South Carolina Psychological Association President
Nicole Barakat, Psy.D is currently serving as the 2022 president of SCPA and works full time as a licensed school psychologist in South Carolina. Nicole earned her Psy.D. in School Psychology at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology in 2014, and has been working in public schools ever since. Nicole completed her internship as a full-time behavior specialist for a public school district in New Jersey. Following internship, Nicole remained with the school district for four more years. After relocating to Myrtle Beach in 2017, Nicole obtained a position as a school psychologist with Georgetown County School District, where she continues to work. Nicole recently also began a private practice, through which she provides child and family therapy and psychoeducational evaluations. Prior to her work as a school psychologist, Nicole earned a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Antioch New England University. After graduating, Nicole worked in community mental health in New Hampshire, and at a school for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities in Massachusetts. Since 2004, Nicole has devoted her career to serving children and families with emotional, behavioral and learning needs.
What SCPA means to me…
I feel so fortunate to have found the connections of my colleagues and friends at SCPA. I joined SCPA as soon as I moved to South Carolina with hopes that it would give me an avenue to meet and network with other psychologists. I attended the Fall conference in 2017 where I first met a friend who would later recruit me to join SCPA’s board as member at-large in 2020. Because of the connections I have made and the support that I have received through SCPA, I have recently been able to take the initial steps of starting my private practice. As SCPA’s current president, I feel both grateful to the organization and hopeful that we can continue to grow and evolve by providing services and creating resources that will be meaningful and valuable for our members.
President
Nicole Barakat, PsyD
President-Elect
Andrew Gibson, PhD
Past President
Michelle Cooke, PsyD
Federal Advocacy Coordinator
Robert Nelson, PsyD
Secretary
Deborah Coleman, PsyD
Treasurer
April Bennett, PhD
Academic Division Representative
Jonathan Bassett, PhD
APA Counsel Representative
Rhea Merck, PhD
Early Career Psychologist Representative
Open
Member-at- Large
Monica Wright, PsyD
Adrian Novit, PhD
Executive Director and Administrator and Telephone Number
Marie Queen and Mary Skinner
(803) 820-0403