Presenting a poster at a professional counseling conference is a valuable opportunity to engage in scholarly dialogue, and professional development. This year, the social media committee of the Counselors Against Sex Trafficking (CAST) Research Lab had the opportunity to present a poster titled, “Become Through Advocacy: An Exploration of How CAST-RL Shapes Professional Development and Counseling Identity” at the South Central Regional Counseling Association Winter Workshop. We centered our presentation on our experiences in the social media committee, the skills we have developed along the way, and how it is assisting in our professional development.
Poster Development
The development of the poster started well before the conference itself. The committee recognized that serving the CAST Research Lab through this capacity was beneficial towards personal development and wanted to share this value with others. We began by conducting a literature review on the current research regarding the counseling profession’s role in addressing sex trafficking and the role research labs have in supporting counselor-advocate development. Afterwards, we answered reflective questions that focused on our experiences in the social media committee, the skills we have developed, and the benefits and insight we have gained along the way. From there, we consolidated and analyzed the data, noting key themes among our responses.
Findings and Summary
When it comes to member reflection on development through the social media committee, a key theme was confidence-building. One member said, “While anxiety-inducing at times, it was empowering to see myself rise to the challenge.” Another related theme is experiencing growth through discomfort. Another committee member noted that “so much growth comes from pushing past fear and stepping into opportunities that initially felt intimidating.” These two themes dovetail to communicate the personal development from taking on new tasks, engaging with unfamiliar information, and being open to new opportunities. Notably, members shared that sharing information and resources on sex trafficking through social media has had an impact on advocacy identity. One member said, “My involvement helped me see advocacy as an essential part of counseling, not something separate from it.”
The findings from our reflections highlight recommendations for counseling programs and for future research. For the former, to support counselor professional development, especially in research, advocacy, and leadership, counseling programs can offer opportunities for students to engage in research. Existing research labs can offer leadership opportunities to master’s level students through committee positions and assistantships. For future research, it would be impactful to investigate the long-term impact of social media engagement and master’s level leadership engagement on counselor professional development. Further research in this domain would give further insight into how counseling programs can support counselor professional development and confidence.
Personal Reflections
Presenting our poster at a professional counseling conference was an enlightening and affirming experience. Being in a room full of counselors actively addressing the mental health field reinforced a sense of belonging and helped solidify my counselor identity. Sharing our work and engaging in meaningful conversations with professionals who were supportive, curious, and genuinely invested in the growth of future counselors was incredibly fulfilling. It was especially encouraging to be reminded that many of the professionals present were once in the same stage of development that we are in now.
Looking ahead, we are excited to incorporate more data in future presentations to expand the scope and impact of our work, as well as attend more presentations as a group. For master’s students interested in research or presenting at conferences, our biggest advice is to do it scared. Growth happens in uncomfortable spaces, and it is okay to feel nervous or unsure and still move forward. Reaching out to professors, peers, and research labs is worth it, not only for professional development, but for the confidence and counselor identity it helps build along the way.
Written by Bella Nieto, Cristal Velazquez, and Anissa Mancias
Counselors Against Sex Trafficking 