Counseling and Student Affairs Staff

Dr. Sara Pickett has been involved in education since she was 16 years old. She has taught everything from 5th and 6th grade special education in New Orleans to female sexuality at UC Berkeley to psychology at Cincinnati State Community College, and now she is in her third year of being an assistant professor in counseling.

This is her first year at WKU, and she couldn't be more excited to join this amazing team of educators, researchers, clinical counselors, and humans. Before Western, Dr. Pickett taught advocacy, multiculturalism, internship/practicum, techniques, and theories at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. In addition to teaching, Dr. Pickett was the Clinical and Professional Experiences Coordinator for Spalding's CMHC program.

Along with teaching, Dr. Pickett has been a clinical counselor for ten years and maintains her own private practice and is currently licensed to practice in three states. Her clinical specialties focus on helping clients with complex trauma, depression, anxiety, issues related to gender-based violence, and folx within the LGBTQIA+ community.

Dr. Pickett’s most recent research focused on incarceration, mental health, and romantic relationships. Outside of her work as a professor and clinical counselor, Dr. Pickett regularly attends and presents at such conferences as ACA and AMHCA. She received the Dean’s Dissertation Completion Fellowship in 2021 and the Graduate Student Government Research Fellowship Award in 2020 from the University of Cincinnati. She also received an outstanding teaching award based on student nominations while at Spalding University. Dr. Pickett holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Cincinnati, as well as a Master of Arts from New York University and a Master of Education from the University of Louisville.