Join Us for the 2025 Mental Health Connections Global Virtual Conference

NBCC and the NBCC Foundation are excited to host this year’s annual Mental Health Connections global virtual conference Dec. 3–5, bringing together presenters from around the world to share their perspectives on the state of mental health inside and outside the United States and the progress of the professionalization of counseling in other countries. The registration deadline is Dec. 1, and participants can earn up to 35 continuing education hours from a combination of live and recorded sessions.

Mental Health Connections is a unique learning opportunity for counselors and others to hear presentations about initiatives in education, training, practice, and research on capacity-building, expanding the workforce, and improving global access to care. Attendees will see mental health through the eyes of other cultures and gain a worldview of the challenges faced by mental health professionals in other countries and how they are addressing the needs of their communities and beyond. In discussing this year’s conference, Dr. Wendi Schweiger-Moore, Director of Global Capacity Building, commented, “This conference began as a virtual opportunity during the pandemic and continues to be virtual to better encourage a wide variety of presenters and participants from around the world, which wouldn’t be possible if the conference was limited to in-person participation. We were pleased to have the highest number of presentation proposals this year, leading to a conference that highlights not only growth in counseling professionalization, but also our ever-expanding understanding of mental health realities in the U.S. and worldwide.” The following are summaries of this year’s keynote presentations:

• A Day in the Life of a Counselor: The Next Chapter, by Dr. Shabari Bhattacharyya, Ms. Deki Choden, Mrs. Diana Nyirenda, Dr. Sabina Scott, and Dr. Mihee Woo. A continuation of this series of presentations that began during the 2022 Mental Health Connections conference, this year’s recorded interview will follow up with counselors from diverse areas of the world and varied academic and career paths who participated in this session in 2022 and 2023. Some individuals featured studied counseling in their home countries, while others studied abroad. Some live and practice in their home countries; others live and practice away from home. They will discuss the mental health challenges in their home countries and coping with them. They will also discuss challenges and strengths in other countries where they have worked, and coping mechanisms that have helped people in these areas meet their challenges. 
  
  
• Counselor Practice of Stress Management and Personal Wellness From Cross-Cultural Perspectives, by Dr. Hannah Acquaye, Dr. Zvi Bellin, and Dr. Ling Cheun Bianca Lee. This keynote will focus on how culture impacts coping with stress and managing wellness. As counselors engage with diverse communities that cross international or national boundaries, it’s helpful to learn more about how cultural dynamics intersect with the uncontrollable factors of life that lead to worry and stress. This presentation will offer examples and provide ideas about how stress management can differ or converge across cultures as counselors share their personal experiences. These three counselors from diverse backgrounds will discuss how their journeys have led to their stress-coping mechanisms and provide insight into how their cultural realities influence overcoming challenges and obstacles.
  
  
• Healing and Ethics Across Cultures: A Comparative Exploration of Counseling Practice in the U.S. and India, by Dr. Sneha Nayar-Bhalerao, Dr. Kaneenica Ninawe, and Ms. Ankita Gandhi. This presentation will examine the intersection of cultural beliefs, ethical frameworks, and counseling practices in the United States and India. Drawing from professional experience, academic training, and clinical practice, the session explores how cultural values shape decision-making, client engagement, and counselor development in these two countries. Attendees will learn about the application and interpretation of ethical principles in counseling—autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and fidelity. Though they form the foundation of ethical practice in both countries, their meaning and implementation often vary depending on cultural norms and expectations.

“We are excited for this year’s participants to experience the Mental Health Connections conference as it continues to grow and help bridge the gap in mental health care worldwide,” says Isabel Gomez, VP of Foundation and Professional Services. “It is such a unique opportunity to gain insight into the state of counseling in the U.S. and other countries, learn the challenges mental health professionals face internationally, and celebrate their successes as well.”

We hope you will join us virtually Dec. 3–5 to gain a global perspective on the state of counseling and mental health. As a reminder, registration is open until Dec. 1, 2025, at 11:59 ET. Sessions will also be available for viewing and earning continuing education for 6 weeks after the event concludes. All conference proceeds support NBCC’s Mental Health Facilitator (MHF) program. Learn more and sign up today.