has created an outstanding career focused on group counseling training. Her dedication recently earned her the 2015 Group Practice Award from the .
Coker, an associate professor of counseling and family therapy at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, received the award for her development of the innovative group at UMSL. SisterScholars was developed as a response to the needs of African American women who are seeking a college degree, many for the first time in their families.
“I feel extremely honored to receive this award,” Coker said. “Ultimately, I hope I can inspire other counselors and counselors-in-training to pursue group work as a specialty area.”
SisterScholars meets weekly and is an open support group where students come together to work on academic and personal goals as they move toward degree attainment. The group also serves as a vehicle for mentoring students. Several faculty and staff members attend the meetings and share their expertise with students. SisterScholars is funded by the UMSL Graduate School and Chi Sigma Iota and is supported by the in the at UMSL.
This award recognizes an outstanding practitioner of group counseling, including innovations in group work practice and the dissemination of group work skills through research, conference presentations, supervision and training.
Reviewed 2015-04-30