Christopher McCarthy is a leading authority on stress and coping. His Coping and Stress in Education (CASE) Lab conducts research at the intersection of health, psychology, and education. The CASE lab focuses on stress and coping in educational contexts, particularly with respect to understanding the stress that teachers experience and how to help them cope and thrive in their role as educators. Another important research focus is group interventions, particularly training counselors to to use groups to promote wellness. Dr. McCarthy also has a strong professional commitment to career development, both in terms of career counseling practice and the impact that career development has on overall psychological well-being. His primary professional affiliations are with the Association for Specialists in Group Work, the American Educational Research Association, and the Trauma, Stress, Anxiety, and Resilience Society.
Ph.D.
in Counseling Psychology, Georgia State University, 1995
M.A.
in Counseling, Boston College, 1990
B.A.
in Psychology, University of Virginia, 1988
My Coping and Stress in Education Lab conducts research at the intersection of health, psychology, and education. The focus of our work generally is on promoting wellness and optimal functioning in educational settings.
Current work includes studies on educator stress and wellness, focuses on understanding the stress that teachers and administrators experience and how to help them cope and thrive. We use both local and national samples of teachers and administrators to understand how stress impacts their occupational health and overall well-being. We also conduct research on group interventions, which is an effective way to help teachers identify and reduce the stress they experience in their work. Finally, we conduct research in Preventive Coping. Much of our work in this area includes the Preventive Resources Inventory, a measure of psychological assets that individuals can use to proactively cope with stress, particularly in the context of careers.
McCarthy, C. & Lambert, R. (2023). Research on Stress and Coping in K-12 Education: Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc..
Choudhuri, D. & McCarthy, C. (2023). Fundamentals of Group Process Observation. NY, NY: Taylor and Francis.
McCarthy, C., Lambert, R. & Ullrich, A. (2012). International Perspectives on Teacher Stress. Greenwich, Conneticut: Information Age Publishing.
Lifetime Career Award
- Stress, Trauma, Anxiety, and Resilience Society (2023)
Fellow
- Association for Specialists in Group Work (2021)
President's Award
- Association for Specialists in Group Work (2018 - 2019)
Outstanding Article Award
- Association for Specialists in Group Work (2018)
Lawrence and Stel Marie Lowman Fellow
- The University of Texas at Austin, College of Education (2006)
