Oakland Counseling Association

The Oakland Counseling Association is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession.

Mission

The mission of the Oakland Counseling Association is to enhance the quality of life in

Oakland County by promoting the development of professional counselors, advancing the

counseling profession and using the profession and practice of counseling to promote respect for human dignity and diversity.

• OCA Celebrates National School Counselor Week
• Award Nominations: Counselor of the Year and Terry Hood Lifetime Achievement
• Article: Communication as a Tool for ADHD and PDA
• Article and Resources: Strengthening Schoolwide Support for Grieving Students
• OCA Upcoming Events and Updates

✅ Register: K-8 Responsiveness to Neurodivergence In-Person Event, March 6

☑️ Register: Counselor Day at Kettering University In-Person Event, April 10

📅 Save the Date: OCA Awards and End of Year In-Person Event, April 30

• December College Counseling Virtual Event Highlights
• Mini-Grant Outcome Showcase
• Nominate a Counselor of the Month
• Join OCA! 2025-2026 OCA Membership

The Oakland Counseling Association loves its school counseling members!

To help recognize and uplift school counselors, OCA reached out to as many school administrators as we could in Oakland County to let them know about National School Counseling Week. We included some ideas for celebrating school counselors and hope a few of those ideas make it your way during this week.

One great way to celebrate each other during National School Counseling Week is to nominate an exemplary colleague for one of OCA's end of year awards:

• Counselor of the Year
• Terry Hood Lifetime Achievement

You'll find more information on those award immediately below in the newsletter.

Happy National School Counseling Week!

- OCA Board

OCA would like to capture a snapshot of what National School Counseling Week was like for our members. Take a few pictures of your activities or efforts during the week and share them with OCA so we can make a collage of the experiences.

Ways to share photos:

1. Submit via Google Form (need to sign into a Google account for this method)
2. Email as attachments to Sean Dougherty

Please include a very short description of what is happening in the photo.

We can't wait to see what you're up to this week!

The 2025-2026 Oakland Counseling Association End of Year Award Nominations are now open! NSCW is a perfect time to prioritize celebrating a colleague by submitting a nomination on their behalf!

Each year we honor counselors for all of their hard work. If you work with or have worked with a counselor that you think goes above and beyond and deserves to be recognized for their hard work, we encourage you to take the time to nominate them.

The deadline for nominations is March 4, 2026. Decisions will be made mid-March and we will reach out to the nominator with our decision.

The nominee DOES have to be an OCA Member. It’s never too late to join, membership is still open on our website. If you're not sure if your nominee is a member, please email all three of the following people and one of us will respond as soon as possible:

• agohl@birmingham.k12.mi.us (Amanda)
• PamelaWesley@wlcsd.org (Pam)
• sean.dougherty@oakland.k12.mi.us (Sean)

You don't have to complete the nomination alone! If you’re thinking of nominating someone, talk to your other colleagues to get input from multiple people. The more information you're able to give, the better. We recommend typing your responses in a word/google doc to copy and paste in the Google form when you are ready. Check out this Awards Criteria document to see what information will be requested. This is helpful to do before going into the nomination forms.

Thank you so much for all that you do!

Many of us are familiar with ADHD. It is well known, widely discussed, and something we encounter regularly in school and counseling settings. Many of us are also beginning to hear more about another profile that often overlaps with ADHD, known as PDA.

PDA, commonly referred to as Pathological Demand Avoidance or Persistent Drive for Autonomy, is a nervous system based response in which everyday demands are experienced as threatening. For students with this profile, requests that feel controlling, rushed, or non negotiable can trigger a fight, flight, or freeze response. What may look like refusal, shutdown, or oppositional behavior is often a stress response rather than a choice.

When PDA overlaps with ADHD, compliance becomes even more difficult. ADHD already affects executive functioning, emotional regulation, and task initiation. When demands activate a threat response, traditional strategies such as repeated reminders, firm directives, or consequences can increase dysregulation rather than support engagement.

This is where communication becomes a powerful tool.

As school counselors and mental health professionals, we are in a unique position to educate parents, students, and teachers on PDA informed communication as a first line of support. PDA friendly language reduces perceived threat and increases collaboration by emphasizing autonomy, curiosity, and shared problem solving. This may include offering choices, using indirect or invitational language, and shifting from commands to collaboration.

This approach is not permissive. It is intentional and neurologically informed. When students feel safe, they are better able to access executive functioning, regulate emotions, and participate in learning. While especially helpful for students with ADHD and PDA, these communication strategies benefit all students by reducing power struggles and strengthening relationships.

The value of this approach extends beyond the classroom. The same communication strategies can be effective in staff interactions, leadership roles, and workplace conversations. Language that respects autonomy and invites collaboration often leads to better outcomes across settings.

As our field continues to move toward trauma informed and neurodiversity affirming practices, PDA informed communication offers a practical and accessible framework. How we communicate matters, and for many students it can be the difference between escalation and engagement.

