SMC Psi Beta Chapter to present “Suicide: Is it an option?” on Thursday, October 31st

Spartanburg Methodist College’s Psi Beta Chapter is pleased to announce that Dr. David Cox, Author, Speaker and Christian Life Coach, will present “Suicide: Is it an option?” on Thursday, October 31st from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the David Mission Chapel on the campus of SMC. The public is invited and admission is free of charge.

Dr. Cox holds a B.A. degree in Religion from Wofford College, and Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. The focus of his doctoral work was counseling and suicide intervention.

As a part of his training, Dr. Cox completed a two-year clinical residency as a Hospital Chaplain at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. In addition, Dr. Cox completed a three-year pastoral internship in the Pastoral Counseling Center of First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, South Carolina where Dr. Kirk H. Neely served as Mentor and Supervisor. While in graduate school, he also completed paramedic training and worked as a Senior Paramedic for Spartanburg EMS and was named South Carolina’s 1989 Paramedic of the Year.

Dr. Cox is an ordained minister. Having served various churches as a Youth Minister and Pastoral Counselor prior to entering private practice as a Christian Life Coach in 1992, he has helped numerous individuals, couples and families in crisis.  Dr. Cox served as an Expert Witness in the Susan Smith murder trial in Union, SC in 1995, giving testimony regarding the effects of suicide on surviving children. The BBC interviewed him for a suicide documentary about the Susan Smith case.

In 1997, he founded a local SOS (Survivors of Suicide) support group. He facilitated the group, which continues to meet monthly, until several years ago when he felt the need to devote a large block of time to writing a book to help survivors of suicide cope.  He has also served as a staff counselor for Wounded Heroes, now Wounded Ministers, a ministry of LifeWay to pastors. Dr. Cox was the Special Counselors Captain for the Upstate Carolina Festival 2001 with Franklin Graham.

Following the events of 9/11, he was the subject of an article on Family.org (Focus On The Family) concerning how to talk to children about the tragedy. On the one year anniversary, the article entitled, Help Children Cope, was reprinted in the Focus on the Family magazine. He also provided services in the aftermath of the shootings on the Virginia Tech campus that occurred on April 16, 2007.

He is coauthor with Candy Arrington of  “AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide” – Broadman & Holman Publishers – October 2003 and contributor to “The Art of Helping” – River Oak Publishers, 2003. In both 2004 and 2007, Dr. Cox was a radio guest on “Family Life Today” with Dennis Rainey.  He has appeared on the national television programs “Helpline” with Dr. Morris Cerullo and “Time for Hope” with Dr. Freda Crews. He hosted his own radio program, “Life Matters with Dr. David Cox,” from 2002 until 2012.

The SMC Psi Beta chapter, chartered on September 1, 1988, is under the direction of psychology professor Dr. Mary Jane Farmer, with assistance from Pete Aylor, psychology professor and Director of SMC’s Counseling Center, and college Counselor Sue Onken.  To date, there have been 376 SMC students who have achieved life-time membership to Psi Beta.

Membership to PSI BETA is by invitation only.  To be considered students must have at least 12 college credits, earn a B or higher in PSYC 101, maintain a 3.25 GPA and be of good moral character. Psi Beta provides students with opportunities to acquire leadership skills, interact with faculty outside the classroom, learn more about the professional and educational choices available in psychology, meet outstanding professionals in psychology, participate in community service, meet peers with similar interests, and be involved with Psi Beta on the national level.

SMC is South Carolina’s only private, residential college exclusively for freshmen and sophomore students and one of only four colleges in South Carolina affiliated with the United Methodist Church. SMC’s mission is to transform lives in a values-oriented, student-centered atmosphere in the Christian tradition that encourages academic excellence, intellectual exploration, social  awareness, and character development within the liberal arts tradition.  Spartanburg Methodist College, founded in 1911, is proud of its heritage of providing “the opportunity to be your best and the inspiration to do great things.”