Soto Leggett Begins Term as ACA President
Elsa Soto Leggett, professor and practicum/internship coordinator of counseling, began serving as president of the American Counseling Association, July 1.
Soto Leggett is the 74th president of ACA, the leading organization providing education, community and professional development opportunities for professional counselors and counselors-in-training. She is also the association’s fourth Hispanic, Latina president.
A distinguished counselor educator and licensed professional counselor with a robust academic background, Soto Leggett has more than two decades of experience in the field. She has a Ph.D. in counselor education and a Master of Science in school counseling from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, along with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Texas Southern University. Soto Leggett is a licensed professional counselor-supervisor and registered play therapist-supervisor in Texas, as well as a licensed professional counselor in Missouri.
An ACA member for more than 20 years, Soto Leggett has served in a variety of leadership roles with the association and its chartered divisions, including on ACA’s Governing Council, as a founding member of the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling (ACAC), and a past president of the Texas Counseling Association (TCA). Her leadership and dedication to service have been recognized with numerous awards and honors over the years, including the Texas School Counselor Educator of the Year award, ACAC’s National Leadership & Advocacy Award, and the Ashley Jadine Foundation Distinguished Recognition.
Soto Leggett is an author of numerous publications which concentrate on counseling children and adolescents as a marginalized and underserved population. She is also a frequently invited speaker, delivering more than 100 peer-reviewed presentations at local, regional and national conferences.
Soto Leggett is the 74th president of ACA, the leading organization providing education, community and professional development opportunities for professional counselors and counselors-in-training. She is also the association’s fourth Hispanic, Latina president.
A distinguished counselor educator and licensed professional counselor with a robust academic background, Soto Leggett has more than two decades of experience in the field. She has a Ph.D. in counselor education and a Master of Science in school counseling from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, along with a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Texas Southern University. Soto Leggett is a licensed professional counselor-supervisor and registered play therapist-supervisor in Texas, as well as a licensed professional counselor in Missouri.
An ACA member for more than 20 years, Soto Leggett has served in a variety of leadership roles with the association and its chartered divisions, including on ACA’s Governing Council, as a founding member of the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling (ACAC), and a past president of the Texas Counseling Association (TCA). Her leadership and dedication to service have been recognized with numerous awards and honors over the years, including the Texas School Counselor Educator of the Year award, ACAC’s National Leadership & Advocacy Award, and the Ashley Jadine Foundation Distinguished Recognition.
Soto Leggett is an author of numerous publications which concentrate on counseling children and adolescents as a marginalized and underserved population. She is also a frequently invited speaker, delivering more than 100 peer-reviewed presentations at local, regional and national conferences.
Counseling Today featured Soto Leggett on the cover of the July issue. In the accompanying article, she discusses her priorities as president and her journey to becoming a professional counselor in Counseling Today.
