National Career Development Month Celebration:
The Intersection of Wellness
and Career Success

VIRTUAL EVENT ONLY!
November 15, 2023

12 noon - 6:15 pm (eastern time)

The Intersection of Wellness and Career Success

This virtual event will cover the most significant topics in the realm of wellness and career success. Presented by experts in the field, this event offers eight (8) CE hours and includes both live and simulive (recordings with live chat) sessions. See details and registration below.

• Agenda
• Continuing Education

Register securely online here

Registered participants will receive an email about access to the virtual event.

NCDA W-9 Form

*times listed are Eastern

Continuing Education 

Eight (8) Continuing Education hours are available. After the event, NCDA will send participants an electronic link to the evaluation form. After completion of the evaluation, the system will direct you to your online membership record where your continuing education transcript can be printed.

NCDA's Credentialing Commission has approved the CPI according to the Continuing Education Manual

Keynote Bios and Presentation Descriptions

Dr. Shainna Ali is a mental health counselor, educator, and advocate who is passionate about destigmatizing mental health counseling and helping individuals worldwide recognize the importance of fostering mental wellness. She is the creator of The Self-Love Workbook, The Self-Love Workbook for Teens, Luna Finds Love Everywhere: A Self-Love Book for Kids, The Self-Love Planner, and Designing Healthy Boundaries. She has been featured through outlets such as ABC, CBS, NPR Washington Post, and Insider. Dr. Shainna’s passion for promoting mental health awareness and access inspired her to host the Mental Wellness Practice Podcast. Dr. Shainna is the owner and operator of Integrated Counseling Solutions, LLC, a strengths-based clinical mental health and consulting practice located in Central Florida. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors of The Mental Health Association of Central Florida and is a past president of the Florida Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. Dr. Shainna has been honored with the Association for Specialists in Group Work's Al Dye Award, the Pete Fischer Humanitarian Award, and UCF’s 30 under 30 and Noble Knight distinctions for her efforts in promoting mental wellness. You can learn more through her website www.DrShainna.com or follow along on Instagram @DrShainna.

Dr. Candy Ho is an international award-winning career development educator and scholar whose expertise is recognized globally through keynotes and engagements. She is a proud recipient of NCDA’s 2022 International Career Practitioner Award. Candy has been featured in BNN Bloomberg, The Globe and Mail, Financial Post, Canadian Business, National Post, and CTV News. She is the inaugural Assistant Professor, Integrative Career and Capstone Learning at the University of the Fraser Valley in the territory of the Stó:lō Nation. She also holds teaching positions in Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Educational Studies department and in Douglas College's Career Development Practitioner Program. Prior to becoming a faculty member, Candy has also worked extensively in university student affairs in areas such as first year experience and student transition, campus and residence life, career and volunteer services, co-operative education, academic advising, and university advancement. Her collective professional experiences to date have culminated in her doctoral dissertation investigating the conceptions of post-secondary career influencers in student career success, and she readily shares her expertise locally and globally. Finally, she currently serves as Chair of CERIC, a Canadian charitable organization that advances education and research in career counselling and career development, in order to increase the economic and social well-being of Canadians.

Self-Care as an Ethical Practice
This session offers a guided discussion exploring the intersections of self-care and ethical practice in career services. Come to consider what it means to engage in self-care activities that promote emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being so that we may best meet our professional responsibilities and serve our clients’ needs. Hear diverse perspectives of the lenses that shape, influence, and motivate the connections we draw between ethics and self-care. Discover resources and inspiration for your own practice.
Dr. Azra Siwiec; Dr. Julia Panke Makela, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Dr. Diandra J. Prescod, University of Connecticut

Supporting Individuals’ Wellness Needs During the Career Exploration Process: Three Case Studies
In this presentation, we’ll cover some of the stressors, concerns, and obstacles that often get in the way of our clients’, students’, and employees' career exploration and job search progress. We’ll look at career development through the lens of the wellness wheel, which frames occupational health within the eight domains of wellness. Through a series of case-studies, we’ll discuss strategies and resources that career professionals can use to help those we serve prioritize wellness, mental health, self-care, and work-life balance as they move forward in their careers.
Anush Hansen, Kennebunk Counseling, LLC

Career Development and Mental Health
Presenters will explore the interconnection between career development and mental health by examining the bond between humans and work. In a world where professional aspirations often intersect with personal well-being, this session delves into strategies to maintain a healthy mental equilibrium in a world of uncertainty.
Marty Apodaca, University of New Mexico Student Health and Counseling, NCDA Board Member and Dr. Sharon Givens, Visions Counseling and Career Center, NCDA Board Member

Employability and the Military Job Seeker
A strong indicator of returning military members’ successful transition to civilian living is how effectively they move away from threat reactivity and transition towards challenge responses commonly displayed in employment. Because military members are taught to display an elevated level of aggressive behaviors to survive a combat environment, participation in a military culture may reduce returning military members’ chances of successfully transitioning back to civilian culture through employment. Consequently, many military members struggle to adapt or readapt to the radical contrast between military and civilian workplace behavior rules. A theoretical framework that has been established to determine the ability of an employee to obtain employment and advance on the job (i.e., retain employment) is employability theory. Empirical investigations have indicated that employability theory is one of the more useful social cognitive career theories (SCCT) that can be used to predict successful job performance. 
Dr. Bret Anderson, h2 Communication, LLC

NCDA Resources for Your Professional Development … What’s the Difference? 
You already know NCDA has many resources to aid your professional development, but do you know what makes them different? In this session, two experts on NCDA resources answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the similarities and differences, including formats offered, how to select the various options, which ones are new, and ways to contribute for even more professional development.  Also, ask your own “what is the difference” questions and get detailed answers from the experts on chat during this simulive session.
Melanie Reinersman, NCDA Website and Web Magazine Editor and Publications Development Director and Dr. Melissa Venable, NCDA Director of Professional Development and Career Developments Editor

What is a Career Practitioner Institute?