Innovations in Counseling: Working With Minority Populations

David Julius Ford, Jr., PhD, NCC, LPC, ACS

David Julius Ford, Jr. holds a BA in psychology and an MA in clinical mental health counseling, both from Wake Forest University. In May 2014, he earned his PhD in counselor education and supervision at Old Dominion University. Dr. Ford is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in North Carolina and Virginia. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Dr. Ford recently completed his third year as an assistant professor of counselor education in the Department of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University, where he serves as the faculty adviser to the Nu Lambda chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the JMU Gospel Choir.

Dr. Ford’s professional interests are Black Greek life; multicultural issues; college students; African-American males in higher education; addictions counseling; supervision; group work; qualitative research; the LGBTQQIA community; intersectionality; and persons living with HIV/AIDS. He has experience as an instructor for undergraduate human services courses and has taught graduate courses on career counseling, testing and assessment, clinical mental health counseling, addictions counseling, practicum supervision, and group counseling. He has also taught a doctoral-level dissertation course and a doctoral-level course in grant writing and program evaluation. He is one of 24 inaugural fellows of the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program. Dr. Ford is a classically trained pianist and is a proud and active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. As an undergraduate, he had the privilege of taking a class taught by the late Dr. Maya Angelou. Dr. Ford currently lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Josephine M. Kim, Ph.D., NCC, LMHC

Dr. Josephine M. Kim has a dual faculty appointment in the Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and in the Prevention Science and Practice/CAS in Counseling at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is also on faculty at the Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness at Massachusetts General Hospital. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Massachusetts and a National Certified Counselor whose clinical skills and experiences span many contexts including residential facilities, hospitals, community agencies and public and private schools. She has provided professional consultation and expertise on multicultural, mental health and educational issues to various media sources in Asia and in the U.S. and is a former resident fellow in the Administrative Fellowship Program at the Office of the Assistant to the President for Institutional Diversity and Equity at Harvard University. She is the director of diversity and inclusion at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and her research and practice focus on diversity, inclusion, equity, and bridging the cultural gap between immigrant generations and their 1.5 and 2.0 American children. She is the author of two bestselling books in Korea: The Secret of Children's Self-esteem: A Handbook for Parents and Self-esteem in the Classroom: A Handbook for Teachers.

William B. Baker, Ph.D.

William B. Baker recently earned a Ph.D. in counseling at Montclair State University and currently works as an adjunct professor in counselor education at Montclair State. Dr. Baker has been researching transgender men, with a focus on sexual orientation and gender identity issues and how these two constructs intersect. He is a strong advocate for LGBTQ persons and has recently been focusing on the “T,” transgender persons, who are often overlooked or misunderstood. Dr. Baker has 30 years of experience in education, which includes teaching, counseling and working with “at-risk” students in alternative and adult schools.

Dr. Baker received a M.A. in school counseling from Montclair State University. He is also a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in the state of New Jersey. Dr. Baker has presented about transgender men at various counseling conferences and has recently presented in a corporate setting, BASF in New Jersey, about being inclusive with transgender employees.

Kathy A. Gainor, Ph.D.

The Reverend Doctor Kathy A. Gainor is department chair and an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. Additionally, Dr. Gainor is a Minister of Spiritual Consciousness ordained by the Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development under the tutelage of the Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant.

Dr. Gainor holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Michigan State University, an M.A. in counseling psychology from Boston College and a B.A. in psychology from Waynesburg College (PA). She is a licensed psychologist in New Jersey with more than 30 years of experience providing psychotherapy, counseling, coaching, and advising services, primarily to adults in university settings. Her research interests have focused on spirituality and religion in counseling practice as an aspect of multicultural counseling and development, vocational and career development, and counselor andragogy and training.

As a counselor educator, Dr. Gainor has taught courses in multicultural counseling and development, counseling theories, counseling skills, group work, career counseling, professional orientation and ethics, and community resources, and provides supervision to practicum and internship students. She has developed and teaches a graduate-level course, Spirituality in Counseling Practice, in which students explore their own spiritual journey as they develop spiritual counseling competence.