New Mexico Mental Health Counselors Association - NMMHCA

05/22/2026

As summer approaches, NMMHCA is actively seeking new individuals to join our team!

- President Elect (must reside in NM, a 1-2 year term before becoming president)
- Treasurer (must reside in NM, mainly coordinating with our CPA and the board)
- Professional Development Chair (oversees our trainings)
- Membership Chair (responsibility of membership maintenance)

Send your resume/CV & inquiries to [email protected]

05/01/2026

3 CEU opportunity open to all mental health professionals and providers! This Monday 5/4, hope to see you there!

May Training Announcement!

Ethics of Treatment and Behavioral Addictions
Presented by: Dr. Cortny Stark, PhD LPC LAC (CO) LPCC LADAC ACS (NM) CRC
Virtual - Zoom link sent upon registration
Monday, May 4th, 2026 | 2 PM - 5 PM MST
3 NBCC Approved CE

Presentation will explore the ethical complexities of diagnosing and treating behavioral addictions, with a focus on applying diagnostic frameworks (DSM-5-TR, ICD-11) and the six core components of behavioral addictions within the principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Participants will engage with ethical decision-making models and trauma-informed perspectives to strengthen their ability to provide ethically sound and client-centered care.

Participants will be able to:
1.) Analyze ethical responsibilities in the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral addictions
2.) Critically evaluate how diagnostic frameworks (DSM-5-TR, ICD-11) and the six core components of behavioral addictions intersect with ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice when determining appropriate treatment options.
3.) Apply ethical decision-making models to clinical cases involving behavioral addictions
4.) Evaluate the ethical implications of trauma-informed care in treating behavioral addictions

Sign Up Today: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ethics-of-treatment-and-behavioral-addictions-2
Question? Contact [email protected]
Visit our website, become a member, sign up for updates, and see future training dates: https://www.nmmhca.com

04/28/2026

May Training Announcement!

Ethics of Treatment and Behavioral Addictions
Presented by: Dr. Cortny Stark, PhD LPC LAC (CO) LPCC LADAC ACS (NM) CRC
Virtual - Zoom link sent upon registration
Monday, May 4th, 2026 | 2 PM - 5 PM MST
3 NBCC Approved CE

Presentation will explore the ethical complexities of diagnosing and treating behavioral addictions, with a focus on applying diagnostic frameworks (DSM-5-TR, ICD-11) and the six core components of behavioral addictions within the principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Participants will engage with ethical decision-making models and trauma-informed perspectives to strengthen their ability to provide ethically sound and client-centered care.

Participants will be able to:
1.) Analyze ethical responsibilities in the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral addictions
2.) Critically evaluate how diagnostic frameworks (DSM-5-TR, ICD-11) and the six core components of behavioral addictions intersect with ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice when determining appropriate treatment options.
3.) Apply ethical decision-making models to clinical cases involving behavioral addictions
4.) Evaluate the ethical implications of trauma-informed care in treating behavioral addictions

Sign Up Today: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ethics-of-treatment-and-behavioral-addictions-2
Question? Contact [email protected]
Visit our website, become a member, sign up for updates, and see future training dates: https://www.nmmhca.com

04/21/2026

We are excited to introduce our new Southern Regional Representative!

Born in Long Beach, California, Vanessa Bretado Yagel, MA, LPC, LPCC is a graduate of New Mexico State University’s Counseling and Guidance Master of Arts program. Presently, a Tenured Professor and Career Counselor at El Paso Community College, Vanessa calls El Paso, Texas her home. She has a passion for helping college students find their career by helping them remove barriers that prevent them from achieving their degree. Vanessa also serves in a variety of other endeavors. She is a licensed mental professional in both New Mexico and Texas and is the owner of a clinical private practice in El Paso, Texas. Vanessa focuses on trauma and sexual issues and has amassed over 16 years of experience working with diverse populations from varying backgrounds. Additionally, as a launch clinician for the National Transportation Safety Board and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Vanessa travels around the United States providing group crisis intervention. Prior to her current responsibilities, she previously taught at Webster University as an adjunct faculty member teaching their career counseling class. When Vanessa is not at work, you can find her reading, weightlifting, and traveling. Vanessa loves to spend time with her husband and their 4 children.

We at NMMHCA are grateful to have Vanessa as a part of the team! To join the board or get in contact with Vanessa, email [email protected]

04/21/2026

NM RLD Rule Hearing Friday May 1st, 2026 at 9 AM MST

04/14/2026

Training this Friday!

