Angela Ryckman-Thalassites Distinguished Professional Service Award
The Angela Ryckman-Thalassites Distinguished Professional Service Award honors an ACSSW member whose sustained leadership, vision, and service have made a profound and lasting impact on the organization and the field of counseling sexology and sexual wellness.
The recipient of this award has maintained sustained membership in ACSSW, has engaged in leadership and service roles on behalf of the organization, and has performed essential service responsibilities that are vital to the functioning, development, and continued success of ACSSW. Their contributions reflect a deep commitment to the mission of ACSSW and to advancing sex-positive, justice-oriented professional practices through mentorship, organizational leadership, community building, and structural support.
Frances McClain Advocacy Award
The Frances McClain Advocacy Award honors an ACSSW member who demonstrates an unwavering commitment to advocacy in the field of counseling sexology and sexual wellness. This award celebrates those who boldly and consistently champion inclusion, equity, and access for all individuals and communities.
The recipient of this award engages in advocacy that is action-oriented, community-informed, and structurally impactful. Their work may take the form of public scholarship, organizational leadership, community partnerships, clinical justice work, policy change, or mentorship, always with a focus on uplifting historically marginalized communities and expanding access to sexual wellness. Their contributions reflect a deep alignment with the liberatory, sex-positive, and intersectional mission of ACSSW.
Shannon Shoemaker Emerging Professional Leader Award
Shannon Shoemaker Emerging Professional Leader Award
The Shannon Shoemaker Emerging Professional Leader Award honors an ACSSW member earlier in their careers whose visionary leadership is transforming the field of counseling sexology and sexual wellness. This award recognizes individuals who embody her legacy of pleasure-centered, inclusive, and creative leadership.
The recipient of this award demonstrates bold, emerging leadership in the field of counseling sexology and sexual wellness, making an impact through leadership roles, scholarship, programming, public education, supervision, advocacy, or clinical innovation, especially those that challenge status quos and make space for underrepresented voices. Their work pushes the boundaries of conventional practice and thought by introducing bold new ideas, models, or approaches, and aligns with the mission of ACSSW through a commitment to social justice, creativity, and professional growth.
2025 Award Recipients
The Angela Ryckman-Thalassites Distinguished Professional Service Award
2025 Recipient
Dr. Angela Ryckman-Thalassites is a co-founder and past president of ACSSW. Her influence is imprinted on every aspect of our organization, from its foundational mission to its thriving professional community. Without her vision, persistence, and passion for building an inclusive, sex-positive, and justice-driven professional home, ACSSW simply would not exist.
Dr. Ryckman-Thalassites’s research and clinical interests center human sexuality and sexual development across the lifespan, with an emphasis on intersectionality, policy, gender, and systems of oppression that shape and restrict the sexual experiences of historically marginalized communities. Through her teaching and supervision, grounded in experiential learning, somatic processing, and equity-centered pedagogies, she continues to cultivate a generation of clinicians who are attuned to the complexities of sexuality, power, and liberation.
In addition to her leadership within ACSSW, Dr. Ryckman-Thalassites is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist. She serves as editor of the Clinical Counseling Chronicle, sits on the editorial board for the Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness, and contributes to the broader field through her popular podcasts Let’s Get Uncomfortable and Supervision Time. These platforms reflect her commitment to challenging norms, demystifying clinical practice, and creating dialogue that is as intellectually rigorous as it is human and honest.
Dr. Ryckman-Thalassites service to the profession ACSSW has been nothing short of transformative. It is with deep appreciation and pride that we honor her as the first recipient of the award that bears her name: the Angela Ryckman-Thalassites Distinguished Professional Service Award.
Frances McClain Advocacy Award
2025 Recipient
Dr. Frances “Fran” McClain is a co-founder of ACSSW. She has exemplified what it means to advocate boldly and compassionately at every level of our field. As ACSSW President (2022–2023), she established the BIPOC Task Force to center the sexuality education and training needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color—a critical initiative that reflects her unwavering commitment to justice, access, and liberation.
She has also served as a foundational thought leader, sitting on the editorial board of the Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education, editing the quarterly ACSSW newsletter, and leading a longstanding partnership with The Chicago School through a dynamic webinar series focused on sexuality and sexual wellness.
Her advocacy extends far beyond ACSSW. Dr. McClain is a respected voice on the Advisory Board of Teach While Queer, where she helps guide an international, justice-oriented nonprofit. In her clinical work, she embodies her values by offering pro bono psychotherapy services and providing training and consultation to community agencies, hospitals, and court systems throughout Cook County.
With this award, we honor Dr. McClain’s profound impact on our field and affirm that her work continues to shape the future of counseling sexology. We are proud to recognize her as the first recipient of the Frances McClain Advocacy Award, named in her honor and inspired by her legacy.
Shannon Shoemaker Emerging Professional Leader Award
2025 Recipient
Dr. Shannon Shoemaker served as ACSSW President from 2023–2024 and currently serves as Editor of the Journal of Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness (JCSSW). Under her leadership, she guided ACSSW with steadiness, vision, and compassion. During her term as ACSSW President, Dr. Shoemaker advanced pleasure as a liberatory and transformative theme, challenging the field to embrace joy, embodiment, and justice as integral to sexuality counseling.
Across her clinical practice, scholarship, and leadership, she implements culturally sustaining and innovative approaches that support holistic sexual wellness. Dr. Shoemaker is committed to collaborative, equity-driven, and socially conscious counseling and counselor education. Drawing from postmodern and experiential frameworks, she integrates critical reflection and creative applications to prepare emerging clinicians to navigate the intersections of sexuality, identity, and power with depth and integrity.
A dedicated mentor, Dr. Shoemaker has also cultivated and supported emerging leaders within ACSSW. Her influence extends nationally and internationally through her engagement with professional organizations, including the American Counseling Association and the Association for Creativity in Counseling.
This award honors her visionary leadership within ACSSW and her efforts to promote radical sexual wellness across communities. We are proud to recognize her as the first recipient of the award that bears her name.
