Amy Ford

Dr. Ford is the Program Advisor for the M.A. in Community Counseling program. She began her tenure at NCU in 2004, teaching courses in theories of counseling, counseling strategies and treatment, research methods, career development, and individual appraisal. She is one of the clinical supervisors in the Community Counseling program and provides counseling services to clients at the NCU Counseling Center.

Dr. Ford's clinical expertise is in individual counseling focusing on issues of mental health, career development, and life management (stress/burnout resiliency). She is familiar with trauma, grief and loss, play therapy, and school counseling. She has worked professionally with children, adolescents, college students, adults, and older adults in community agencies, K-12 schools, and higher education since 1996.

Outside of her responsibilities at NCU, Dr. Ford develops her interest and expertise in crisis mental health through her position as a board member of the Psychosocial Advisory Board for Medical Teams International. In the summer of 2005, she went on assignment to Banda Aceh, Indonesia, to assist in the trauma recovery from the SE Asian tsunami.

Career counseling and development is another area of her interest and research. She is a current member of the Oregon Career Information Services Advisory Board. Dr. Ford was involved in leadership positions in the Oregon Career Development Association and Oregon Counseling Association from 2002-2007. Her dissertation research focused on occupational burnout, a construct that currently affects much of the U.S. workforce.

Dr. Ford states, "My work is very important to me and I enjoy the opportunity to develop relationships with students and colleagues. I am passionate about the field of counseling and consider it a great privilege to work in a faith-based environment that supports the academic, career, spiritual, and personal growth of students."