2026 LCA CONFERENCE CALL FOR PROGRAMS    

LCA’s Annual Conference is Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, Oct 13, 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Baton Rouge , Louisiana

On behalf of the Louisiana Counseling Association, President Dr. Kelle Falterman (7/1/2026-6/30/2027) invites you to submit a presentation proposal for the 2025 LCA Conference in Baton Rouge. 

Deadline for proposals: March 1, 2026.

PLEASE READ THE INFORMATION BELOW CAREFULLY.  IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT DETAILS.
The link for the Call for Programs online application is located at the bottom of this page.

The conference is a unique opportunity for counseling professionals from across the state to come together, exchange ideas, and learn from each other's experiences. By presenting at the conference, you will have the chance to:
1. Showcase Your Expertise: This is your chance to demonstrate your expertise and contribute to the growth of the counseling community.
2. Expand Your Network: Connect with like-minded professionals, build new relationships, and engage in meaningful discussions.
3. Enhance Your Professional Development: Engage in thought-provoking sessions, attend workshops, and gain new perspectives that will enrich your counseling practice.
4. Gain Recognition: Presenting at a state-level conference is a prestigious accomplishment that can enhance your professional reputation.
5. Contribute to the Field: By sharing your knowledge and experiences, you are contributing to the growth and advancement of the counseling profession. Your insights can inspire and empower fellow professionals, ultimately benefiting the clients and communities we serve.
6. Earn CE clock hours: You get credit for an original presentation at a rate of 5 clock hours per one hour presentation toward renewal of the licensed professional counselor license.

Please submit your proposal by March 1, 2026 through our online submission portal, below.
Together, let's inspire, learn, and shape the future of counseling in Louisiana.

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO THE CALL FOR PROGRAMS FOR THE LCA CONFERENCE

1. Deadline for submission is March 1.  Dadline for Poster Session Applications is August 1.
2.  All presenters included on the proposal should be active LCA members at the time of the presentation submission.
3. A Presenter may not participate in more than two proposals (This does not include a Poster Session Presentation)
4. There may be no more than three (3) presenters listed on any session any session.
5. The application will ask for a picture and a short vita to be uploaded to the application.The application will not be considered complete without these for each presenter.
6. Proposals should not have been presented for any other conference.  You will be asked to verify that no more than 25% of the presentation has been shared with any other audience.

 By submitting the application you are  agreeing that you have read the material and agree to abide by the information contained.

All applications must be submitted online. The links to submit are below.

Presentation Format

Content Session:   A 1.5 hour presentation (Presenters may request a 3.0 hour presentation; this will be granted depending on the space available.  Pease be prepared to be requested to reduce your session to 1.5 CE hours)

Poster Session: A fifteen-minute session to share research. This is a session presented by Students (    who have an active membership in LCA.) Information about the Poster Sessions may be found here. Posters will be evaluated by a panel of counseling professional judges and prizes will be given to the first, second, and third place winners    There will also be an opportunity for the conference participants to vote on the “People’s Choice."   Please access this form to view what information you will need to complete the Poster Session application.  Deadline for Poster Session Application is August1.

Presentation Level

Sessions should be classified as Introductory or Advanced.  LCA leadership is requesting that presentations be advanced.     Introductory Sessions would be aimed at students or PLPCs.

1. Introductory: Session participants do not need prior knowledge of content area; these workshops are for participants who want to expand knowledge, foundation and skills.                                                                                                                                                   
2. Advanced:  Session participants should have substantial knowledge and experience in content area; these workshops are for participants who have had years of experience in content areas such as in therapeutic practice or research.

