About
Dr. Cook is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education. In this role, he trains master’s level clinical mental health and school counselors to work in a variety of settings including agencies, hospitals, private practices, and schools. Dr. Cook is also an affiliate faculty of the Clemson University Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research. Dr. Cook earned his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and master’s degree in Counselor Education from Virginia Tech. He also received doctoral level graduate certificates in Educational Research and Preparing the Future Professoriate. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia and an Approved Clinical Supervisor. Prior to earning his doctoral degree, he worked in a variety of mental health settings, including schools, inpatient and outpatient facilities, and a college counseling clinic. As a faculty member at The University of Alabama and Clemson, Dr. Cook led or co-lead many research projects which yielded 41 national, peer-reviewed publications and over five million dollars in funding. His research interests, which are informed by his prior work as a counselor and supervisor, include clinical supervision, issues of counselor development, and client-focused care. His research trajectory is designed to improve the quality of care provided to clients and to address the growing challenges and resource constraints for counselors and clients. Dr. Cook is currently a co- principal investigator on a Prisma seed grant and has worked on projects funded by the Department of Education as well as national and regional counseling organizations.
Visit Dr. Cook's Faculty Profile.
How their research is transforming health care
There is mounting evidence to suggest that the mental health needs of persons in the U.S. are growing. The complexity and breath of these demands have only heightened since the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, counselors are increasingly charged with providing intensive mental health services to clients who have endured crisis and trauma. Counselors also lack access to needed supports and resources, and they are not immune to social and psychological constraints that were exacerbated in recent years. Dr. Cook aims to address these growing challenges and resource constraints for counselors and clients, alike, by studying and developing best practices for professional education, training, and practice. Further, Dr. Cook aims to improve the measurement quality in health research and to study ways to solicit client feedback more effectively about their experiences in counseling to improve client engagement and outcomes. The scholarly lessons learned inform his teaching and service work.
Health Research Expertise Keywords
Mental Health, Counseling Process, Psychometric Measurement, Clinical Supervision, Issues of Counselor Development, Client-focused Care
