Credentials

Rev. Cook is a North Carolina Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Fellow of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. Prior to clinical training, Rev. Cook served as a pastor for ten years. He has been providing counseling for over 30 years in a wide variety of settings.

First United Methodist Church
217 South Church St.
Salisbury, NC 28114
(Directions to site)

Garry Cook, M.Div., LCSW

Office Locations

Confidential Voicemail: (704) 375-5354 ext. 405

Education

Rev. Cook earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree from Campbellsville University in Kentucky where he double-majored in Biblical Studies and in Psychology. He then completed his Master of Divinity degree at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, where he concentrated his studies in pastoral care and counseling. Clinical training was obtained at Baptist Medical Centers-Birmingham, Alabama, where he completed a yearlong residency in Clinical Pastoral Education and a three-year residency in pastoral psychotherapy. Later, he trained with and was supervised by an MD Psychoanalyst in North Carolina. For six years, Rev. Cook served as a faculty member of the Alamance Institute for Pastoral Counseling, a Prime Site for the Graduate Theological Foundation. The Institute, an accredited training center of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, is a doctoral degree program for the teaching and supervision of students of pastoral psychotherapy. He has gained experience in many settings including pastoral counseling centers, community mental health centers, a substance abuse center, a crisis recovery center, an employee assistance program, and through churches.

Specialties

Having worked in many different settings, Rev. Cook is a generalist who comfortably works with a wide variety of clinical and life problems. He uses a pastoral psychodynamic approach that may be combined with other approaches tailored to the needs of the individual. Human difficulties most frequently encountered have been: life dissatisfaction, emotional struggles, depression, sexual concerns, relational difficulties, anxiety and panic, spiritual concerns, workplace difficulties and performance issues, excessive and debilitating stress, frequent worries, marital difficulties, grief and loss, and issues related to aging.

Perspectives

Check out Garry’s posts on the SCG Staff Blog!