Program Proposal Guidelines

• Persons in all areas of the counseling profession are invited to submit a program proposal.
• The lead presenter of the presentation must hold a master’s degree or above in a mental health field.
• Students may not be the lead presenter (unless the student is a professional seeking a doctorate.)  The Lead Presenter, who must meet the requirements for a presenter from the LPC Board,  is responsible for the content of the session.  A presentation may have no more than three (3) presenters
• All presenters must be members of LCA at the time the proposal is submitted. (In special situations, this requirement may be waived by the LCA leadership)
• All presenters should register for the conference   Presenters are responsible for all travel expenses.  If a presenter does not register for conference, he may not earn CE hours.
• Presenters must check in at the LCA Presenter Registration Table to obtain their Badge.  Presenters should sign in no less than 1 hour before the time of the presentation. 
• The lead presenter is responsible for contacting all co-presenters and for all details of the submission.   
• Audio-Visual Equipment: LCA will provide screens, microphone, extension cords and power strips in each meeting room.    LCA will also provide a projector for each room. The projectors are equipped with a VGA and a HDMI Cord—if a presenter is using a Mac product, adapters should be brought by the presenter. Internet is provided at the 2026 conference. LCA does not provide any other equipment.  Clickers and Adapters may be rented from the  LCA Registration Table.  Presenter will be asked to submit their credit card number in order to receive the clicker or adapter.  The presenter will be charged for the equipment unless the equipment is returned to the LCA Staff.
• Tablets, I-pads, ext. may not operate with projectors. Please be sure that you have a laptop available for your presentation; LCA will not provide laptops.
• A presentation may not have more than three (3) presenters.
• The proposal form allows presents to suggest the area for which  the presentation is approved.  However, the actual approval is at the discretion of the CE Continuing Education Secretary.
  Definition of Required Areas:
  a.  Ethics—Presenters may used any Mental Health Code of Ethics in the presentation for the presentation to award ethics hours; presentations approved for LMFT Ethics hours must use the LMFT Code of Ethics. Presentations should include specific examples of the ethical standard being addressed.
  b.  Diagnosis—Presentation awarding hours in diagnosis may include actual diagnosis, Counseling theories, assessment, and/or treatment
  c.  Supervision—includes studies in theory and techniques of supervision as well as ethical and legal issues, case management, and topics related to the specific supervised setting;                                                                                                       d.  Social and cultural foundations includes studies that provide a broad understanding of societal changes and trends, human roles, societal subgroups, social mores and interaction patterns, and differing lifestyles
  e.  Telehealth---3.0 CE clock hours (if privileged in teletherapy)
• LPC Board Rules require that LPCs and PLPCs must submit hours approved specifically in the following areas for renewal:
• Lead Presenter must submit handouts and power-points to be placed on the LCA APP before the beginning of conference (a deadline date will be provided by LCA). Presenters may also bring hard copy handouts to the presentation.
• Presenters may not use the presentation to advertise for-profit curriculum or programs that they have created.
• Presenters may not charge a separate attendance fee.
• Presenters must be able to attend the LCA 2026 Conference and be available to present any day/time during the conference. Conflicts may be noted on the application. Once the Acceptance letters are dispersed, the sessions will be scheduled.   Scheduling will be based on the conflicts listed on the proposals.
• Presenters should register for the conference by August 31. Presenters who do not register will not be listed in the Conference Program Guide or be allowed to present.

Proposal Selection Process

• Proposals will be peer reviewed in a blind review by the Professional Development Committee.
• Proposals must be submitted online.  An email from the LCA website will confirm receipt. If you do not receive this confirmation, contact the LCA office.
• Reviewers will use the following rubric items to review proposals: Presenter's qualifications and experience; relevance of topic to conference theme or needs of the particular audience; relevance to ethics, supervision, diagnosis or school counselor related issues; clear and attainable workshop objects; evidence-based practices; relevance of topic to current counseling themes (for example: mindfulness); topic appeals to a variety of audiences.

• Submissions must be complete or they will not be reviewed.

• Decision letters will be emailed by the LCA office by June 1.
• Once your proposal is accepted you will receive a draft of the program by email.  This is done so that you may check the information and make any corrections before the program is uploaded to the website and the APP.  This is a major step in the process.  Once the schedule is posted to the APP, changes will not be made.

CE Clock hours for Presenters

The LPC Board recognizes the work that a presenter puts into the preparation of a session.  For that reason, presenters seeking credit from the LPC board may get credit for the original presentation at a rate of 5 clock hours per one hour presentation for renewal of the licensed professional counselor license. (For a session for which 1.0 CE clock hours are awarded, the presenter will receive 5.0 CE clock hours.) 

The LCA Exective Board  voted 2/21/2025 to offer Lead Presenters of Content Sessions a 15% discount on the full conference registration.

Presenters should register for conference.   Presenters must check in and receive their badge upon their arrival at conference.

If you want to submit  a proposal for a content session , please click on the statement below:

Content Session 

If you are  submitting a proposal for a Poster Session, please click on the statement below:

Poster Session Application        Deadline for Poster Session Application is August 1.

Click here to access the Presentation Submission Form