Tennessee Counseling Association

What Tennessee Counseling Association does

The Tennessee Counseling Association (TCA) is a private nonprofit professional membership organization serving licensed and pre-licensed counselors across the state of Tennessee, founded approximately 69 years ago (with the 69th annual conference scheduled for November 19-21, 2026). TCA operates as the Tennessee state affiliate of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and structures its membership base across regional chapters (e.g., Lookout Counseling Association, Middle Tennessee Counseling Association, Smoky Mountain Counseling Association, West Tennessee Counseling Association) and specialty divisions covering school counseling (TnSCA), clinical mental health (TMHCA, a charter chapter of AMHCA), counselor education and supervision (TACES), multicultural counseling (TAMCD), rehabilitation counseling (TRCA), and gender-expansive identities (SAIGE TN). The association is NBCC-approved as a Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 2043), enabling it to issue CE credits required for Tennessee counselor licensure renewal.

TCA's core product portfolio centers on professional development and continuing education: an annual conference (currently delivered virtually via the Whova platform under the theme "Counselors Connecting across Distance"), monthly virtual training webinars ($5 for TCA members, $10 for non-members), an annual Leadership Development Institute (LDI) held in Nashville, and the biennial peer-reviewed TCA Journal sponsored by TACES. Operationally, TCA is powered by the MemberClicks membership management platform, which handles dues billing, chapter administration, and member records; the organization runs on a lean staff of 7 employees and an extensive volunteer officer corps across chapters, divisions, and the Governing Council. The organization is led by an elected President (Tiffany Brooks for 2025-2026) with a newly-appointed Executive Director (Kat Coy).

Revenue is generated through individual membership dues (with graduate student memberships priced at $25), tiered event registration fees for the annual conference and LDI (ranging from $10 to $95 depending on member status and day), modest fees for monthly training sessions, and event sponsorships from behavioral health and academic partners (Centerstone, MindWise, First Bank, Lincoln Way, Tennessee Tech University, University of Memphis, Christian Brothers University, and others). TCA's go-to-market is community-led: outreach and member acquisition flow through the chapter-and-division ecosystem, with state-level legislative advocacy (notably the successful April 2026 effort to remove the LPC board dissolution provision from SB 2227/HB 2539) serving as a complementary retention and reputation lever. The organization pursues no equity funding and operates as a member-supported nonprofit under the legal entity name Tennessee Counseling Association, domiciled in Tennessee.

Name

Tennessee Counseling Association

Legal name

Tennessee Counseling Association

Website

https://tcacounselors.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Tennessee Counseling Association is a nonprofit state-level professional membership organization for licensed counselors in Tennessee. Operating as the state affiliate of the American Counseling Association, it delivers NBCC-approved continuing education through conferences, monthly trainings, and a chapter-and-division network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

School Counseling Services (EDAJAIAA), Outpatient Mental Health Clinics & Counseling Centers (HLAFACAA)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Continuing education training
• Annual conference hosting
• Professional membership programs
• Counseling advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for counselors in Tennessee. Graduate students can join for $25, with professionals able to add additional chapters and divisions to their base TCA membership for additional fees.
2. Annual Conference Registration: Revenue from the annual TCA Conference with varying registration tiers for members, students, retired professionals, and non-members. The 69th annual conference is scheduled for November 19-21, 2026 as a virtual event.
3. Professional Development Training: Monthly virtual training sessions offered for continuing education credits, with pricing of $5 for TCA members and $10 for non-members per session.
4. Leadership Development Institute: Annual LDI event combining CE training and leadership workshops with tiered pricing based on membership status and event day.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tennessee Counseling Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization that serves counselors across Tennessee through annual membership dues, an annual conference, monthly continuing education trainings, the Leadership Development Institute, and a peer-reviewed journal. It operates through 9 regional chapters and 12 specialty divisions to deliver localized networking, professional development, and advocacy for the counseling profession. The association is an NBCC-approved continuing education provider (ACEP No. 2043).

