Fayth M. Parks is a distinguished licensed psychologist, professor, and mental health researcher whose groundbreaking work bridges traditional psychology, public health, and cultural studies. With a PhD in Counseling Psychology, she advances equitable mental healthcare through innovative research on health disparities, stigma-related beliefs, and the integration of traditional healing practices into contemporary therapeutic frameworks.
Dr. Parks' interdisciplinary approach challenges conventional boundaries, fostering inclusive and culturally responsive models of care. Her scholarship encompasses storytelling, narrative inquiry, phenomenology, arts-based research, and ethnographic studies. Through multimedia and documentary projects, she transforms academic research into accessible narratives that amplify the voices of underrepresented individuals in the mental health field and the broader community.
As a visionary leader, Dr. Parks champions strength-based, trauma-responsive, and spiritually-informed approaches to clinical practice and organizational leadership.
Dr. Parks is the President-elect of the National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH), advocating for underserved communities facing geographic and cultural barriers to care. Her leadership includes board roles with the Boston-based Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) and the Susie King Taylor Center for Jubilee in Savannah, Georgia. TAC provides proven solutions to housing and community support service needs for low-income people at risk of homelessness, and the Susie King Taylor Center for Jubilee supports public policy change.
- PhD, Counseling Psychology, 1996
Department of Educational Psychology (APA-accredited)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - MS, Student Personnel Services & Counseling, 1980
Upsala College, East Orange, NJ - BA, Psychology, 1977
Upsala College, East Orange, NJ
Teaching is an inspiring yet challenging practice. My knowledge, skills, and disposition as a teacher and academic advisor all contribute to fostering a positive learning environment. I believe in every student's ability to learn, and I adapt my teaching methods and advising approaches to connect with diverse learning styles and delivery methods.
- Parks, F.M. (Director). (2024). HIV PrEP for rural communities. (Film). Rising Sun Productions, LLC.
- Parks, F.M. (2024). Review of the book HIV Endurance: Women’s Journeys from Diagnosis to Aging, by Charlene D’Amore. Psychology of Women Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/03616843241241238
- Smallwood S.W., Parks F.M. (2023). The more things change, the more they stay the same: HIV/AIDS myths and misinformation in the rural United States. Health Promotion Practice, doi:10.1177/15248399231180592
- Parks, F.M. & Smallwood, S.W. (2021). Courtesy stigma and self-care practices among rural HIV/AIDS healthcare providers. Journal of HIV/AIDS and Social Services, doi:10.1080/15381501.2021.1922116
- Slocumb, T., Quasie-Woode, D., & Parks, F. (Fall 2020). Commentary on suicide prevention: The role we play. In J. Telfair (Ed.), Eagles Talking About the Public’s Health. Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University. Retrieved from https://jphcoph.georgiasouthern.edu/opr/etaph/
- Wang, S. & Parks, F.M. (Eds.) (2018, March). Past, present, and future of HIV/AIDS science and practice in psychology. Psychology and AIDS Exchange Newsletter. Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/pi/aids/resources/exchange/index.aspx
- Parks, F.M. (2025, May). Bridging Worlds: Integrating cultural healing beliefs and mental health practices. 52nd Annual 2025 National Association for Rural Mental Health Conference, Anchorage, AK.
- (2023, November 11) Keynote: Strategies for healing-centered communities. A Gathering of Communities Conference, Communities United, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL. https://www.communitiesunited.org/
- Parks, F.M. (2021, November). [Webcast]. Panel moderator: Healing justice: Connecting to our ancestral wisdom. 23rd Annual ViiV Healthcare Youth and Community Summit.
- Parks, F.M. (2020, March). Indigenous healing: Gullah Geechee cultural responses to historical, social, and political realities. International Gullah Geechee and African Diaspora Conference. Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC.
- Parks, F.M. (2020, August 24-26). [Webcast]. Panel discussion: Using your voice in public spaces: Letters to the editor and social media. Advancing Psychology through Advocacy. Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology Conference. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
- Parks, F.M. (2020, March 2). Challenges and opportunities for providing HIV/AIDS and behavioral healthcare in rural settings. 87th Annual Meeting, National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA
- TEDx Talk: How culture connects to healing and recovery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9Tkb879dsY
- President-elect, National Association for Rural Mental Health (NARMH).
- Board of Directors, Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC), Boston, MA.
- Board of Directors, Susie King Taylor Center for Jubilee, Savannah, GA.
- Founder and Chair, Rural HIV Research and Training Conference
APA Professional Association Activities
- Licensed Psychologist, South Carolina #783
- 2023- present International Leadership Association (ILA)
- HOPE Trainer, HIV Office for Psychology Education (HOPE)
American Psychological Association, 2010-2014 - 2019-present Georgia Psychological Association (GPA)
- 1997-present American Psychological Association (APA)
Division 17 Society of Counseling Psychology
Division 35 Society for the Psychology of Women
Division 45 Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, & Race - 2010-2011 Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA)
- 2004- 2006 National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs (NCLP)
- 1998-2007 Georgia Licensed Professional Counselor Association (GLPCA)
- 2002-2006 Georgia College Personnel Association (GCPA)