Chris D. Cooper, PhD
95 North Marengo Avenue, Suite 100
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 744-9472
cdcooperphd@earthlink.net
www.IlluminatedEd.com
www.cdcooperphd.com
EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (Clinical) – University of Southern California – 1995
Master of Arts in Psychology – University of Southern California – 1991
Master of Arts in Biological Sciences – Wellesley College – 1975
Bachelor of Science in Psychology – Boston University – 1988
Bachelor of Arts in Art History – Wellesley College – 1971
LICENSURE
California Psychologist (PSY 17395, April, 2001)
Massachusetts Psychologist (PY 7896-PR, November, 2001)
CURRENT POSITIONS
Private Practice (Pasadena, CA) — March, 2020 – present
Psychotherapy and Consultation
Psychotherapy: Work is focused on women and issues around stress, life changes, identity development, diversity, gender, sexual orientation and career development.
Consultation: Consultant to the Neuropsychological/Psychological Assessment Program at the Institute for Girls’ Development/Flourish Health + Wellness Center in Pasadena.
Illuminated Education — July, 2009 – Present
Proprietor, Program Director and Instructor
Organize online and in-person presentations, develop courses and curriculum, and present courses to Psychologists, licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers and other mental health professionals. All courses meet the qualifications for continuing education credit as required by the American Psychological Association. Courses presented in Massachusetts have also been approved by the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, the Massachusetts Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Inc, and the MaMHCA/MMCEP.
RECENT PREVIOUS POSITIONS
Institute For Girls Development (Pasadena, CA) — Jan, 2009 – March, 2020
Consulting Clinical Director of Assessment Program
Faculty and Supervisor for Postdoctoral Training Program
Position includes developing and overseeing an assessment program that integrates cognitive, academic, psychological and neuropsychological assessment for girls (6 years old and older), teens and young women. Duties also include (1) direct services in assessment, (2) the supervision and training of post-doctoral trainees in clinical psychology (psychological assistants), (3) frequent consultation with other Clinical Directors within and outside of the Institute , and (4) consultation with University Directors of Clinical Training.
Private Practice (Pasadena, CA) — April, 2001 – March, 2020
Psychotherapy, Consultation and Psychological Assessment.
Psychotherapy: Client population is composed of late adolescent and adult clients. Major areas of focus include developmental issues (including psychological development centering around adult relationships with family, identity development, career development), ethnic diversity, and work around sexual orientation and sexual identity. Work with graduate and professional students constitutes a major focus of my practice
Psychological Assessment: Client population is composed of adults and children age 6 and older. Assessment focuses on emotional and psychological characteristics and cognitive functioning, including Learning Disabilities and ADHD. Assessment is seen as a process designed to help the person and those involved with her or him to better understand their functioning and to help them use their internal resources in a way that supports their growth and development.
UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Department of Behavioral Science — 1998-2000
University of La Verne (La Verne, California)
Adjunct Instructor
Duties included teaching undergraduate courses (“Women’s Experience in America” and “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Lives”) and graduate courses (“Human Sexuality” and “Psychological Assessment”), as well as providing intensive instruction to PsyD students in the scoring of Rorschach protocols.
University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) — Spring, 1990
Teaching Assistant
Teaching Assistant for Gerontology 499 (seminar) with Margaret Gatz, PhD and Betty Friedan. Duties involved 33% of course design, 50% of course lectures and 90% of course grading.
Lasell Junior College (Newton, MA) — 1986-1987
Instructor (Biological Sciences)
Develop and teach courses in basic Biology.
Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College — 1975-1983
Wellesley, MA
Laboratory Instructor
Concentration in Cell Physiology and Microbiology. Duties included teaching laboratory and discussion sections; preparing and giving course lectures (cell physiology and human biology); preparation of materials and development of experiments for teaching laboratories; and participation on departmental committees.
PREVIOUS CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Psychotherapy
Department of Family Medicine — September, 1997 – August, 2001
University of Southern California
University Hospital
Clinical Psychology Post-Doctoral Fellow (half-time)
Provided psychotherapeutic services to graduate and medical students at the Eric M. Cohen
Student Health Center on USC’s Health Sciences campus. Included crisis intervention, short-term
solution-focused therapy, and long term psychotherapy.
