Amber L. Pope, Ph.D., LPC, LMHC, CCTP

Certifications:

• Licensed Professional Counselor, Virginia
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Florida
• Certified Clinical Trauma Professional
• Telehealth Certification for Providers & Educators
• Emotionally Focused Therapy: Level A Qualified – Additional Training & Supervision Completed

Area of Focus:

Clinical mental health counseling, including:

• Working with LGBTQ+ communities, including hormone and surgery evaluations for transgender individuals
• Couples counseling, including counseling for consensual non-monogamous relationships
• Sexuality counseling, with a focus on improving sexual health and positive sexuality across the lifespan
• Career development & transitions
• Trauma-informed individual counseling for anxiety, emotional regulation, relationship concerns, and grief & loss, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy for borderline personality disorder

Education:

Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling & Counselor Education
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC

Master of Science in Community Counseling
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Minor in Religious Studies
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

Amber’s Recent Articles

Professional Background

Dr. Amber Pope is a full-time faculty member and the Graduate Clinical Coordinator in the Counseling & Human Services Department at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She has worked as a counselor and counselor educator for a decade, specializing in the areas of LGBTQ-related counseling, gender and sexuality development, and couples counseling. She also acts as an advocate and ally with LGBTQ+ communities, primarily training mental health professionals and university staff in affirmative practice to promote the resiliency of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities they encounter.

Dr. Pope’s practice is primarily informed by attachment theory, promoting secure, engaged, and healthy relationships as a means for individual development and potential. She also strives to advance positive sexuality for individuals and communities, embracing sex as a natural and healthy aspect of our lives. She is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, trauma-informed counseling, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and also utilizes solution-focused, mindfulness training, and interpersonal process techniques in counseling.

Contributor to the Following Books & Textbooks:

Pope, A. L., & Pow, A. (2016). Crisis management and disaster relief: Danger and opportunity. In J. S. Young & C. S. Cashwell (Eds.), Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Elements of Effective Practice (pp. 255-286). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Murray, C. E., Pope, A. L., & Willis, B. (2017). Sexuality Counseling: Research, Theory, and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Neukrug, E., & Pope, A. L. (2021). Contemporary person-centered counseling. In E. Neukrug (Ed.), Contemporary Theories in Counseling & Psychotherapy (pp 36-71). San Diego, CA: Cognella.

Professional Organizations:

American Counseling Association
Association of Counselor Education & Supervision
Southern Association of Counselor Education & Supervision
Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, & Gender Expansive Identities
 – Editorial Board member for the Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling (2012- Present)
International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy