Professor elected president of American Counseling Association

Founded in 1952, the American Counseling Association is the world ’s largest counseling organization with a membership of more than 56,000 in the United States and 50 other countries.

Gladding is the author of several books, including “Counseling: A Comprehensive Profession,” “Group Work: A Counseling Specialty,” “Counseling as Art: The Creative Arts in Counseling” and “Family Therapy: History, Theory and Practice.”

In 1999, Gladding received the Professional Leadership Award from the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES). Under his leadership, Wake Forest’s graduate counselor education program was named the Robert Frank Outstanding Program that year by ACES. Gladding has served as president of several counseling organizations including the Association for Specialists in Group Work and Chi Sigma Iota, an international counseling academic and professional honor society. He received the Association for Specialists in Group Work Eminent Career Award. Gladding also served as a grief counselor with the American Red Cross during the aftermath of Sept. 11.

Gladding earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in counselor education at Wake Forest. He also earned a master’s degree from Yale University and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Gladding has taught at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Fairfield University and Rockingham Community College. Early in his career, he was the director of children’s services at the Rockingham (N.C.) Mental Health Center for five years. Gladding joined Wake Forest University in 1990.