Cortny Stark, PhD

Cortny Stark Ph.D. (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor with the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Department of Counseling and Human Services and Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Fellow. Dr. Stark is the coordinator for the substance use and recovery counseling undergraduate and graduate emphases at UCCS and the project director for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) substance use disorder practitioner education expansion program. Dr. Stark’s research foci include LGBTQQIA+ issues in counseling, advocacy for transgender and gender-expansive youth, public perception of professional counselors, and the integration of trauma processing models in the treatment of diverse populations. She currently facilitates behavioral health workshops with the Motivational Interviewing Training Center in Albuquerque, NM. Her workshops explore affirming care for transgender and gender-expansive community members and trauma-informed ethical decision-making. In addition to academic pursuits, Dr. Stark practices as a substance use counselor and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) trained clinician with the Trauma Treatment Center and Research Facility in Rio Rancho, NM.