Leadership & Board

Dr. Amber L. Pope is an Assistant Professor in the School Psychology and Counselor Education Department at William & Mary. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida, and an approved supervisor for LPC and LMFT licensure in both states. Dr. Pope specializes in the areas of relationship and family counseling, sexuality concerns, gender and sexuality development, LGBTQ+ affirming counseling, and culturally responsive counselor preparation. Dr. Pope stays involved in professional development and leadership as an active member of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE) and the Association of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness (ACSSW). For the past two years, she served as the chair of the ACSSW Research and Scholarship committee, leading the development of the upcoming Exemplary Practices for Counseling Sexology and Sexual Wellness. She currently serves as an editorial board member of the Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling and the Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness. Dr. Pope has published 20+ journal articles and two books in the areas of LGBTQ+ affirming counseling, LGBTQ+ intimate relationships, mental health counselor training, and clinical supervision.

Sheldon Aaron is an Assistant Professor at William James College in Newton, MA. In his professorship, Sheldon teaches human sexuality, couples and family counseling, counseling theories, multicultural counseling, and clinical practice seminar course. Sheldon is also a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois, a National Certified Counselor, and holds Level-1 Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy. Sheldon completed his master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Eastern Illinois University and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in the Counselor Education and Supervision program at the University of Central Florida. In his clinical role, Sheldon specializes in working with LGBTGEQIAP+ adolescents and adults, and individuals presenting with depression, anxiety, suicide ideation, relational difficulties, and general adjustment related symptoms. Sheldon's research interest includes counseling instructor and student development, advancement of cultural humility and sensitivity when working with students and clients of color and those who identify as LGBTGEQIAP+. Sheldon is also interested in research advancing professional standards of care with these populations. Sheldon is an active member of ACA, ACSSW, ACES, AMCD, and SAIGE.

Dr. Julia Lancaster is a remote assistant professor and clinical coordinator for South University's clinical mental health counseling program in West Palm Beach, FL. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and board approved supervisor for LPC and LMFT licensure in Virginia. She is the owner of a private practice, Mind, Movement, and More LLC, with additional training as a board certified-telemental health provider through CCE. She has been a reviewer for ACSSW's journal the Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education since 2022 and a contributing author to ACSSW's peer review newsletter. Research and advocacy include cross-national collaborations with faculty from Swansea University, UK to reduce academic disciplinary actions and harassment against students in the sex industry. Further efforts are planned to develop training for student service providers with recent publications addressing the gap between student service providers readiness to support students in the sex industry and students' beliefs about that readiness and awareness. In addition, at the end of each day, she is a proud mom of two daughters who have always been encouraged to speak their truth.

Kameela graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and from the University of North Florida's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. She has been focused on sexual health and wellness, pursuing a Mental Health Sexology Certificate, and doing research in the field to expand awareness of how religious trauma can impact sexual decision making in the LGBTQIA+ population. Additionally, Kameela was a member of ACSSW's BIPOC Task Force and contributed to finding gaps in the extant literature to better inform creating educational/training competencies for mental health professionals to work effectively with BIPOC's unique expression of their sexuality and address sexual health and wellness needs in this community. As a person of color herself, advocacy and social justice is an integral part of her counselor identity, and she continuously seeks opportunities to make sure BIPOC voices are heard. Kameela is a former President of UNF's chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, an international honor society for academic and professional excellence in counseling. She is working towards her sex therapy certification at the Jacksonville Center for Sexual Health.

Dr. Laurie Bonjo earned a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia in 2013 after completing a Master's in Counseling at Penn State University. She is currently an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of the Doctoral Program in Counselor Education and Supervision at Southern Connecticut State University. Dr. Bonjo believes that sexual health and sexual wellness goals are critical components of holistic counseling treatment. She is interested in qualitative and mixed methods studies, action research in educational settings, advocacy research with LGBTQQIA+ individuals and groups, particularly that which focuses on the intersection of sexual and gender identity with other cultural identities, social justice action research with underserved, underrepresented individuals and groups at risk for marginalization and disenfranchisement, feminist theory, queer theory, crip theory, critical race theory, decolonization and liberation practices, and identity development applications in school counseling. As president of ACSSW, Dr. Bonjo advocated that CACREP support the inclusion of sexology curriculum in counseling programs, continued ongoing work for ACSSW to be recognized as a division within ACA, and reinforced the inclusive culture of ACSSW.

