Culver-Stockton faculty lead statewide effort to reestablish Missouri Counseling Association

CANTON, Mo. — A team of Culver-Stockton College faculty members has led the successful reestablishment of the Missouri Counseling Association (MCA), which dissolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been officially reinstated as a nonprofit state branch of the American Counseling Association.

The newly elected officers — Angel Knoverek (president), Mark Vander Ley (treasurer) and Danielle Hamilton (secretary) — are all Culver-Stockton College faculty members. Together, they bring academic and clinical expertise to their leadership roles, and their efforts reflect the college’s commitment to community engagement and mental health advocacy.

In a press release, Knoverek, who is also a licensed counselor for more than 25 years, said, “By strengthening the counseling profession, MCA will enhance the quality of mental health services available to individuals and families, contributing to healthier and more resilient communities.”

Knoverek identified the need to revive the MCA while advising students in Culver-Stockton’s new master of arts in counseling (MAC) program. After reviewing Missouri licensure regulations and learning that the MCA had disbanded, Knoverek and her colleagues began a year-long effort to bring the association back to life. The MCA is now fully operational and working in collaboration with other state branches in the Midwest to offer continuing education opportunities and support for professional counselors.

Adding a creative and interdisciplinary dimension to the project is the association’s branding developed by Victorya Knoverek, a senior at Culver-Stockton majoring in both graphic design and psychology. Victorya, a first-year student in the MAC program, chose the MCA branding as her senior graphic design capstone project, taught by C-SC faculty member Sally Kintz.

Her work is now being used across MCA’s social media platforms and official correspondence, with plans to implement the branding across the organization’s website in the near future.

“We’re proud that the relaunch of the MCA is not only faculty-led but also features the creative work of one of our outstanding students,” Vander Lay added. “Victorya’s interdisciplinary perspective has given the association a fresh and professional visual identity as we reconnect with counselors across Missouri.”

The Missouri Counseling Association’s mission is to promote the development of professional counselors, provide advocacy in the field, and raise awareness around ethical and culturally inclusive best practices. Its vision is to enhance the quality of life for Missourians by supporting the counseling profession.