Ashley Coker-Cranney, PhD
Assistant Professor
Professional Highlights
- Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Association for Applied Sport Psychology
- Licensed Professional Counselor, West Virginia Board of Examiners for Counseling
Degrees
- Ph.D., Sport and Exercise Psychology, West Virginia University
- M.A., Counseling, West Virginia University
- M.S., Psychosocial Aspects of Sport, University of Utah
- B.S.P.E., Physical Education, University of Idaho
- B.S., Psychology, University of Idaho
Areas of Expertise
- Athlete mental health and performance
- Trauma and stress-based concerns/disorders
- Disordered eating behaviors
- Acceptance and Commitment Interventions for Performance
- Acceptance and Commitment Interventions for Trauma
- Applied Sport Psychology
- Applied Social Psychology of Sport
Research Interests
- Intersection of mental health and performance enhancement
- Overconformity to sport
- Sport deviance
- Mental health and performance enhancement for military, law enforcement, and other first responder populations
- Applied sport and performance psychology practice issues
- Mindfulness and acceptance-based interventions for mental health and performance enhancement
- Holistic interventions for mental health and performance enhancement
Certifications
- Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Association for Applied Sport Psychology
Committees and Memberships
- Advisor, Morgan's Message, 2023
- Member, Association for Applied Sport Psychology
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Ashley Coker-Cranney is an Assistant Professor of Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. Prior to becoming a WVU faculty member in 2023, Dr. Cranney worked in private practice with athletes, military servicemembers/veterans, law enforcement officers, performing artists, and others to shift their relationships with success, failure, fear, and change as a licensed professional counselor and certified mental performance consultant.
Dr. Cranney is interested in research related to (a) understanding and mitigating the effects of clinical/subclinical concerns on performance, (b) illuminating and addressing overconformity and other forms of sport deviance, (c) enhancing mental health via performance endeavors, and (d) exploring issues facing performance enhancement counselors. Her specialized training in trauma- and stress-based concerns, mindfulness and acceptance modalities, and sport and performance psychology facilitates her journey to explore the intersection of performance enhancement and mental health on client success/wellness and future practitioner training.
Dr. Cranney graduated from WVU with her PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology in 2016 and Master's in Counseling in 2014. She earned her Master's in Psychosocial Aspects of Sport from the University of Utah in 2011. Her post-secondary journey started with degrees in Physical Education and Psychology in 2007 at the University of Idaho where she was a dance team member/captain, and later, spirit squad coach.