Despite a long tradition and deep belief in equality, non-judgementalism, and societies of health, the counseling profession continues to hone its skills in social advocacy. Further, while graduate counseling programs have effectively trained counselors in skills of multiculturalism and diverse populations, professional organizations such as CACREP and ACA have firmly highlighted the mandate of counselors to engage in causes of social justice and systemic advocacy. This presentation will explore how one counseling program utilized an experiential approach to teach graduate students skills of advocacy, during a legislative day at the state capital. Presenters will describe the pilot program to include initial data that was gathered, and specific strategies to be considered for future projects.
