Dr. David Cox will conduct two seminars next month for suicide victims and prevention at First Baptist Church of Springfield.
The seminars will be held Aug. 8. The first, from 6-7 p.m., will be a small group discussion for support groups for survivors of suicide victims. The second, from 7-8 p.m., will be a large group seminar on suicide prevention and intervention
Dr. Cox is an author, counselor and teacher in Spartanburg, S.C. He holds a bachelors of art degree in religion from Wofford College, and Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. The focus of his doctoral work was counseling and suicide intervention.
As part of his training, Dr. Cox completed a two-year clinical residency as a hospital chaplain. He also had a 10-year career in emergency medical service and was named 1989 South Carolina Paramedic of the Year.
Dr. Cox is an ordained minister. Having served various churches as a youth minister and pastoral counselor, he entered private practice as a professional Christian counselor in 1992.
Dr. Cox served as an expert witness in the Susan Smith murder trial in Union, S.C. in 1995, giving testimony regarding the affects of suicide on surviving children. The BBC interviewed him for a suicide documentary about the Susan Smith case.
In 1997, he founded a SOS (Survivors of Suicide) support group. He facilitated the group, which continues to meet monthly, until several years ago when he felt the need to devote a large block of time to writing a book to help survivors of suicide cope.
He has also served as a staff counselor for Wounded Heroes, now Wounded Ministers, a ministry of LifeWay to pastors.
He is coauthor with Candy Arrington of “Aftershock: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide” and contributor to “The Art of Helping.”
In 2004 and 2007, Dr. Cox has been a radio guest on “Family Life Today” with Dennis Rainey. He has appeared on the national television programs “Helpline” with Dr. Morris Cerullo and “Time for Hope” with Dr. Freda Crews.
He is a national speaker on the subject of suicide.
Dr. Cox and his wife, Kelly, are the parents of five teenagers.
For more information, call the church at 754-3443.
