For more than two decades, Uganda’s counselling profession has grown from a quiet calling into a national necessity. As awareness of mental health deepens across schools, workplaces, hospitals, prisons, and communities, so does the demand for counselling that is not only compassionate, but skilled, ethical, and grounded in evidence. This June, the people shaping that future will gather under one roof.
The Uganda Counselling Association (UCA), in partnership with Kyambogo University, invites counsellors, psychologists, educators, researchers, policymakers, and students to the 2nd National Counsellors’ Summit, a two-day gathering taking place on Wednesday 24th and Thursday 25th June 2026, from 8:30am to 4:30pm each day, at Kyambogo University in Kampala. This year’s theme captures the moment precisely: Shaping the Future of Counselling in Uganda: Standards, Practice, and Excellence, promoting quality counselling services for individuals, families, and communities.
Why this summit, why now
Pioneered in 2002, UCA exists to create an enabling environment for the ethical and professional practice of counselling, and to champion quality counselling and psychology services nationwide. Its membership spans training institutions, the health sector, schools, NGOs, rehabilitation centres, prisons, the media, government agencies, religious groups, and individual practitioners, a reach that cuts across nearly every corner of Ugandan life.
That breadth is also a challenge. As Uganda’s mental health landscape has expanded, so too have practices driven by passion but not always anchored in clear professional training. The result is a pressing question that the sector can no longer postpone: how do we professionalise counselling while keeping it culturally relevant, locally meaningful, and genuinely useful to the communities it serves?
As UCA approaches a landmark 25 years of professional counselling in Uganda, the Association is moving the conversation beyond debate and dialogue toward concrete action: building the frameworks, standards, and evidence base needed to define a clear professional counsellor profile in Uganda. The summit is where that work takes shape.
The voices leading the conversation
The summit is hosted by Professor Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya, Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University, whose leadership anchors the partnership between the university and the profession.
The Guest of Honour and Guest Speaker is Dr. Victoria E. Kress, President-elect of the American Counseling Association, a globally respected voice in counsellor education, ethics, and clinical practice. Her keynote will set the tone for the two days, bringing an international perspective to the standards and professional growth conversations at the heart of the summit.
What to expect over two days
The programme blends keynote addresses, expert presentations, panel discussions, experiential sessions, and open plenary Q&A, designed so that participants leave not just informed, but equipped.
Day One opens with a keynote from Guest of Honour Dr. Victoria E. Kress, President-elect of the American Counseling Association, followed by remarks from leaders in mental health and higher education. The day then turns to two of the summit’s central pillars:
- Policy and Practice: including a session on professional regulatory frameworks in Uganda and a multisectoral panel on strengthening counselling through collaboration across health, education, and social development.
- Evidence-Based Counselling Interventions: featuring trauma-informed care, early mental health interventions for children and adolescents, and context-based approaches to career guidance and counselling.
Day Two moves from systems to people, exploring:
- Family and Community Mental Health: community mental health policy and systems strengthening, models for healing from trauma together, and lessons from community support systems already working on the ground in Uganda.
- Personal and Professional Identity: navigating ethics and supervision, mentorship for young professionals, and a reflective experiential session on “the person of the therapist.”
- Partnerships, Networking, and Advocacy: including global opportunities for professional growth and research, and a frank discussion on what it will truly take to build stronger partnerships and effective advocacy for the future of counselling in Uganda.
What you’ll walk away with
The summit is built around five clear goals:
- A platform for research that makes counselling more relevant to African situations, cultures, and customs.
- Shared learning in specialised fields such as school mental health, workplace mental health, trauma counselling, and family therapy.
- Insight into the latest initiatives in counsellor education, practice, and research.
- Real opportunities for networking and partnerships that advance professionalism in counselling.
- Hands-on, practical learning that helps counsellors apply evidence-based approaches across diverse settings.
Who should attend
This is an in-person summit welcoming up to 200 participants from Uganda and neighbouring countries. Whether you are a practising counsellor or counselling psychologist, a member of academia, a policy or practice expert, an established researcher, or a student finding your footing in the field, you will find your place here, alongside dedicated student and academic forum sessions designed to bring emerging voices into the conversation.
Registration
Fees
- Students: UGX 80,000
- Registered UCA members: UGX 120,000
- Non-registered members: UGX 150,000
Book your slot: Register here (https://forms.gle/5K5fZYugFDnenVyv5)
Payment options
- Airtel Money: 0751 263 433 (Uganda Counselling Association)
- MTN MoMo Pay: Merchant code 570342 (Uganda Counselling Association)
- Bank transfer: Standard Chartered, Speke Road, A/C No. 0102012882200, Current Account, titled Uganda Counselling Association.
Be part of the next 25 years
Excellence in counselling is not achieved in a single moment. It is built through continuous professional development, skills enhancement, and supervision, the foundation on which a resilient profession and resilient communities are made.
The future of counselling in Uganda is being shaped right now. Book your slot, join us at Kyambogo University this June, and help shape it.
Uganda Counselling Association
P.O. Box 6782, Kampala, Uganda · UHMG Building, 2nd Floor, Room F10, Martyrs Crescent, Ntinda
For more information: 0751 263 433 (UCA) · Email: counsellingassn@gmail.com
Web: www.ucaug.org · Facebook & X: UgandaCounsellingAssociation