Old Dominion CSJ

Introducing our Master’s Student Rep Val!! Val is in their second year of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. Val is passionate about harm reduction strategies in counseling, equity, and finding resilience. They are hopeful of the future generation of counselors who will feel confidently equipped to support a diverse range of clients with intersectional identities. Val hopes to work with LGBTQ+ clients and other Asian-Americans. Val enjoys cooking, video games, dungeons and dragons, and going to concerts.

We had to cancel our resource fair but we have a list of great lgbt affirming resource you can utilize as a clinician either looking for a placement or who is currently support q***r clients. Let us know your favorite q***r resources ***r

Make sure to vote tomorrow !!! April 21 is a Virginia special election please check your voting location here https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/polling-place-lookup/

Re-uploading this post since we have a few changes to this event! Please join us for our Rest is Resistance GBM, where we will provide catering and activities. Please reference the second image for reference! We will be meeting behind the education building in the grassy area for our picnic!

Please save the date for our upcoming Graduate Reception honoring the accomplishments of our Spring 2026 graduates!


Please join department in celebrating the new graduates!

🗓 Date: Friday – May 15th, 2026
📍 Location: Education Building 2nd Floor CHS Atrium
⏰ Time: 2–4 pm

Introducing Latesha “Tesha” Holloman is a community advocate, mental health professional-in-training, and founder of Tesha’s Helping Hands, dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers in underserved communities. As Membership Director on the board of Old Dominion University’s Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ), she champions equity, cultural humility, and accessible mental health care. A first-generation college graduate and future Licensed Professional Counselor, Tesha brings lived experience, academic excellence, and relentless dedication to breaking cycles of trauma, expanding access to care, and empowering marginalized voices. Her work blends compassion with action, transforming pain into purpose and advocacy into lasting change.

Please be sure to submit your application to the BIPOC sponsorship by by April 29th!! This is for Virginia residents, professionals, and counseling students who identify as a part of the BIPOC community.

Meet our chair-elect Clarence! Clarence K. Bumpas is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC), and Ph.D. student in Counselor Education and Supervision at Old Dominion University. As the newly elected Chair-Elect of the Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) chapter at ODU, Clarence brings a bold and intentional commitment to advocacy, equity, and transformation in counseling spaces. A first-generation Black male scholar-practitioner, Clarence’s leadership is deeply rooted in Critical Race Theory, liberation psychology, and the unapologetic amplification of voices from the global majority. Clarence’s research interrogates the structural barriers impacting BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ scholars in counselor education, with a focus on transforming the recruitment, mentorship, and retention of marginalized doctoral students at predominantly white institutions. His scholarship includes a co-authored publication on the intersectional experiences of Black individuals with disabilities (2025, Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development), a phenomenological study on Community Cultural Wealth among BIPOC doctoral students, and multiple works under review focused on culturally sustaining mental health frameworks and LGBTQIA+ justice.

Please join us for our general body meeting this semester on April 24th @ 5pm! We will be doing a “rest is resistance” themed meeting so come prepared to discuss, relax, and get free sti testing from the lgbt life center!

Taking a moment to introduce your wonderful board members who have been serving the ODU community for the 25-26 academic year! Catalina is a Resident in Counseling and a National Certified Counselor in Virginia. She is currently in her third/ final year of the Counselor Education PhD program at ODU. Catalina values empathy, engagement, collaboration, and connection. Her research interests include professional counselor identity development, leadership, and social justice. In her free time, Catalina enjoys crocheting, reading, and snuggling her two cats.

Please join us tonight for our end of the semester social! We will be doing crafts and food will be provided :)