Registered Psychological Assistant — January, 1998 – April, 2001
Employed by Dr. Mardy Wasserman, Pasadena, CA
Psychotherapy with adolescent and adult clients. Couples’ counseling.
Registered Psychological Assistant (PSB 25170) — 1996-1997
Employed by Catherine Fuller, PhD (Pasadena, CA)
Psychotherapy with adolescent and adult clients.
Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center — 1993-1994
Psychology Intern
APA approved full-time internship. Approximately 80% of program included intake for children and adults; individual psychotherapy with children and adults; group psychotherapy; family therapy; emergency room intake; and participation in didactic seminars and case conferences.
Registered Psychological Assistant (PSB 20187) — 1992-1993
Employed by Peter S. Armstrong, PhD (South Pasadena, CA)
Psychotherapy with adult clients.
USC Human Relations Center — 1990-1992
USC Clinical Practica (adult/individual psychotherapy, 1990-1991; clinical work with minority clients, 1991-1992). USC practica are supervised using a cognitive/behavioral model. Additional clients were seen at the USC training clinic and supervised by Jeff Ball, PhD (psychodynamic/analytically oriented supervision).
Assessment
Children’s Friend, Inc. (Worcester, MA) — Sept, 2002 – Sept – 2006
Psychological assessment (cognitive, personality, and neuropsychological) with children ages 6 and older.
Southern California Alcohol and Drug Programs, Inc — 1996-1997
This position required administration of assessment instruments to clients and their children in both outpatient and residential recovery programs primarily focused on Latinas. Data were collected to provide program evaluation and basic research into the efficacy of residential versus outpatient treatment models.
Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center — 1993-1994
Psychology Intern
APA approved full-time internship. Approximately 20% of activity involved psychological assessment of children and adults
LAC/USC Medical Center Psychiatric Hospital — 1992-1993
Clerkship – Assessment Clinic
Cognitive and personality assessment of adult inpatients (9 months), and Neuropsychological testing in the AIDS/HIV clinic (3 months).
Saint Barnabas Senior Center — 1991-1992
Clinical trainee administering neuropsychological batteries as an aid to the differential diagnosis of various types of dementia. Included scoring, interpretation and the writing of clinical reports.
RESEARCH POSITIONS AND EXPERIENCE
University of California at Los Angeles — September, 1998 – November, 2001
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research
Research Assistant/Administrative Analyst
Position provided research support for Lissy F. Jarvik, MD, PhD in a variety of projects relating to aging and caregiving for aging persons. This support included library research, statistical analysis of data with SPSS, and writing research reports and papers.
Research Assistant — 1992
Nancy Kaiser-Boyd, PhD, University of Southern California
Project involved reliability of scoring Rorschach records.
Research Assistant — Summer, 1990
Beth Meyerowitz, PhD, University of Southern California
Position entailed data coding, data analysis, upgrading of computer systems and participation in research seminars and meetings. Research was in the area of Health Psychology and focused largely on psychological issues surrounding cancer and HIV/AIDS.
Original Research
Cooper, C.D. and Jarvik, L.F. I’ll Care for You, Don’t Care for Me. Paper presented by Dr. Jarvik to the Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Washington, DC, (November, 2000).
Cooper, C.D. Childhood Sexual Abuse and Depressive Symptoms in a Lesbian Population: An Exploratory Study. PhD Dissertation (1995)
Cooper, C.D. Children and Parental Cancer: An Exploratory Study
Master’s Thesis, University of Southern California (1992)
Cooper, C.D. Longitudinal Functioning and THA Effects in Patients with Probable Alzheimer’s Disease. unpublished paper (1990).
Cooper, C.D. Adsorption of the virus AS-1 to the Blue-Green Alga Anacystis nidulans. Master’s Thesis, Wellesley College (1975)
PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL POSITIONS
Human Relations Center — 1991-1992
University of Southern California
Student Program Coordinator
Provided administrative support to the Director of the HRC which served as a training clinic for students in the USC Clinical Psychology program. Duties included scheduling meetings,
maintaining student patient schedules and files, and serving as the liaison between the Director and the student clinicians.
