Profile

Cheolwoo Park was born and raised in Gwangju, Republic of Korea, where he lived for nearly 27 years prior to relocating to Gainesville, Florida, to pursue graduate studies. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Counseling Psychology from Chosun University in 2018. In 2019, he moved to the United States to attend the University of Florida, where he earned both a Master of Education and a Specialist in Education in Marriage and Family Counseling in 2021 through a CACREP-accredited program. In 2025, Cheolwoo earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Counseling and Counselor Education at the University of Florida. Throughout his doctoral program, he was actively engaged in a range of clinical, academic, supervisory, and scholarly roles.

Upon completion of his doctoral degree, Cheolwoo joined UCF in 2025 as an Assistant Faculty in the Counselor Education and School Psychology department, where he can continue to contribute meaningfully to the field. He remains committed to lifelong learning and advancement as an educator, supervisor, practitioner, researcher, and advocate.

• Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies
• Marriage and Family Counseling
• Quantitative research

• Ph.D. Counseling and Counselor Education (CACREP-accredited program), University of Florida
• M.Ed./Ed.S. Marriage and Family Counseling (CACREP-accredited program), University of Florida
• B.A. Counseling Psychology, Chosun University
• National Certified Counselor (NCC)

Cheolwoo Park’s research centers on multicultural and social justice counseling, with a particular emphasis on attachment relationships, counselor development, and instrument validation. His work explores how cultural competence and secure attachment relationships intersect to foster effective counseling, supervision, and training. For example, he was awarded a grant to investigate the mediating role of supervisor–supervisee attachment in the link between clinical supervisors’ cultural competence and supervision outcomes. He also examines the unique strengths of international counselor trainees as supervisors and explores mentoring practices that enhance minority student success and retention.

Another core focus of Cheolwoo’s scholarship is the development and validation of instruments. He has engaged in various instrument development and validation projects, including the International Student Resilience Scale (ISRS), which assesses resilience among international students. These efforts reflect his commitment to promoting equity and responsiveness in counselor education.

Cheolwoo also investigates couple and family relationships, particularly the role of mindfulness in fostering relationship quality. His publications in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy highlight how mindfulness is linked to shared relational engagement and positive communication. Additionally, he explores multicultural families’ adaptation and well-being, including how acculturative stress and strategies influence youth and family functioning.

Across all lines of inquiry, Cheolwoo is committed to advancing culturally responsive research that informs both theory and practice. He welcomes interdisciplinary collaboration to expand these efforts and promote inclusive approaches in mental health, counselor education, and family well-being.

• Complex Trauma (Developmental and Relational Trauma)
• Marriage and Family Counseling and Relationship
• Assessment Development and Validation
• Program Evaluation
• Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies

The Strengthening Marriages and Relationship Training (SMART) Research Lab, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida

1. Park, C., Bayne, H., & Hyun, J. (2024). Exploring the Association Between Supervisor Multicultural Competence, Supervisory Attachment Relationship, and Supervision Outcomes. Funded by the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) for $1,000.
2. Park, C., Bayne, H., & Hyun, J. (2023). Creation and validation of the International Student Resilience Scale (ISRS). Funded by the Scholarship Program of the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC) for $1,000.
3. Hays, D. G., Bayne, H., Gay, J., McNiece, Z., & Park, C. (2020). Creation and validation of the Decolonizing the Counseling Curriculum Scale (DCCS). Funded by the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC) for $5,000.

Cheolwoo Park is deeply committed to professional service, advocacy, and leadership that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the counseling profession. His service reflects a strong dedication to both the academic and practitioner communities, with a particular emphasis on supporting international and marginalized voices.

Cheolwoo has presented at numerous professional conferences at local, state, regional, and national levels, contributing to the broader dialogue on multicultural counseling, supervision, and resilience. At the University of Florida, he served as an inaugural consultant-in-training for the Social Justice Consultation Corps, where he provided strategic support to student organizations engaged in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. This role exemplified his commitment to institutional change through grassroots advocacy and collaboration.

Cheolwoo’s leadership extends to various national and international professional organizations. He served as an Emerging Leader for the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors (IAMFC), actively contributing to its mission of strengthening the field of couple and family counseling. He also holds leadership roles as a Board Member of the Korean Counseling Association–International Chapter (KCA-IC) and serves on the Conference Committee and Newsletter Editorial Team for the International Association for Resilience and Trauma Counseling (IARTC). Additionally, he contributes to global counseling initiatives as a member of the International Taskforce of the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC).

Through these roles, Cheolwoo seeks to foster inclusive leadership, amplify underrepresented voices, and build collaborative networks that strengthen counselor education and professional development on a global scale.

• Best Practices in Research - Student Award, American Counseling Association (2024)
• Graduate School Opportunity Award (GSOA), University of Florida College of Education (2022–2025, $30,000 per year)
• Sara Lavinia de Keni Endowment Scholarship, University of Florida College of Education (2024–2025, $5,000)
• Ralph D. Turlington Scholarship, University of Florida College of Education (2023–2024, $2,500)
• Dr. Anne Davies Vicino Endowed Scholarship, University of Florida College of Education (2023–2024)
• Alumni Endowment Scholarship, University of Florida College of Education (2020–2021, $2,000)
• Robert Barker Cahill Scholarship, University of Florida College of Education (2021–2022, $1,000)
• Certificate of Outstanding Merit, University of Florida College of Education & International Center (2021)

Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling (MHS 6702). Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling (MHS 6702) is a graduate level introductory course designed to provide graduate students in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and Marriage, Couples and Family Therapy (MCFT) with an overview of the ethical and legal practices in the field of counseling, with a specific focus upon the professional issues of practice.