You do not need permission to do or to be many things. You need a place that many things, and you, can belong.

The Midwest Humanistic Counselors Association, or MWHCA, is emerging as a professional and philosophical home for clinicians who conceive of counseling not merely as a set of techniques or protocols, but as an existential, relational, and purpose-driven endeavor deeply tied to our most basic humanness. Rooted in the traditions of humanistic and depth psychology, our community embraces the complexity and mystery inherent in the therapeutic encounter.

In her work, The Eros of Everyday Life, American philosopher and writer Susan Griffin asserts: “It is not for strategic reasons alone that gathering together has been at the heart of every movement for social change… These meetings were in themselves the realizations of a desire that is at the core of human imaginings, the desire to locate ourselves in community, to make our survival a shared effort, to experience a palpable reverence in our connections with each other and the earth that sustains us.”

While rooted in the Midwest, our reach is both geographic and philosophical: we welcome all who resonate with a vision of counseling as a courageous, dialogical, and transformative practice, one that insists on holding the full humanity of both client and counselor. We believe that humanistic practice deserves not only a seat at the table but a place of central importance in the landscape of mental health care, and reinforce this value through our practice.

Our membership spans practicing counselors, graduate students, educators, and allied professionals, including pastors, energy workers, healers, and beyond, who share a commitment to the human-based values of presence, autonomy, inclusion, subjectiveness, and a non-pathologizing stance towards health and well-being. For all who counsel who are seeking a space that honors the subjective, phenomenological richness of interpersonal work, recognize the radiating impact we have into our communities, and value continual reflection on the ethical and relational dimensions of care, MWHCA offers a community of inquiry and support.