Board of Directors

Kelly Coker

PhD, NCC, BC-TMH, LCMHC

Dr. J. Kelly Coker is a Full Professor in the Department of Counseling at Palo Alto University, where she has been a faculty member since 2017. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and has been a counselor educator since 1998.

Dr. Coker is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, a Licensed Qualified Supervisor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and a Board Certified Tele-Mental Health Provider. Her research and teaching interests include lifespan development, counseling theories, and online counselor education. She has co-authored several books, including DSM-5-TR and Family Systems (2nd ed.) and Lifespan Development: Contextual and Cultural Dimensions, as well as numerous refereed journal articles and book chapters.

She has served in various leadership roles at her university and in the counseling field, including as Vice Chair and now Chair of the Palo Alto University Faculty Senate and as a board member, Vice Chair, and Chair of the CACREP board of directors. Dr. Coker is also active in professional organizations, serving on committees in leadership roles for NBCC, ACES, and CACREP. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Coker maintains an active tele-mental health practice.