Philip W. Cook He has received awards for his reporting from the Associated Press and the Professional Journalism Society. He was a national scholarship recipient of the Radio Television News Directors Association. His work objectively examines and explains relevant research results, the feelings and problems of interviewed victims, provider and media response to the issue. He has examined scores of national and international domestic violence and family programs and evaluated their potential for helpful replication. His presentation and book has received high praise from a diverse spectrum of society such as “Dear Abby”, the nation’s leading domestic violence sociologist, attorneys, physicians, law enforcement, and numerous mental health professionals.
Mr. Cook holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon, and has appeared on numerous national radio and television shows such as MSNBC, Fox TV’s “The Crier Report”, “The Sally Jesse Raphael Show”, “The Home and Family Show”, Westwood Radio Network (Jim Bohannon Show, Dirk Van), and CBS radio. His articles about domestic violence have been published in, The Employee Assistance Professional “Exchange” Magazine, The Oregonian, Women’s Freedom Network Magazine, and other publications. Mr. Cook has been a director of news at major market radio stations in Texas and Oregon and director of TV news at stations in Washington and Nevada.
Upon leaving daily journalism, Mr. Cook became a stay at home dad to his first child for one year. Upon returning to the work force, he eventually became the program director and then executive director of a non-profit 501c3 organization that became known as the PACE Institute For Families in Transition. The organization provided the only consumer rated professional referrals to attorneys and psychologists in the state, as well as professional counselor conducted support groups for non-custodial parents. Working with two RN Ph.D.’s from Oregon Health Sciences University, a psychologist-author, and a counselor-author, the organization created “Children of Divorce” classes. The classes were modeled after a successful program in Wichita, Kansas which required all divorcing/separating parents with minor children to attend. The classes in Oregon taught parents how not to involve their children in disputes, how to diffuse anger, how to improve their own and their children’s self-esteem and how to support a continuing role for both parents. The demonstration classes were held for a number of years and were the subject of an hour-long prime time television special on the NBC affiliate in Portland. Several judges and attorneys also observed the classes. The Institute also held some 20 well-attended continuing education seminars in conjunction with colleges for psychologists, counselors, and social workers, about the effects of divorce/separation on parents and children. Eventually, the law which Mr. Cook wrote, allowing judges to mandate somewhat similar “Children of Divorce” classes for all divorcing parents with minor children in the state of Oregon was approved by the legislature. The classes are now mandatory in one-third of Oregon counties.
Philip W. Cook is available to provide training and presentations to organizations like your own.