I accept the award with humility. I dedicate this award to my entire team, my colleagues who tirelessly worked in this field of mental health and quality assurance. We have learnt a lot from NBCC, and we cannot thank NBCC enough. They have helped us professionally in our growth.”

Dr. Remley is a Professor at University of Holy Cross, Founding President of the American Association for State Counseling Boards, and creator of the Law and Ethics in Counseling Conference.

Dr. Remley was a lawyer for a time after he earned his doctorate but found that he preferred teaching.

“I purposely chose to be a university professor over practicing law because I found it was more rewarding to do that. . . . Being a university professor really gives you the opportunity to decide where you want to put your energy and how you want to spend your time,” he says.

Dr. Remley is a first-generation college student and doesn’t take his education for granted. Throughout his career, he’s made a point of creating opportunities for under-resourced individuals.

“If I made it into the university professor rank, I need to extend my hand to others and help them at that same opportunity." Dr. Remley values the importance of representation and has made noteworthy efforts throughout his career to recruit counselors from wide-ranging communities because he believes that every client deserves the opportunity to have a relationship with a Professional Counselor with whom they may share lived experiences and contexts.

Part of creating opportunities includes setting standards to protect Counselors and their clients. Dr. Remley advocated for the first Counselor licensure law to be passed in Virginia in 1976. He went on to chair four different state licensure boards and initiated the American Association of State Counseling Boards, being elected its founding president.

“It’s very important for us to get together and share information with each other so that we can be more effective being on state licensure boards,” he says.

His law background gives him a unique understanding of the importance of legal protections in the Counseling profession, such as with the Law and Ethics in Counseling Conference. The conference interprets legal requirements that apply to Counselors and gives them important professional legal education—without Counselors needing to attend law school, like Dr. Remley.

"I think law and ethics touches every professor of Counseling, every practitioner of Counseling. For many people, it’s become an annual event where it’s not only professional but also personal,” he shares. “That's something that I didn't anticipate, but I’m thrilled that that’s happened.”

Though Dr. Remley didn’t expect to receive the NBCC Award, he is proud of what it represents.

“I was very surprised that I was given that award—that the name of it is Advancing Equitable Access to Counseling. Well, I’m doing it through giving equitable access to the Counselor Education programs, and that’s been a mission I’ve been on,” he says.

NBCC extends a sincere thank you to Dr. Torres Rivera, Mr. Pradhan, and Dr. Remley for their remarkable contributions to the Counseling profession. Be inspired by the award winners by listening to some of their experiences on NBCC’s YouTube channel.