Assistant Professor
Psychology/Counseling & Community Psychology

Contact Information
Email: couchjr@sage.edu
Phone: 518-292-1818 Albany; 518-244-2223 Troy
Office: 306 Froman; 306 Gurley

Degree Information

Ph.D. Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky
Dissertation: “Exploring Lesbian and Gay Experiences with Individuals, Systems, and Environments: Patterns of Response to Heterosexist Prejudice and Discrimination.”

Ed.S. Educational & Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky
M.S. Educational & Counseling Psychology, University of Kentucky
M.A. Theatre Arts, University of Kentucky
B.A. Liberal Arts, Berea College

Clinical Practice

LGBT issues in counseling; trauma & acute stress; anxiety; and depression.
NYS Licensed Psychologist #68 019393

Courses Taught

PSY 525: Professional Issues
PSY 572: Assessment in Counseling
PSY 563: Behavioral Research
PSY 588: Counseling Skills

Research

Discernment Theory; Minority Coping and Resilience; Masculinities; and Human Sexuality

Recent Publications & Presentations

Couch, J. Russell (2010) Gay therapists working with heterosexual male clients: Multicultural competence in therapy with men. Symposium at the 2010 Eastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting, New York.

Couch, R, Anderman, L. H. & Riding-Malon, R.. (2007) The Interaction of Academic Press and Social Support in Mastery Structured High School Classrooms. Poster session at the 2007 American Educational Research Association National Convention, Chicago, IL.

Couch, R., Guerrero, J., Gray, B. E. and Olson, A. (2006) The reel experiences of LGBT individuals. Poster session at the 2006 American Psychological Association National Convention, New Orleans, LA.

Riggle, E., Rostosky, S., Couch, R., Campbell, J., Brodnicki, C. and Savage, T. (2006) To have or not to have: Advanced planning by same-sex couples. Sexuality Research and Social Policy: Journal of NSRC, 3 (1), 22-32.

Dudley, M. G., Rostosky, S. S., Riggle, E. D. B., Duhigg, J. M., Brodnicki, C., & Couch, R. (2005). Same-sex couples’ experiences with homonegativity. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 1(4), 68-93.

Professional Organizations

American Psychological Association
Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues
Society for the Psychological Study of Men & Masculinity
Society of Counseling Psychology
New York State Psychological Association
American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama

Service

Committee on Academic Standards, Admissions, and Retention
Sage Graduate Schools Curriculum Committee
Institutional Review Board
Supervise Psychology Theses
Co-lead Psychology Research Team w/ Dr. Marisa Beeble
Advise CCP graduate students whose last names begin with P through Z.

Personal

As an undergraduate student in English and Theatre at Berea College, I completed my senior thesis on Psychodrama and Drama Therapy. Many years later, after a brief career in the performing arts and advanced graduate work in Theatre, I decided to return to psychology. I completed my MS, Education Specialist, and PhD in Counseling Psychology from University of Kentucky in 2009, and have been very excited joining the faculty at The Sage Colleges.

I very much enjoy teaching courses on research, theory, and practice of counseling and community psychology. The best hope for change in our clients comes not from our individual counseling alone, but also from the changes we enact in the community and in social policy. I always try to approach my teaching using the same idea.

My research and practice interests are in gender, human sexuality, and minority resilience. In 2007, my outreach work with men and boys in Central Kentucky and with the LGBT community were recognized with an award by the American Psychological Association Division 51. I also remain very faithful to the visual and performing arts--they are powerful aspects of our culture. That is why I enjoy working with groups using psychodrama and drama therapy.