Prime Computer, Inc. , Framingham, MA — 1988-1989
Senior Technical Writer
Technical writing project manager for a networking project being manufactured in conjunction with Novell, Inc. and involving a documentation set comprised of 34 manuals, reference cards, and supplements. Project management responsibilities included facilitating all aspects of these efforts (staffing, planning, writing, book design, illustration and publication) and coordinating with other departments (Marketing, Engineering, Manufacturing, etc.). Staff included seven writers, an editor, an illustrator, and representatives from publishing (document preparation and book design). Duties also included collaboration with technical writing staff at Novell’s home office in Utah, and the revision of a 100-page introductory manual and 400-page installation manual. Awarded Prime Award for Excellence by the Technical Writing Department upon completion of the project.
Codex Corporation (Motorola Subsidiary), Canton, MA — 1987-1988
Technical Writer
Writer in charge of all documentation for the Codex 6760 Data Communications Processor including release notices, change notices, addenda and a 500-page user’s manual (6760 Distributed Communications Processor User’s Guide, volumes 1 and 2), for networking operators and system managers. Included meetings with software and hardware engineers to collect information, collaboration with illustrators, and overall planning of book design and scheduling.
Independent Contractor, Hopkinton, MA — 1985-1987
Contracts included
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- Leading Edge Products (Boston, MA) – on-site training in word processing and basic computer skills
- The Cadmus Group (Arlington, MA) – Author of ATm User’s Guide, an end-user manual for water management software.
- Ortho Diagnostic Systems (Johnson & Johnson) – Author of 2140 Data Handling System (DHS) User’s Manual – an end-user manual for a data collection system for flow cytometery (laser-based cell sorting unit).
Data General Corporation, Westboro, MA — 1983-1985
Associate Technical Writer / Editor
Author of a number of summary cards, help screens, and other small projects. Author of the Intelligent Local Area Network Controller (LAN) Programmer’s Reference Manual, as well as user manuals for a sales-tracking system and an in-house computer-based system to layout circuit boards.
PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
On Connection and Disconnection: The Importance of Relationship in Growth, Health and Healing – 23 October 2014
This program looks at various aspects of relationship in our lives and our practice – including the effects of internet and social media on us and the people with whom we work. Research is presented as well as theory and observations from practice. Relational-Cultural Therapy is presented as a way of focusing on the importance of relationship in practice. Additionally, aspects of Native American philosophy are presented as guideposts to connections beyond those we have to each other: to the planet and the cosmos. (5-hour CE presentation, Worcester, MA)
Cooking Slowly: Where Is Psychology Practice Headed? And Do We Want to Go There? – 6 June 2014
A presentation which looks at the current directions of psychology practice, research and policy. This portion focuses on the changes in the psychological paradigm over the past decade or two, how funding sources and politics drive what we know, and what some of the alternatives are to a reductionistic, materialistic, and biologically based trend in psychology and neuro-everything. (3-hours of a 5-hour CE presentation. In collaboration with Children’s Friend, Inc., Worcester, MA)
When I Said I Wanted to Learn the Rorschach, They Said I was Crazy! – 23 February 2013
with Ashley Taylor, PsyD and Marissa Lee, MFT. San Gabriel Valley CAMFT – 3000 club. The why, when and how to refer for a comprehensive psychological/neuropsychological assessment. Presentation at the Institute for Girls’ Development in Pasadena, CA. (One-hour presentation)
Sacred Spaces: How Shamanic Cosmology Can Inform and Deepen Clinical Practice – 22 February 2013
A presentation which views psychotherapy through the lens of North and South American indigenous cosmologies. Topics discussed include a sampling of Indigenous cosmologies, the meaning and creation of sacred space, the medicine wheel, power animals, and a sample indigenous view of community and connection. All of these are then discussed in terms of their effects emotional and psychological well-being. (3-hour CE presentation, Pasadena, CA)
Mind and Body: How Did We Get Here? What Can We Do? – 17 May 2012
A 2.5 hour portion of a CE workshop entitled Mind-Body Approaches to Health and Healing: Research, Theory and Therapeutic Applications for Work with Adults, Children and Teens. This portion focuses on the definition and history of what we call the mind-body split in Western psychological and medical practice, and looks at some of the ways researchers and practitioners are working to re-integrate body and mind. (In collaboration with the Institute for Girls’ Development of Pasadena, CA and presented in Worcester, MA)
Imagining Ourselves Better: Using Guided Imagery for Health and Healing – 25 March, 2011
(CE Units: 2.0) Explores the images we have of mind and body. Then discusses how the use of our imagination can make us function better. This is an established practice among athletes and physical therapists, to name a few. How does this work and how can we use our imagery and imaginations to help us with stress, anxiety and other psychological issues? (Pasadena, CA)
Neuroscience for Psychotherapists: The Basics and How They Relate to Depression – 15 January, 2010
(CE Units: 3.0). Presents the basics of current theories about the physiological substrates of depression, together with current research concerning the efficacy of anti-depressant medication. (Pasadena, CA)
Among Dragons and Angels: A Cancer Journey Through Words and Images. — March, 2008
Melissa Johnson, PhD and Chris Cooper, PhD. Annual Meeting of the Association for Women in Psychology, San Diego, CA.
