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. Carolyn Bazan (she/her)
Current President

Crystal Socha (she/her)
President-Elect, Social Media Chairperson, Education & Training Chairperson

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

Dr. Ashley Morris-Dias (she/her)
Immediate Past President

Jay Belarmino (they/them)
Member-At-Large

Sarah Woodruff (she/her)
Member-At-Large

RaShun Stewart
Member-At-Large

Ebony Erickson
Member-At-Large

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

Tendai D. Merriweather
Division President, NJ Association for Multicultural Counseling (2024-2025)

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

Beth Fier
Public Policy & Legislative Issues Committee Co-Chair

Dr. Annette Vaccaro
Mentoring Program Chairperson

Krista Klie
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.
