Daniel Cruikshanks

Achievements

Education

• PhD in Counseling and Family Therapy, Saint Louis University
• MAC, University of Missouri Saint Louis
• BS in Psychology, California State University, Sacramento

Biography

Dr. Cruikshanks is an award-winning Counselor Educator who joined the faculty at Kentucky Wesleyan College in the fall of 2026 as a Professor of Psychology & Counselor Education and Director of the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. Dr. C. was brought to KWC with the goal of building and running KWC’s newly formed Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. Prior to KWC, Dr. C. was a Professor of Psychology & Counselor Education and the founder and director of the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Aquinas College in Michigan, where he worked for 13 years. Dr. C. was a professor of Counselor Education and Clinical Director of the Masters of Art in Counseling Program at Heidelberg University from 2000 to 2013.

A native of California, Dr. C. received his associate’s degree from Sacramento City College, his bachelor’s in psychology from California State University, Sacramento, his master’s in counseling from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and his Ph.D. in counseling & family therapy from Saint Louis University. While working on his master’s degree, Dr. C. worked for two years as a K-12 special education teacher for people with severe physical disabilities. He began his clinical career at Incarnate Word Family & Alzheimer’s Hospice of St. Louis where he ran the Bereavement Program and provided grief support and counseling to dying people and their families. Next, while working on his Ph.D., Dr. C. joined C Group Psychiatric Services in St. Louis where he provided diagnostic evaluations and mental health counseling services to people with moderate to severe mental and emotional problems.

During his tenure at Heidelberg University, Dr. C. practiced part-time with Harris and Associates in Tiffin, Ohio. There, he developed a specialization in psychological and forensic evaluation. In 2010, Dr. C. established Seneca Counseling & Psychological Services, LLC with his wife, Dr. Stephanie Burns. In his clinical work, Dr. C. has provided forensic evaluations for the Seneca County Juvenile Courts and the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services (Children’s Services). He has served as an Expert Witness in numerous cases of child abuse and neglect, criminal, malpractice, and custody cases. Dr. C. specializes in treating personality disorders, mood disorders and psychotic disorders in adolescents and adults. He is also a specialist in loss, grief and terminal illness. Dr. C. has advanced training in clinical supervision. He has served as a clinical supervisor for Christian Counseling Center of Tiffin, Ohio and St. Francis Home, also in Tiffin.

Dr. C. started his academic career in 1995 as an adjunct instructor of counseling at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. In joined the faculty of the Graduate Studies in Counseling Program at Heidelberg University. He has also served as an adjunct professor of psychology at Bowling Green State University and an adjunct associate professor of counselor education at Western Michigan University. During his time at Heidelberg University, Dr. C. travelled to Sapporo, Japan four times to teach counseling courses to Japanese English teachers. He also co-designed and co-taught the course, International Systems of Mental Health at the University of Oxford, with Dr. Esther Yoder-Strahan in 2007.

In 2017, Dr. C. and his spouse, Dr. Burns were awarded the TPC Outstanding Scholar
Award Winner – Quantitative or Qualitative Research