Chartered in 1972, the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD) is a division of the American Counseling Association that focuses on concerns in counseling from a multicultral perspective. Originally called the Association for Non-White Concerns in Personnel and Guidance (ANWC) when it was chartered, this division began as a caucus for non-white concerns at the 1969 APGA Convention in Las Vegas Nevada. This caucus's goal was to ensure that APGA recognized non-white concerns as valid issues in the counseling profession. Following the 1969 convention, APGA approved the establishment of the Office of Non-White Concerns. This office, though existing in the executive apparatus of APGA, held no voting rights on the Board of Directors or in the Senate of the organization, so the office held no real position of authority and primarily served to inform the leaders of APGA and pacify the members of the non-white caucus.

Between 1969 and 1971, more members became interested in the establishment of a division devoted to non-white concerns, and ANWC's first president, Samuel H. Johnson, was very involved in those years, often visiting APGA leadership in Washington, D.C., to make the case for such a division. The caucus also requested an application to become an official APGA division, but APGA claimed that such an application did not exist and so nothing could be done. At the 1971 APGA convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the members of the interest group again requested divisional membership, and the proposal was referred to the APGA Senate, which denied the request as several of the APGA staff and senators opposed the formation of a new division. Later in 1971, the caucus circulated a questionnaire to gauge interest in a non-white concerns division among APGA members; this questionnaire found that "40% of the non-white respondents felt that their professional needs were not being met by APGA, and 54% indicated that they would consent to charter memberships if a non-white division were formed" (McFadden and Lipscomb, 1985). In December 1971, plans for a pre-convention workshop to be held in New Orleans formed among the interest group. Following this, APGA asked that the interest group "elect six representatives to attend this workshop concurrent with a meeting of the APGA Board of Directors" (McFadden and Lipscomb, 1985). These six representatives were granted a hearing with the Board and reemphasized the importance of being a full division of the organization to most effectively reach their goals and benefit APGA. The representatives also requested assistance in establishing the group as a division.

In early 1972, some members of the interest group were invited to Washington, D.C., to meet with APGA legal counsel, the executive director, and other staff members to formalize the new division and establish ANWC as a corporate entity. The discussions lasted for five hours, and eventually, APGA legal counsel presented the members with a seal and charter that had to be notarized. At this time, it was late and raining, but the members located a notary around 8:00 pm and accomplished their goal, surprising APGA officials and staff. After confirmation by the APGA Senate at the 1972 convention in Chicago, the Non-White Concerns Caucus became the Association for Non-White Concerns in Personnel and Guidance, with Samuel H. Johnson as its first president. The Journal of Non-White Concerns, the division's quarterly publication, was also established at this time.

In 1983, APGA changed its name to the American Association for Counseling and Development, and ANWC changed its name to match this in 1985, becoming the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. The Journal for Non-White Concerns (JNWC) subsequently became the Journal for Multicultural Counseling and Development (JMCD). In 1992, the AACD changed its name to the American Counseling Association.

In 2022, AMCD celebrated its 50th anniversary.