NJCA Team
NJCA Team
Founded in 1952, with 57,000 members, 60 staff, and an annual budget of $14 million, the American Counseling Association (ACA) is the world’s largest association exclusively representing professional counselors in various practice settings. New Jersey is a branch of the ACA.

Meet the NJCA Team

Dr. Crystal Socha (she/her)
President, Social Media Chairperson, Education & Training Chairperson

Vanessa Woods (she/her)
President-Elect, Public Policy & Legislative Issues Committee Co-Chair

RaShun Stewart (he/him)
President-Elect-Elect

Dr. Carolyn Bazan (she/her)
Immediate Past President

Luke Thompson (he/they)
Member-At-Large

Elizabeth Schopfer
Member-At-Large

Kayla Horne
Member-At-Large

Miriam Cortez
Member-At-Large

Dr. Anthony Zazzarino (he/him)
ACEP Continuing Education Coordinator, NJCA President 2022-2023

Claire Casey
Division President, NJ Association for Creativity in Counseling (2023-2025)

Tendai D. Merriweather
Division President, NJ Association for Multicultural Counseling

Domonique Caldwell
Public Policy & Legislative Issues Committee Co-Chair

Dr. Annette Vaccaro
Mentoring Program Chairperson

Emilie Banz
Secretary

Kathleen Sherman
Treasurer

Prof. John MacDonald
Ethics Committee Chairperson



Unite for Counseling Excellence
New Jersey Counseling Association membership includes both licensed and non licensed counselors, graduate students of counseling, retired counselors, counselor educators and others – all with a unified interest in enhancing professional relationships and promoting the counseling profession.