Dr. Angela Ryckman-Thalassites is an associate professor for the Clinical Counseling department at Central Methodist University. Dr. Ryckman-Thalassites's area of research and clinical interests are in human sexuality and sexual development across the lifespan. Human sexuality is expansive and intersectional, and as such, Dr. Ryckman-Thalassites is interested in exploring the human sexual experience as it pertains to perceptions of sexuality, gender, sexual behaviors, sexual constructs, and policies that work to support or oppress specific sexual-identified communities. Dr. Ryckman-Thalassites's teaching experience and expertise include the following topics: human sexuality, sexual issues, counselor identity, supervision, eating disorders, somatic processing, ethics, and diversity. Dr. Ryckman-Thalassites is the co-founder and first president of the Association of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness. She is an AASECT-certified sex therapist. She is on the editorial board for the Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness and co-hosts the podcast Let's Get Uncomfortable.

Kim Hughes is a current doctoral student in the Counselor Education & Supervision Ph.D. program at William & Mary and a resident in counseling in the state of Virginia. Kim's research and clinical interests center on gender and sexuality development, anti-fat bias and body dissatisfaction, and the social experience of grief. Entering her second year of doctoral study, Kim's current research focuses on the intersection of anti-fat bias and sexual expression, particularly in the context of sexual pleasure. In her clinical work, Kim integrates aspects of humanistic counseling, critical theory, and liberation psychology. Kim has presented at the state, national, and international levels on anti-fat bias, sexual desire and temperament, body presentation and disordered eating, and race-based trauma. Prior to attending William & Mary, Kim received her M.A. and Ed.S. from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.

The Clinical Representative position is currently vacant. ACSSW is seeking a qualified clinical professional to fill this important role on the Board of Directors. The Clinical Representative serves as a vital link between practicing clinicians and the organization's leadership, bringing real-world clinical perspectives to organizational decision-making and policy development.

Marty Jencius earned his Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of South Carolina. His sixteen years of clinical experience included working in addictions, with at-risk youth and schools, in management consultation, and at a family counseling agency. He has been a counselor educator for 25 years. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 100 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. He has done seminal work in technology, introducing listservs (CESNET-L), websites, online journals, podcasts, and virtual reality to the counseling field. He has had the opportunity to teach counseling and make 20+ trips to Turkey and The Bahamas, Malaysia, Scotland, and Singapore. He is the past president of the North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NCACES), the national ACES association, and a past representative to the American Counseling Association Governing Council. He is on the International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling board and remains active in ACES and ASGW. He will be ACA Treasurer from 2023-2024 and was inducted in 2023 as an ACA Fellow.

Patricia Arredondo, EdD, has dedicated her career to addressing multicultural competencies in counseling and psychology training, research, and practice. She brings cultural worldviews into all areas of clinical practice in order to ground or contextualize the clinical applications. She has authored books, book chapters, journal articles, and training videos on culture-centered counseling, working with Latinx families, immigrant identity development, and women's leadership. Dr. Arredondo is a past president of ACA and AMCD, founding member of CSJ, and currently an Elder on the JMCD board of reviewers. She is a servant leader committed to advancing multicultural and social justice perspectives in the counseling profession.

Jane E. Rheineck, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, is a Professor in Counseling and Ph.D. Program Director at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dr. Rheineck has been a Counselor Educator since 2005 after receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas. Dr. Rheineck has taught masters and doctoral level courses that focus on clinical practice and training, professional identity and ethics, women's career issues, multicultural and social justice in counseling, leadership and advocacy, and counseling with the LGBTQ+ community. Dr. Rheineck's scholarship focuses on a variety of LGBTQ+ issues in counseling. Her scholarly work includes over 40 presentations, most of which are at the national level, and authored or co-authored several articles published in the Journal of Mental Health Counseling, ADULTSPAN, CT Online, and the Wisconsin Counseling Journal. She has also published several book chapters with her work on Lesbian Health Issues is nationally recognized in the field of LGBTQ+ counseling practices. Her service is broad including CACREP site reviewer, serving the American Counseling Association as Treasurer and on the ACA Executive Committee twice, Past President of the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE), and The Associations for Adult Development and Aging (AADA). Dr. Rheineck currently serves on the American Counseling Associations Governing Council. Dr. Rheineck is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Wisconsin.