Marcella D. Stark, Ph.D.

Dr. Marcella Stark is an Associate Professor of Counseling at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, and she holds licensure in Texas as a Licensed Professional Counselor and board-approved supervisor. Before beginning her career in academia, she provided counseling in college and university settings. Her research focuses on solution-focused supervision, use of sandtray in supervision, supervisee contribution, counselor training, and mentoring within the counseling profession.

Education

Ph.D., Counselor Education & Supervision
Sam Houston State University
2010

M.Ed., Counseling & Student Services
University of North Texas
1993

B.A., Psychology
Texas A&M University
1991

Academic Areas

• Counselor Supervision/Practicum
• College Counseling/Student Affairs
• Career Counseling
• Theories of Counseling

Research Areas

• Solution Focused Approach
• Clinical Supervision
• Counselor Education

Professional Achievements

• Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor
• Board Member of Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association (SFBTA), 2018-2020, 2022-present

Selected Publications

Stark, M. D., Ghul, R., Gryson, M., Jennings, B., & Wells, J. (2021). Co-creating solution-focused conversations in disagreement. Journal of Solution Focused Practices, 5(2), Article 2. https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/journalsfp/vol5/iss2/2

Stark, M. D., & Greggerson, K. (2016). Differences in perceptions of supervisee contribution: Supervisors’ vs. supervisees’ evaluations. The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 8(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.7729/81.1145

Boswell, J. N., Wilson, A. D., Stark, M. D., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2015). The role of mentoring relationships in counseling programs. International Journal for Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 4(3), 168-183. doi:10.1108/IJMCE-03-2015-0007

Stark, M. D., Garza, Y., Bruhn, R., & Ane, P. (2015). Student perceptions of sandtray in solution-focused supervision. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 10, 2-17. doi: 10.1080/15401383.2014.917063

Stark, M. D., & Frels, R. K. (2014). Using sandtray as a collaborative assessment tool for counselor development. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 9(4), 468-482. doi: 10.1080/15401383.2014.897663

Stark, M. D., LaGuardia, A. C., & Trepal, H. (2014). Continuing education needs in supervision. Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory, & Research, 41(1), 15-28.

Stark, M. D., Nichter, M., Watts, R. E., Slate, J. R., Bruhn, R., & Nelson, J. A. (2013). Texas LPC interns and the cost of supervision. Journal of Professional Counseling: Practice, Theory, & Research, 40(1), 25-37.

Stark, M. (2012). Supervising practicum students: SF supervision as a cure for negative thinking.  In F. Thomas,Solution-focused supervision: A resource-oriented approach to developing clinical expertise (pp. 230-239). New York, NY: Springer.

Stark, M. D., Kirk, A. M., & Bruhn, R. (2012). Generational differences as a determinant of women’s perspectives on commitment. ADULTSPAN, 11(2).

Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Leech, N. L., Slate, J. R., Stark, M. D., Sharma, B., Frels, R. K., Harris, K., & Combs, J. P. (2012). An exemplar for teaching and learning qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 17(1).

Stark, M. D., Frels, R. K., & Garza, Y. (2011). The use of sandtray in solution-focused supervision. The Clinical Supervisor, 30(2), 277-290. doi:10.1080/07325223.2011.621869