Professional biography

Christopher A. Sink, Ph.D., NCC, LMHC (WA-Inactive) is currently a Research Associate/Instructor in the Department of Psychology at Western Washington University (Bellingham).  I have been a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) since 1997.  Previously, from 2015 to Dec 2019, I served as a Professor and Batten Endowed Chair of Counseling at Old Dominion University, Department of Counseling and Human Services (Darden College of Education and Professional Services, Norfolk, VA). I also had long-standing appointments as a Visiting Professor at York St John University, School of Psychological and Social Sciences, York England, as well as a Research Fellow at the Ronald H. Fredrickson Center for School Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation (University of Massachusetts, Amherst).  Earlier, I served for 21 years as a professor of counselor education at Seattle Pacific University and five years at Northwest Missouri State University (Department of Psychology), respectively.  Prior to counselor education, I had the privilege to serve as a secondary school and community college counselor and instructor.  During my time in public education, I specialized in supporting students with special needs.

I have published and presented extensively on various topics related to strengths-based (positive psychology) and systems approaches to school counseling, social-emotional development, and learning, spirituality, as well as psychometrics, program evaluation, and research methods.  I also have consulted with school systems and organizations (e.g., program evaluation, and school counseling restructuring).

I was fortunate enough to have many years of chief editorial experience in counseling-related journals:  American School Counselor Association's Professional School Counseling; Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling’s Counseling and Values; and International Society for Policy Research and Evaluation in School-Based Counseling’s Journal of School-based Counseling Policy and Evaluation.  Up to Dec 2019, I was associate editor for Counseling and Values. Currently, I serve as senior associate editor for the Journal of School-based Counseling Policy and Evaluation.  I have also served on the editorial board of several refereed journals, including The Professional Counselor (the National Board of Certified Counselors), Professional School Counseling, Counselling and Spirituality (Canadian), and Counseling and Values. I continue with some ad hoc reviewing for professional journals. 

Education

• PhD Educational Psychology: University of California at Riverside

• MS Counseling (focus school counseling): California State University at Fullerton

• BA Psychology (focus cognitive psychology) with honors: University of California at Irvine

• Numerous internships, etc. related to counseling and education.

Recent scholarly accomplishments 

• Special issue editor: Journal of School-Based Counseling Policy and Evaluation. Volume 5 (1) 2023. https://scholarworks.wm.edu/jscpe/

• 2021 Distinguished Reviewer:  the Buros Center for Testing, University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Recognized for long-standing commitment to improving the science and practice of testing. 

• 2020 American Counseling Association Research Award:  Emily Goodman-Scott, PhD, Christopher Sink, PhD, Blaire Cholewa, PhD, & Melanie Burgess, PhD

• 2018 The Professional Counselor journal: Outstanding Scholar Award Winner – Quantitative or Qualitative Research:  Michael T. Kalkbrenner and Christopher A. Sink.  Article title:  “Development and Validation of the College Mental Health Perceived Competency Scale."