Rob McKinney
Member-At-Large
Rob McKinney started his career in mental health counseling by obtaining a M.Div. with an emphasis in Pastoral Care and Counseling at Lincoln, IL. This is where he first developed his passion for the counseling profession. Since then, he has obtained his M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Eastern Illinois University and earned his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at Kent State University.
Rob moved to Spokane in 2018 when he started working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counselor Education at Gonzaga University. Rob enjoys working as a counselor educator because he gets to instill a passion for this profession into his students, teach and foster counseling skills, and engage in both research and service opportunities.
Rob’s research interests include multicultural considerations in counseling, counseling work related to LGBTGEQIAP+ individuals, and counselor development. Within these areas, Rob has published several peer-reviewed articles and has presented at local, state, regional, national, and international conferences.
Aside from research, Rob is proud to be a member of the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (both the national division and the Washington state chapter). Rob also serves as the Chapter Faculty Advisor for Gonzaga’s chapter of Chi Sigma Iota (Gamma Chi Epsilon), the international honor society that values excellence in the counseling profession. In addition, he is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate and a National Certified Counselor.
Rob is proud to offer his services to the larger Spokane-community through NAMI Spokane. He believes in the empowerment of all people effected by mental health concerns. He is passionate about education, advocacy, and supporting those within the Spokane-area and beyond.