Marty Cooper, associate professor in the Psychology Department and interim director of the graduate Mental Health Counseling program, was elected to serve a three-year term as a Member-at-Large for Programming for a section of the American Psychological Association’s Division 17, Society for Counseling Psychology. Cooper’s role is within the Advocacy of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity section of the SCP.
Elected in January 2026, Cooper contributes to the development of programming and initiatives that advance equity, inclusion and affirming practices for LGBTQ+ individuals within counseling psychology. “I have been particularly interested in initiatives that center intersectionality, including the ways sexual orientation and gender diversity intersect with race, culture, religion, immigration status, aging, and trauma," Cooper said.
Through the continuation of programming of panels, workshops, and community dialogues, Cooper hopes to translate research and theory into practice.
The Society for Counseling Psychology aims to unify professionals and students who are interested in psychology and places an emphasis on counseling psychology. The work of the SCP includes exploring the relation of counseling psychology to the overall field of psychology, the public sector, and members’ interests. The Section for the Advocacy of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity focuses on LGBTQ+ equality with goals rooted in counseling and psychological research and training, opportunity creation for professional development, and the development of relationships between corporate institutions and mental health services.
“A core aim of my work in this role is to bridge professional advocacy with training and education,” Cooper said. “I hope this helps students see how professional service and leadership can be integrated with clinical work, research, and teaching, and how advocacy can be an ongoing, sustainable part of one’s professional identity.”