Psychoanalysis and Sexual Orientation. — April, 2003
Invited lecture for a course on psychoanalytic theory in the Doctoral Program in Psychology, University of La Verne, LaVerne, CA.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning Youth. October, 2001
Seminar presented at Children’s Friend and Family Services of Essex County, Salem, Massachusetts.
Psychotherapy with Lesbian Clients.
Invited lecture presented in courses at: Fuller Theological Seminary (Spring, 2001; Spring, 2003), University of LaVerne MFCC program (Summer, 1995; Fall, 1994), Pepperdine University (Winter, 1994).
Stress and Stress Management.
One-hour presentation to medical and graduate students at the School of Public Health at the University of Southern California. Part of an outreach and educational program developed while a Post-Doctoral psychotherapist at the Eric M. Cohen Student Health Center at USC in 2000.
RELEVANT COURSE WORK OUTSIDE OF DEGREE PROGRAMS
Imagination and Medicine – The Body in Depth Psychology: Healing in an Age of Neuroscience
Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria, CA — January 29 – 31, 2010.
Presenters included Michael Kaerney, MD, Alan Kilpatrick, PhD, and Robert Romanyshyn, PhD. Explored the connection of mind and body in healing and how this connection is viewed in other cultures and healing traditions.
The Way of the Dream — January 17 – 18, 2009
C.G. Jung Study Center of Southern California
Presented the work relating to dreams of Jungian analyst and colleague of Jung Marie-Louise von Franz.
Dreams — February 8-10, 2008
Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria, CA
A workshop presented by Jungian analyst Marion Woodman and Stephen Aizenstat, PhD.
Imagination and Medicine: The Future of Healing in an Age of Neuroscience
Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria, CA — April 27 – 29, 2007
A conference exploring the nature of healing and how to create healing environments in our technical age. What do we mean by healing? How do mind and body work in concert to promote healing? Presenters included Kimberly Patton, PhD; Esther Sternberg, MD; Bessel van der Kolk, MD, Tor Wager, PhD and others.
DreamTending and Embodied Imagination: A Meeting of Mind, Body, Heart and Soul
A presentation by Stephen Aizenstat, PhD and Roberk Bosnak, — April 27, 2007
Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria, CA
Exner Rorschach Workshop — February 14-16, 1992
Rorschach with Child and Adolescent Clients
Presentation by Irving Weiner, PhD on the scoring and interpretation of Child and Adolescent protocols.
Body and Mind: Medicine’s New Frontier — Fall Quarter, 1990
UCLA Extension, Health Psychology
Featured speakers included Dean Ornish, MD, James Pennebacker, PhD and David Speigel, MD.
HONORS, GRANTS AND AWARDS
Dissertation Grant — Association for Women in Psychology, Los Angeles chapter (1993)
Training Grant — United States Public Health Service (1991-1992)
Grant and Internship — Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Natural History (Summer, 1969)
Award for Excellence — Prime Computer (1989)
Magna cum laude — Boston University (1988)
Sigma Xi — Wellesley College (1975)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
American Psychological Association (APA)
American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)