Skip to Content
Find An Office

Headshot of Misti Sparks

Misti Sparks

Associate Professor of Graduate Counseling
Dan Waggoner Annex 203
817-531-4976
msparks@txwes.edu
Website

Education

  • May 2008, Texas Woman’s University, Ph.D., Family Therapy
  • May 2004, Texas Woman’s University, MS, Family Therapy
  • August 1999, University of North Texas, BA, Psychology

Misti Sparks, Ph.D., LMFT-S is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor in the state of Texas and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Woman’s University and her B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Texas. She has been working in the field in various capacities since 1999 and has clinical experience in private practice, inpatient psychiatric hospital, intensive outpatient program, and agency settings. In her clinical practice, she has a particular interest in working with the LGBTQ+ population. For her dissertation, she investigated the meaning of sexuality in the lives of older adults, and her research interests continue to revolve around improving quality of life for older adults.

TXWES Courses Taught

  • MFT 8414 Practicum I
  • MFT 8321 Theory Building in Family Sciences
  • COU 6314 Professional Identity and Prepracticum Skills
  • COU 6415/16 Mental Health Clinical Practicum
  • COU 6324 Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Practicum
  • COU 6322 Family Systems
  • COU 6303 Techniques of Appraisal and Assessment
  • COU 6304 Multicultural/Cross-Cultural Counseling
  • COU 6306 Research Methods and Program Evaluation
  • COU 6350 Counseling Gays and Lesbians
  • COU 6311 Marriage and Family Counseling
  • COU 6321 Strategies for Intervention in Family Therapy
  • COU 6301 Theories of Counseling
  • COU 6302 Lifespan/Human Growth and Development
  • FS 5532 Practicum in Family Therapy & FS 5542 Clinical Experience

Other Courses Taught

  • Capella University – COU 5876 Methods of Family Research
  • Capella University – COU 5239 Theories of Psychotherapy
Presentations
  • Spring 2017, Mission Impossible: Engaging Teens in Family Counseling. Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference, “Making a Difference.” Austin, TX.
  • Fall 2016, Improving Mental Health Treatment for Older Adults. International Organization of Social Science and Behavioral Research, Conference, San Antonio, TX.
  • Fall 2016, Family Dynamics of the Stay-at-Home Father and Working Mother Relationship. International Organization of Social Science and Behavioral Research, Conference, San Antonio, TX.
  • Spring 2016, Healthy Marriage Happy Children: Implementing Play into Family Counseling. Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference, “Wired for Connection, Neuroscience and Relational Change.”  San Antonio, TX.
  • Fall 2015, Enhancing Quality of Life of Older Adults. Texas Counseling Association’s 59th Annual Professional Growth Conference, Corpus Christi, TX.
  • Fall 2015, Deciding Factors in Stay-at-Home Father and Working Mother Relationship. International Organization of Social Science and Behavioral Research, Conference, Boca Raton, FL.
  • Fall 2014, An Examination of Factors Related to Quality of Life of Older Adults. International Organization of Social Science and Behavioral Research, Conference, San Antonio, TX.
  • Fall 2014, Division of Household Labor in Stay-at-Home Father and Working Mother Families. International Organization of Social Science and Behavioral Research, Conference, San Antonio, TX. Awarded “Best Paper”.
  • Fall 2014, Mental Health and the Elderly. Texas Counseling Association’s 58th  Annual Professional Growth Conference, Dallas, TX.
  • Fall 2013, Older Adults in Rural Communities: Do Effective Mental Health Resources Exist?
  • International Organization of Social Sciences and Behavioral Research, Fall 2013 Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.  
  • Fall 2012, The Eye of the Storm: Counselors in the Courtroom. Texas Counseling Association 56th Annual Professional Growth Conference, Galveston, Texas.
  • Fall 2012, Nurturing the Nurturer. Texas Counseling Association 56th Annual Professional Growth Conference, Galveston, Texas.
  • Fall 2012, The Eye of the Storm: Counselors in the Courtroom. International Organization of Social Science and Behavioral Research, Fall 2012 Conference, Biloxi, Mississippi.

Awarded “Best Paper”

  • Spring 2012, Mentoring: A Tool to Facilitate Professional Growth and Prevent Burnout, Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Midwinter Conference.
  • Spring 2010, Faculty Sponsor for Kori Bell. The Psychological Aspects of Athletic Injury. University College Day, Texas Wesleyan University.
  • Fall 2011, “A Deeper Connection”: The Meaning of Sexuality after 60. International Organization of Social Science and Behavioral Research, Fall 2011 Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • Fall 2011, Preventing Burnout: The Importance of Good Self Care among Counselors, Texas Counseling Association 55th Annual Professional Growth Conference, Fort Worth, Texas.
  • Fall 2011, Mentoring: A Tool to Facilitate Professional Growth and Prevent Burnout, Texas Counseling Association 55th Annual Professional Growth Conference, Fort Worth, Texas.
Publications
  • Sparks, M. (2011). Family Therapy Practice Exam. In Metcalf, L. (Ed.), Marriage and Family Therapy: A Practice Oriented Approach – Instructor’s Manual. New York: Springer.
  • Sparks, M., Brock, L., Greer, M., & Ruzgyte, E. (2012). “A Deeper Connection”: The meaning of sexuality in the lives of older adults. Journal of Social Science Research, 1, 5-16.
  • Hicks, D., & Sparks, M. (2012). REAL Life Skills Program: Series I Life Skills. Greenstreet Publishing, Dallas, TX.
  • Hicks, D., & Sparks, M. (2013). REAL Life Skills Program: Series II Respect. Greenstreet Publishing, Dallas, TX.
  • Hicks, D., & Sparks, M. (2014). REAL Gang Transition Program. Greenstreet Publishing, Dallas, TX.
  • Rushing, C., Sparks, M., & Powell, L. (2015). Division of household labor in stay at home 
  • father & working mother families. Journal of Social Sciences Research, 1, 17-31. 
  • Rushing, C., & Sparks, M. (2017). The mother’s perspective: Factors considered when choosing to enter a stay-at-home father and working mother relationship. Journal of Men’s Health, x, xx-xx.
Research
  • An Exploration of the Meaning of Sexuality in the Lives of Adults Aged 60 Years and Older, November 2007, Dr. Linda Brock, chair.
  • An Examination of the Relationship between Quality of Life of Older Adults and Participation in a Mixed Diagnosis and Mixed Age Intensive Outpatient Group.