American Counseling Association honors VCU’s Daniel Gutierrez

By Laura O'Brien

Daniel Gutierrez, Ph.D., a professor in Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Education, has been named a fellow of the American Counseling Association. The lifetime achievement award, the highest honor in the counseling profession, recognizes Gutierrez's contributions to the field through innovative research, leadership and commitment to advancing mental health and well-being.

Gutierrez, a licensed professional counselor who joined VCU in 2022, is a professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Education. He has emerged as a leading voice in community mental health and existential positive psychology. With an emphasis on contemplative practices like mindfulness, meditation and centering, he investigates the roles of hope, meaning and spirituality in fostering healing and transformation.

Gutierrez's research explores how individuals and communities facing chronic stress and systemic injustice build resilience and thrive. At VCU, Gutierrez directs the STAR Labs - focusing on Socially Transformative Applied Research - in the School of Education.

Founded in 1952, the nonprofit ACA supports the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession. In receiving the ACA Fellows Award this year, Gutierrez joins an elite group of professionals whose work has shaped the landscape of counseling ethics, spirituality and community-based interventions.

"This award is humbling and meaningful. Counseling has never been about accolades for me; it is about sitting with people in their pain and their hope. If this recognition reminds us of anything, I hope it is that the real work is helping one another feel a little less alone," Gutierrez said. "Whether through counseling, contemplation or even martial arts, the practice is the same: showing up, staying present and discovering hope in the midst of life's absurdities. The work is never about fixing; it is about learning to be fully present with ourselves, with each other and with the mysterious gift of being alive."

Gutierrez's research encompasses three main areas: integrating spirituality into counseling, enhancing mental health interventions for vulnerable populations, and combating counselor burnout through stress management strategies. His scholarship spans evidence-informed interventions for individual and community thriving, as well as the integration of contemplative practices and spirituality for personal and social renewal.

His work has earned significant acclaim, boasting 2,206 citations and an H-Index of 25 on his Google Scholar profile. In 2024, Gutierrez received a VCU NIRA Award that honored the national or international recognition of his accomplishments.

Gutierrez's journey in counseling began at the University of Central Florida, where his three academic degrees included a doctorate in counselor education. After providing mental health and substance abuse counseling services in Central Florida, he transitioned to academia as an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His community-based participatory research initiatives included building counseling clinics and conferences to address mental health disparities in the immigrant Latino community. Gutierrez then continued his career at William & Mary before he joined VCU.

At VCU, he co-founded the Contemplation and Healing Institute, a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to blending contemplative practices with mental health support. And in July 2025, he became the incoming editor-in-chief of Counseling and Values, the premier journal for research on spirituality and ethics in counseling.

"Dr. Gutierrez exemplifies the highest standards of scholarship, leadership and service in our School of Education," said Kelli Feldman, Ph.D., dean of the school. "His groundbreaking work on contemplative practices and community resilience not only advances the counseling field but also inspires transformative impact in our classrooms and beyond. We are immensely proud to congratulate him on this well-deserved ACA Fellows Award and look forward to his continued contributions."