Harley Locklear
Harley Locklear, Assistant Professor, Counselor Education
Harley Locklear is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Virginia Tech, where he brings a wealth of experience from both clinical practice and academic research. He earned his Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from North Carolina State University. Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Dr. Locklear served as a school counselor and worked as a clinical mental health counselor in private practice.
Dr. Locklear’s professional journey is deeply rooted in a commitment to social justice and decolonial approaches to counseling. His research focuses on marginalized communities, with particular attention to queer, trans, and BIPOC populations. As a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Dr. Locklear integrates his cultural heritage into his work, aiming to address the needs of individuals residing at the intersections of multiple marginalized identities.
His scholarly and clinical work is driven by a passion for advocating for those who are often underserved and overlooked. Dr. Locklear’s contributions to the field are characterized by a profound dedication to equity and an innovative approach to counseling and education.
- Rural School Counseling
- School Counselor Preparation
- School-Based Mental Health Counseling
- Counseling Queer/Trans Black, Indigenous, People of Color
- Culturally relevant counseling practices for Indigenous American Populations
- Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education, North Carolina State University, 2024
- M.A.Ed. in Professional School Counseling, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, 2021
- B.A. in American Indian and Indigenous Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2018
- 2022 North Carolina School Counseling Association Emerging Leader
Locklear, H. (2023) Native Amercians. In the SAGE encyclopedia of multicultural counseling, social justice, and advocacy. SAGE publishing; Thousand Oaks, CA
Locklear, H. (2023) Two-Spirit. In the SAGE encyclopedia of multicultural counseling, social justice, and advocacy. SAGE publishing; Thousand Oaks, CA
2022 National Board of Certified Counselors Minority Fellow
Sept 2021 Panelist, “Disrupting Interpersonal Violence in American Indian Communities”, North Carolina Center Against Domestic Violence. (Durham, NC)
May 2021 Panelist, “Two-Spirit People in American Indian Communities”, Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. (Pembroke, NC)
February 2021 Panelist, “Supporting Two-Spirit Undergraduates at Predominantly White Institutions'', UNC American Indian Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (Chapel Hill, NC).