Dr. Ryan M. Burkhart is a leader in the Colorado professional counselor community. Dr. Burkhart has been instrumental in establishing a high level of professional counselor practice in Colorado through legislative efforts and advocacy. Dr. Burkhart’s legislative efforts helped establish the Licensed Professional Counselor – Candidate, or LPCC, designation in Colorado, renew and strengthen clinical supervision in Colorado, establish minimum qualifications for clinical competency and psychotherapy, pass suicide prevention legislation, bring Colorado into the Interstate Licensing Compact, and align Colorado’s professional counseling profession with national standards of practice.

Dr. Burkhart has been a counselor educator since 2014. He is the CACREP Liaison and Dean of the School of Counseling at Colorado Christian University, one of the largest counseling programs in the United States. Dr. Burkhart was a recipient of the Colorado Counseling Association Outstanding Counselor Educator of 2016 Award.

Since 2018, it has been Dr. Burkhart’s honor to serve as the Executive Director of the Colorado Counseling Association (CCA), where he collaborates with the CCA Governing Council to represent the more than 12,000 professional counselors in Colorado.

Dr. Burkhart is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado and maintains a small clinical supervision and consultation practice. He has worked with youth in various facets as a Clinical Director of a program for youth with global developmental delays and as a clinician for the Colorado Division of Youth Corrections with youth in custody and youth on parole status.

Dr. Burkhart is the proud son of an Indiana farming family. He lives in the greater Denver area with his wife and three kids.