WIESBADEN, Germany — The European branch of the American Counseling Association will hold its annual conference next month, an event that is expected to draw caregivers from U.S. military bases in Europe.
The four-day gathering at a Black Forest hotel and conference center is open to a wide array of caregivers, from school counselors and nurses to psychologists, social workers and military chaplains, said Frankie Nielsen, a counselor at Wiesbaden Middle School and the association’s president.
“There is something for everybody,” Nielsen said.
The conference will be held at Treff Hotel in Bad Herrenalb, which is about 20 minutes from Karlsruhe.
While the Department of Defense Dependents Schools is not hosting the event, people who work for DODDS may request administrative leave through their principal to attend, Nielsen said. Scheduled for Nov. 9-12, the conference falls on Veterans Day weekend.
During the first two days of the conference — Thursday and Friday — more than 50 two-hour mini sessions will be offered. Among those leading the sessions are more than a dozen stateside experts in the field of counseling and mental health, Nielsen said.
The first two days comprise what organizers refer to as the “general conference,” while the last two days are set aside for sessions, or so-called learning institutes, that can qualify for college education credits. Areas of discussion will range from brief therapy to using hypnosis in counseling and psychotherapy.
In reference to the former, Nielsen noted that many of the attendees “are signing up for this training because they need brief, effective, successful interventions.”
For more information about the conference, go to the association’s Web site at: EB-ACA.com. Additionally, people can e-mail Nielsen at: Frankie.nielsen@eu.dodea.edu.
