Frederic Bemak

Ed.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Professor
Center Director, Diversity Research and Action Center

Contact Information

Send email to Dr. Bemak

Phone: (703) 993-3941
Fax: (703) 993-5577

George Mason University, Fairfax Campus
Krug Hall 202A
4400 University Dr.
MS 1F5
Fairfax, VA 22030

Profile

Dr. Bemak is a Professor in the Counseling and Development Program and founder and Director of the Diversity Research and Action Center.  He also founded Counselors Without Borders and took teams to provide training, consultation, and counseling following Hurricane Katrina on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Haiti following  and the San Diego Wildfires. Prior coming to George Mason University, Dr. Bemak was a Professor and Section Head for Counselor Education, School Psychology, and Rehabilitation Services at Ohio State University and former Associate Professor and Chair of the Counseling and Development Program at Johns Hopkins University. He is also the former Director of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Upward Bound Program, Clinical Director of a NIMH funded consortium based in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School to provide national consultation and training in mental health, and Director of the Massachusetts Region I Adolescent Treatment Program funded by the Massachusetts Departments of Mental Health, Education, Youth Services, Social Services, and Office for Children.
Dr. Bemak has published extensively in the fields of cross-cultural and multicultural psychology and counseling, working with at-risk youth, transforming school counseling, and immigrant and refugee mental health and adjustment. He has co-authored several books, including: Social Justice Counseling: The Next Steps Beyond Multiculturalism; Journeys to Professional Excellence: Lessons from Leading Counselor Educators and Practitioners;  Counseling Refugees: A Psychosocial Approach to Innovative Multicultural Interventions; Violent and aggressive youth: Intervention and preventions strategies for changing times; and Dimensions of empathetic therapy. In addition Dr. Bemak has written over 90 professional journal articles and book chapters in major psychology and counseling publications. 
He regularly provides consultation and training for schools, community organizations, and governmental agencies throughout the United States and internationally in 50 countries. For the past few years he has worked as a consultant for Invisible Children in Uganda providing training and consulting for staff working with former child soldiers and children abducted for commercial sex; Save the Children, UK, assisting with issues of child protection and trafficking in Burma (Myanmar) and recently was the program evaluator for the Save the Children Alliance for a 6 country cross-border trafficking program in Asia.  He is the former Fulbright Scholar at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, Fulbright Specialist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Visiting Professor at the University of Queensland in Australia, Ministry of Education Taiwanese Research Scholar in Taiwan. In addition Dr. Bemak received a World Rehabilitation Fund International Exchange of Experts Fellowship and a Kellogg Fellowship in International Leadership and Development. Dr. Bemak continues to present and offer training nationally and internationally and is active in the American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association.
Dr. Bemak has won numerous awards for his work including the American Counseling Association Gilbert and Kathleen Wrenn Humanitarian and Caring Person Award, Southern Region Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors Courtland Lee Social Justice Award, Association for Specialists in Group Work Professional Advancement Award, and Counselors for Social Justice O’Hana Award for Social Justice.

Research Interests

  • Social Justice Counseling and Psychology
  • Cross-Cultural Issues in Psychology and Counseling
  • Youth and Families at-risk
  • Immigrants and Refugees Psychosocial Adjustment and Mental Health
  • Academic equity and achievement across cultures and socioeconomic class
  • International Psychology
  • Transforming School Counseling
  • Group Counseling

Recent Publications

Books - Selected Sample       

  • Chung, R. C-Y., & Bemak, F. (2012). Social Justice Counseling: The Next Steps Beyond Multiculturalism: Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

  • Conyne, R. & Bemak, F. (2005). Journeys to Professional Excellence: Lessons from Leading Counselor Educators and Practitioners . Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

  • Bemak, F., Chung, R. C-Y., & Pedersen, P. B. (2003). Counseling refugees: A psychosocial approach to innovative multicultural interventions. Greenwood Publishing.

  • Bemak, F., & Keys, S. (2000). Violent and aggressive youth: Intervention and preventions strategies for changing times. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Journal Articles - Selected Sample

  • Bemak, F., & Chung, R. C-Y. (2011). Applications in social justice counselor training: Classroom Without Walls. Journal of    Humanistic Counseling,50, 204-219.
  • Bemak, F., Chung, R. C-Y., Talleyrand, R. M., Jones, H., & Daquin, J. (2011). Implementing multicultural social justice strategies in counselor education training program. Journal of Social Action in Psychology and Counseling, 3, 29-43.
  • Chung, R. C-Y., Bemak, F., & Kudo Grabosky, T. (2011). Multicultural-social justice leadership strategies: Counseling and advocacy with immigrants. Journal of Social Action in Psychology and Counseling, 3, 86-102.
  • Bemak, F., & Chung, R. C-Y. (2011). Post-disaster social justice group work and group supervision. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 36, 3-21.
  • Bemak, F. (2009). The roots of social justice: The personal journey of a human rights advocate. Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 2, 51-56.
  • Steen, S. & Bemak, F. (2008). Group work with high school students at-risk of school failure: A pilot study.  Journal for Specialists in Groups Work, 33, 335-350. 

  • Chung, R. C-Y., & Bemak, F., Ortiz, D., & Sandoval-Perez, P. (2008). Promoting the mental health of migrants: A multicultural-social justice perspective. Journal of Counseling and Development, 86, 310-317.  Special Issue on "Multiculturalism as a Fourth Force in Counseling: Reviewing our Progress and Charting Our Future." (Invited).

  • Bemak, F. & Chung, R. C-Y. (2008). New professional roles and advocacy strategies for school counselors: A multicultural/social justice perspective to move beyond the nice counselor syndrome.  Journal of Counseling and Development, 86, 372-381.  Special Issue on "Multiculturalism as a Fourth Force in Counseling: Reviewing our Progress and Charting Our Future." (Invited). 

