Thank you for your interest in writing for the Counseling Today. From reading our content, you know that our articles cover a variety of issues related to all aspects of clinical work, research and practice. Please note that Counseling Today is not the appropriate place to submit academic research papers or theses. Instead, we’re interested in your personal stories as a clinician and articles that offer practical information counselors can use in everyday practice with their clients or in their own professional/personal development.
We’re especially interested in submissions for the Member Insights department or online content. Your submission should be 1,000-1,500 words long. Feature articles are generally 2,000 words in length but are rarely accepted unsolicited. We do not pay for submissions we print.
How do I submit an article?
Please email submissions to ct@counseling.org and include a brief 1-3 sentence author bio. Make sure your article falls within our word guidelines of 1,000-1,500 words.
When will I hear back from you?
Due to the volume of submissions we receive, it may take us between 10 and 12 weeks to review your article and contact you if we are interested. If you don’t hear from us after 12 weeks, please assume that we won’t be able to use your work. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide feedback on articles we are not able to use. If the article is accepted, the editing process usually requires one to two revisions.
Who is our audience?
We write articles for mental health professionals (e.g., licensed counselors, counselor educators, social workers, psychologists) and those interested in learning more about mental health (i.e., the public). When you write, assume that your reader is either a knowledgeable peer or a future client. Practical advice comes from real experience as well as well-researched ideas.
What’s our style?
When submitting an article, follow these writing guidelines:
- Use a clear, concise, engaging, and accessible style that’s free of jargon.
- If referring to research findings, explain their significance in plain terms. We do not publish footnotes, citations or reference lists. Include any attribution within the natural flow of the article.
- Write in a voice and style you would use if you are having a conversation with a close colleague about the topic.
- Only submit original work written for Counseling Today, not something published elsewhere (including blogs or social media).
- Please read through as many examples of our content as possible to get a sense of the kind of writing we publish prior to submitting your article.
Counseling Today articles adhere to the Associated Press style (article authors do not need to be familiar with this style to submit an article but understand that articles accepted for publication will be edited to conform to Associated Press style).
Questions to consider before submitting:
- Why are you writing about this topic? Is it thoughtful and intellectually engaging?
- How does this particular way of thinking about a specific topic make it fresh or relevant?
- How will this article help my colleagues? What advice or new information does it offer them?
- Will it touch the reader emotionally?
- What’s distinctive about my piece?
- What action do I want readers to take because of reading my article? What information, tips or insights did I provide to help them accomplish that action?
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For additional questions regarding submitting articles to Counseling Today, email us at ct@counseling.org.