April Training Announcement! Lunch & Learn
Presented by: Dr. Diane Lacen, PhD, LMHC & Dr. Anna Koch, PhD, LPCC, NCC, CRC
Virtual - Zoom link sent upon registration
Friday, April 17th, 2026 | 12 PM - 1 PM MST
1 NBCC Approved CE
Session Description:
In this training, participants will learn about trauma informed care specific to women. The principles of trauma informed care will be reviewed in addition to trauma informed care models across counseling, education and healthcare. Ethical considerations specific to trauma and women will be addressed.
Training Objectives:
1. Attendees will be able to describe their understanding of models and frameworks of trauma-informed care for women across counseling, education, and healthcare settings.
2. Attendees will be able to apply models and frameworks to their clients who experience trauma.
3. Attendees will be able to identify the ethical considerations in counseling women with trauma. boundaries.
Sign Up Today: https://www.zeffy.com/.../nmmhca-trauma-informed-care...
Question? Contact [email protected]
Visit our website, become a member, sign up for updates, and see future training dates: https://www.nmmhca.com

04/02/2026

April is Counseling Awareness Month!

Counselors make a difference every day! Join us and American Counseling Association in recognizing the work of professional counselors throughout Counseling Awareness Month 2026 this April. https://counseling.org/cam

04/01/2026

April Training Announcement! Lunch & Learn
Presented by: Dr. Diane Lacen, PhD, LMHC & Dr. Anna Koch, PhD, LPCC, NCC, CRC
Virtual - Zoom link sent upon registration
Friday, April 17th, 2026 | 12 PM - 1 PM MST
1 NBCC Approved CE
Session Description:
In this training, participants will learn about trauma informed care specific to women. The principles of trauma informed care will be reviewed in addition to trauma informed care models across counseling, education and healthcare. Ethical considerations specific to trauma and women will be addressed.
Training Objectives:
1. Attendees will be able to describe their understanding of models and frameworks of trauma-informed care for women across counseling, education, and healthcare settings.
2. Attendees will be able to apply models and frameworks to their clients who experience trauma.
3. Attendees will be able to identify the ethical considerations in counseling women with trauma. boundaries.
Sign Up Today: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/nmmhca-trauma-informed-care-specific-to-women
Question? Contact [email protected]
Visit our website, become a member, sign up for updates, and see future training dates: https://www.nmmhca.com

03/20/2026

We are excited to introduce our new Publications Chair!

Thanh (“Tahn”) Nguyen is a clinical mental health counseling master’s student at the University of New Mexico (UNM) and a NACP Credentialed Advocate (CA). She holds a BA in Psychology with a minor in Management and Sociology from UNM. As a first-generation Vietnamese American, Thanh’s academic and professional work is grounded in culturally competent, intersectional, and trauma-informed practice, with a focus on youth, survivors, and marginalized communities.

Thanh brings experience in advocacy, program coordination, community engagement, social justice, and youth development. Thanh serves as a founding member of the National Organization for Victim Advocacy’s (NOVA) Youth Leadership Council, helping launch the Youth Advocacy Leadership Center to advance youth leadership in victim services. She served as part of the inaugural Victim Advocacy Corps (VAC) with NOVA and the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (DOJ OVC), a national program for advocacy training, credentialing, and crisis-response. She coordinates services and programs with the New Mexico Asian Family Center (NMAFC) as the Youth Program Coordinator, leading Tea Talks—identity-centered spaces for Asian American youth that address sexual assault awareness and prevention. Thanh has been recognized as a panelist at NOVA's Youth Leadership Summit, the NM Secretary of State’s John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, and the University of New Mexico's Alumni Citizenship Award.

In Thanh's role as the NMMHCA Publications Chair, she will be connecting, collaborating, and coordinating on behalf of the NMMHCA with counseling professionals across New Mexico. We look forward to having her on board! If you are interested in working with Thanh or joining the board, contact [email protected]

03/04/2026

This Friday, 9AM-11AM! 2 NBCC Approved CEs...Hope to see you there!
___________________________
March Training Announcement!
🔷 Ethics of Working with Clients Involved in the Legal System
🔹 Presented by: Dr. Leandrea Romero-Lucero, PhD, LPCC, ACS, CSOTS
📍 Virtual - Zoom link sent upon registration
📆 Friday, March 6th, 2026 | 9 AM - 11 AM MST
☑️ 2 NBCC Approved CE
Description:
Working with clients involved in the legal system can pose many challenges for the clinician working with them, especially if there is a lack of clarity of roles, expectations, and goals. This presentation will discuss how those working with clients involved in the legal system can ensure clarity from the beginning of the relationship between them and the appropriate legal system personnel.
Objectives:
1. Analyze the common challenges clinicians encounter when working with clients involved in the legal system, with emphasis on role ambiguity, unclear expectations, and conflicting goals.
2. Demonstrate strategies for establishing clarity of roles and mutual expectations at the onset of the clinician-client-legal system relationship.
3. Evaluate effective communication approaches for collaborating with legal system personnel while maintaining ethical and professional boundaries.

Sign Up Today: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ethics-of-working-with-clients-involved-in-the-legal-system

Question? Contact [email protected]

Visit our website, become a member, sign up for updates, and see future training dates: https://www.nmmhca.com