  • Chung, R. C-Y., Bemak, F. & Talleyrand, R. (2007). Mentoring within the field of counseling: A preliminary study of multicultural perspectives. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 29, 21-32.

  • Bemak, F. (2005). Reflections on multiculturalism, social justice, and empowerment groups for academic success. A critical discourse for contemporary schools. Professional School Counseling, 8, 401-406.

  • Bemak, F., Chung, R. C-Y., & Sirosky-Sabado, L. A. (2005). Empowerment groups for academic success (EGAS): An innovative approach to prevent high school failure for at-risk urban African American girls. Professional School Counseling, 8, 377-389.

  • Kaffenberger, C., Murphy, S., & Bemak, F. (2006). School counseling leadership team: A statewide collaborative model to transform school counseling. Professional School Counseling, 94, 288-294.

  • Bemak, F. (2005). Reflections on multiculturalism, social justice, and empowerment groups for academic success: A critical discourse for contemporary schools. Professional School Counseling, 8, 401-406.

  • Bemak, F. & Chung, R. C-Y. (2005). Advocacy as a critical role for urban school counselors: Working toward equity and social justice. Professional School Counseling, 8, 196-202.

  • Bemak, F. & Chung, R. C-Y. (2004). Teaching multicultural group counseling: Perspectives for a new era. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 29, 31-41.

  • Conyne, R. & Bemak, F. (2004). Teaching group work from an ecological perspective. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 29, 7-18.

  • Bemak, F. & Cornely, L. (2002). The SAFI model as a critical link between marginalized families and schools: A literature review and strategies for school counselors. Journal of Counseling and Development, 80, 322-331.

  • Chung, R. C-Y, & Bemak, F. (2002). The relationship of culture and empathy in cross-cultural counseling. Journal of Counseling and Development, 80, 154-159.

  • Bemak, F. (2000). Transforming the role of the counselor to provide leadership in educational reform through collaboration. Professional School Counseling, 3(5), 323-331.

Book Chapters - Selected Sample

  • Bemak, F. & Chung, R. C-Y. (2008). Counseling disaster survivors: Implications for cross- cultural counseling. In P. B. Pedersen, J. Draguns, W., Lonner, & J. Trimble (Eds.), Counseling across cultures (6th Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

  • Bemak, F. (in press). Cross-cultural counseling: Anthony Marsella. In Leong, F. T. L. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Counseling, Volume Four. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

  • Bemak, F. (in press). Cross-cultural counseling: Bias. In Leong, F. T. L. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Counseling, Volume Four. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

  • Bemak, F. & Chung, R. C-Y. (2008). Counseling refugees and migrants. In P. B. Pedersen, J. Draguns, W., Lonner, & J. Trimble (Eds.), Counseling across cultures (6th Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

  • Chung, R. C-Y., & Bemak, F. (2007). Multicultural guidelines to immigrant and refugee populations in the United States. In M.G. Constantine (Ed). Clinical practice with people of color: A guide to becoming culturally competent. New York, N.Y.: Teachers College Press.

  • Bemak, F. & Chung, R. C-Y. (2007). Training counselors as social justice counselors. In C. C. Lee (Ed.), Counseling for social justice. (Second Edition). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

  • Chung, R. C-Y., & Bemak, F. (2007). Asian Immigrants and refugees. In F. Leong, A.G., Inman, A. Ebreo, L. Yang, L.M. Kinoshita, & M. Fu. (Eds.). Handbook of Asian American Psychology (2nd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

  • Bemak, F. (2006). Refugees: A critical multicultural issue for modern day psychology. In Y. Jackson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications.

  • Talleyrand, R., Chung, R. C-Y., & Bemak, F. (2006). Infusing social justice in graduate training programs: A case study example. In Torbeck, R., Fouad, N. A., Israel, T., Gerstein, L. H., & Roysircar-Sodowsky, G. (Eds.). Handbook of social justice in counseling psychology: Leadership, vision, and action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

  • Chung, R. C-Y., & Bemak, F.(2006). Counseling Southeast Asians: The impact of the refugee experience. In C. C. Lee, (Ed.), Multicultural issues in counseling: New approaches to diversity. (Third Edition). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

  • Bemak, F., & Chung, R. C-Y. (2004). Culturally oriented psychotherapy with refugees. In U. Gielen, J. Fish , & J. Draguns (Eds.), Culture, therapy and healing. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates.

  • Bemak, F., Murphy, S. & Kaffenberger, C. (2004). Community-focused consultation: New Directions and Practice. In C. Sink (Ed.), Contemporary school counseling: Theory, Research, and Practice. Boston, Houghton-Mifflin.

  • Bemak, F., Chung, R. C-Y, & Murphy, C. S. (2003). New perspectives in counseling at-risk youth. In B. Erford, (Ed.), Transforming the School Counseling Profession, Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall

  • Bemak, F., & Chung, R. C-Y. (2003). Multicultural counseling with immigrant students in schools. In P. B. Pedersen & J. Carey, (Eds.), Multicultural counseling in schools. (2nd ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

  • Bemak, F., & Chung, R. C-Y. (2002). Refugees and terrorism: Cultural innovations in clinical practice. In C. Stout (Ed.), The psychology of terrorism. Greenwood Publishing Group.

  • Bemak, F., & Chung, R. C-Y. (2002). Counseling and psychotherapy with refugees. In P. B. Pedersen, J. Draguns, W. Lonner, & J. Trimble, (Eds.). Counseling across cultures. (Fifth Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.