Dr. Rick Gressard
VCA Convention Remarks Delivered by 2019 John Cook Award Recipient, Linda Grubba, M.Ed., SB-RPT
Every year since 1991 the VCA Foundation has identified an individual who has given lifelong service to the profession of counseling. This year we are extremely happy to announce Dr. Charles “Rick” Gressard as our recipient of the John Cook Award.
After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, Dr. Gressard taught for seven years in the counseling program at the University of Virginia In 1993, he came to William & Mary where he has coordinated the addiction counseling emphasis for twenty-three years and where he also developed and directed the New Leaf Clinic.
Dr. Gressard is a Chancellor Professor at William & Mary. His clinical and research interests include addiction counseling and prevention, counseling ethics, and transpersonal counseling. In addition, he has also been active in the area of credentialing, having served as chair of the Virginia Board of Counseling, chair of the National Board of Certified Counselors, and vice-chair of CACREP. In addition, he was the Interim President/CEO of CACREP from July 2017 to June 2018 Rick’s influence is felt worldwide. Through his work with the International Registry of Counselor Education Programs he has continued his mission for quality counselors. In his own words, ‘I visited and met with counselors on every inhabited continent. These encounters provided me with a global perspective and with contacts around the world.” It is through a global exchange of training models, theories, and pedagogies that the counseling profession will reach its full potential. Our future as a profession lies in our ability to adapt to a changing world.’
I have known Rick for over 30 years and have watched his career with awe. The one thing I have noticed is that he is always willing to take time to share his skills and knowledge. His contributions to the field of counseling are beyond admirable. I believe the words of a former student and longtime friend say it best:
Rick’s advice sticks and I find myself repeating our conversations. His words are relevant; timeless even. He is calm and centered, facilitating his students in tackling the most complex and contentious subjects with ease. He helps people work through a realistic and rational analysis of evidence, while incorporating examples from his rich experiences as he teaches and mentors others. He has served the profession in so many ways, and his impact on clients, students, and other counselors, as well as those in their circles is profound and reaches far across the world. His efforts have been paramount in making sure that our profession is viewed by the outside world as a legitimate profession and that this profession continues to grow through the strength and consistency of our education and by producing highly professional licensees across the world. Much like Dr. Cook, Rick has a deep love for and commitment to this profession, the people who are drawn to it, and all of those it serves.
From all of us, thank you Dr. Gressard