Get your free guide to PDA Statement Replacers:

https://www.guidedsolutionstroy.com/resources

Learn more about PDA:

"Childhood bereavement is far more common than many realize. A recent systematic review from the University at Albany highlights that the death of a parent, sibling, or other significant person places students at heightened risk for academic struggles, emotional distress, and long‑term mental‑health challenges. Because students spend most of their day in school, school counselors are uniquely positioned to provide stabilizing, compassionate support during one of the most vulnerable moments in a child’s life." (read the full article)

Includes sections on:

• Guidance for School Counselors
• Key Findings School Counselors Should Know
• How School Counselors Can Support Grieving Students
• How Counselors Can Support Teachers During a Student’s Bereavement
• Why Counselors Matter So Much

Resource: Grief Response Guide

Title: K-8 Responsiveness to Neurodivergence In-Person Event

Date: March 6, 2026

Time: 11:30am-3:30pm

Location: In-Person (OSTC-SE)

Cost:

• FREE for current 2025-2026 OCA members
• $25 for non-members (includes SCECH processing)

SCECHs: 3.5 General

Description:

Calling all K-8 School Counselors! Come join OCA on Friday, March 6th for a half-day (11:30am-3:30pm) professional development event aimed at growing your toolbox of interventions, expanding your knowledge of clinical interventions available in the community, and deepening your knowledge on special topics that impact your school. Panel discussion among seasoned K-8 and community professionals including special education supports and systems.

Registration:

Further event details and online payment link for non-OCA members can be found on the OCA website: https://www.oaklandcounselors.org/events

*This event is run by Kettering University. OCA has partnered with them to provide SCECHs.

Event Flyer

Title: Counselor Day at Kettering University

Date: April 10, 2026

Time: 9:00am-1:30pm

Location: In-Person (Kettering University, Flint)

Cost:

• FREE for all participants

SCECHs: 3.25 College

Description:

Kettering University's Counselor Day is designed to provide context and support for counselors working with students considering Kettering. During the visit, participants will gain a firsthand look at Kettering's hands-on, career-focused academic experience and learn how our 50/50 Co-op model positions students years ahead of their peers.

Registration:

Further event details and online payment link for non-OCA members can be found on the OCA website: https://www.oaklandcounselors.org/events

Title: OCA Awards and End of Year Event

Learning Topics: TBD

Date: April 30, 2026

Time: 8:00am-2:00pm

Location: In-Person (Walled Lake Board Office)

Cost:

• FREE for current 2025-2026 OCA members and award nominee guests
• $25 for non-members (includes SCECH processing)

Description: Presented by the Oakland Counseling Association: Participants will engage with professional learning topics throughout the day. We will also be celebrating the winners of the Counselor of the Year and the Terry Hood Lifetime Achievement awards. Breakfast and lunch included!

In what has become an annual staple of the OCA professional learning calendar, the 5th Annual College Counseling for School Counselors virtual event was a huge success!

We had 125 attendees throughout a full day of learning from twelve different out-of-state, HBCU, private, military, and non-traditional college/universities/programs. Our intention is to highlight the wide variety of postsecondary education opportunities available to students that are not typically represented at other counselor-focused engagements (like Promoting the Publics).

Did you miss out? Check out the Participant Agenda to see which schools were represented and access to some of the presentations from the day.

One of our members, Melissa Ng, has already shared the outcome from the $250 mini-grant they received from OCA! Check out some of the great student-focused work being done with the support of some mini-grant funds:

In support of Anderson Middle School's UMatter Week activites, mini-grant funds were used to support the purchase of:

• Photo booth supplies for students to take pictures during lunches
• Lanyards for all students
• Motivational stickers for all students
• Poster supplies to write kind statements for all staff members

Great job Melissa and Anderson Middle School!

In an effort to highlight the remarkable work of OCA counselors, we will be requesting Counselor of the Month nominations each month. This recognition effort will highlight one outstanding counselor each month. Nominees must be a current OCA member to receive the recognition (and potentially a small prize 😊).

Thank you for your nominations!

Membership for the Oakland Counseling Association (OCA) for the 2025-2026 year remains open to those who would like to join. Encourage your colleagues who have not yet joined to do so!

By joining our vibrant community, you will find valuable resources, a supportive network, and professional enrichment opportunities designed to help you thrive in your career. As a member, you'll gain access to free or reduced-price professional learning events, including all online training offered at no cost, and free SCECH processing for all events. In addition to fostering a sense of solidarity with fellow professional counselors, membership provides unparalleled networking opportunities, robust advocacy for the counseling profession, eligibility for mini-grant funding, and the chance to win awards and prizes throughout the year. We invite you to become part of a dedicated group that empowers counselors and advances our profession in Oakland County and beyond.

2025-2026 OCA membership information is available on the OCA Membership page.

Cost

• Individual counselor - $25
• Graduate school student - $10
• Retired counselor - $10

Other Notes

• Membership is valid from September 1 through August 31 each school year
• Membership is open to all school and private practice counselors
• Membership is welcome for counselors outside of Oakland County

Selina Abraham

Nicole Bell

Meredith Cairo

Sean Dougherty

Elizabeth Germaine

Amanda Gohl

Angela Gouda

Carrie Laurence

Albana Metaj

Kelly Messing-Mirabito

Paige Rutkowski

Pamela Wesley

Kelley Yell

Email: oaklandcounselingassociation@gmail.com
Website: www.oaklandcounselors.org
Phone: ------------------------
Twitter: @OCACounseling