Product overview

The Tennessee Counseling Association (TCA) operates as a professional membership organization offering a coordinated portfolio of products and services to support counselors across Tennessee. The core offerings include the annual TCA Conference (held virtually via Whova platform), monthly virtual training webinars, and the Leadership Development Institute (LDI) for professional development. TCA publishes the biennial TCA Journal (sponsored by TACES) as its peer-reviewed scholarly outlet. The organization is structured geographically through four regional chapters (Lookout, Middle Tennessee, Smoky Mountain, West Tennessee) and five specialty divisions (SAIGE TN, TACES, TAMCD, TMHCA, TnSCA) that provide focused professional communities. Supporting offerings include research support services and the TCA Blog for ongoing communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Counseling Association (ACA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational professional association for counselors. TCA operates as a state chapter affiliated with ACA, providing members access to national resources, advocacy efforts, and professional development standards.
• NBCC (National Board for Certified Counselors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBCC has approved TCA as an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 2043), enabling TCA to offer CE credits that meet NBCC requirements for counselor certification renewal.
• Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association for counselor educators and supervisors. TACES, a division of TCA, serves as the state chapter of ACES, part of the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES) region.
• AMHCA (American Mental Health Counselors Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational mental health counseling association. TMHCA is a Charter Chapter of AMHCA and a division of TCA, aligning with AMHCA's Code of Ethics.
• Lincoln Way (LWU)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor for TCA events, providing financial or in-kind support for annual conferences and professional development events.
• First BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor providing financial support for TCA events and programs.
• MindWiseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMental health services organization sponsoring TCA conferences and events.
• CenterstoneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBehavioral health services provider sponsoring TCA events and programs.
• OmniminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor for TCA events.
• SACminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor for TCA events.
• Tennessee Tech UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational institution sponsoring TCA events and programs.
• University of MemphisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWTCA hosts annual One-Day Summer Conference in conjunction with the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology & Research at The University of Memphis.
• Christian Brothers UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWTCA 2024 Summer Conference venue hosted at Christian Brothers University, 650 East Parkway South, Memphis, TN 38112.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Kentucky Counseling Association: Neighboring state counseling association with similar scale, structure, and ACA affiliation. Direct functional peer for evaluating TCA's operating model and growth trajectory.
• North Carolina Counseling Association: State-level counseling association for North Carolina counselors with similar structure, services, and ACA affiliation. Comparable in mission, member segments, and revenue model to TCA.
• Tennessee Association of Mental Health Organizations: State-level behavioral health membership organization operating in Tennessee with overlapping mental health advocacy and workforce development missions. A peer for Tennessee-specific policy influence and member engagement.
• Texas Counseling Association: State-level counseling association serving Texas counselors. Larger than TCA but operates the same professional association model with chapters, divisions, annual conference, and CE offerings.
• Georgia Counseling Association: Direct state-level peer association for Georgia counselors. Operates the same chapter/division model with annual conference, CE offerings, and advocacy — directly comparable to TCA at a peer geographic level.

Direct peers

• American School Counselor Association (ASCA): National professional organization for school counselors whose Tennessee chapter (TnSCA) sits within TCA. ASCA competes for school counselor dues and provides RAMP-recognized national programs that may substitute for TCA's offerings.
• Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES): National association for counselor educators and supervisors. ACES is the national counterpart to TCA's TACES division, with overlapping CE, conference, and journal offerings targeted at the same educator segment.
• American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA): National mental health counseling association whose Tennessee chapter (TMHCA) is a division of TCA. AMHCA provides overlapping CE, advocacy, and member services for clinical mental health counselors, competing for the same specialty segment.

Broad incumbents

• American Counseling Association (ACA): National parent organization and affiliate of TCA. ACA serves as the overarching professional body for all U.S. counselors, providing national advocacy, publications, and CE offerings that overlap with TCA's state-level services.

Others

• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Certification body that approves TCA as an ACEP provider. NBCC sets the standards and CE requirements that drive demand for TCA's training programs, making it a critical upstream enabler of TCA's education revenue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tcasocial
• Facebookfacebook.com/tncounselors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-counseling-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Counseling Association