experience and perspective

Mary Coussons-Read, Ph.D. (Dr. Mary) is a Professor of Psychology and the founder of Restless Coaching, LLC, an expert consulting practice focused on academic coaching for higher education institutions, faculty, and administrators. Her extensive career combines working as a Professor and Higher Education Leader with being a Certified Professional Personal and Career Coach. This puts Mary in a uniquely strong position to support higher education professionals in envisioning and realizing change. She has worked extensively for the past 30 years as a leadership and organizational development consultant in both the academic and corporate spheres, and she has extensive leadership experience in higher education. She has served as Provost, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Associate Dean for Faculty and Research, Department Chair, and Faculty Council President.  Dr. Mary received her PhD in Psychology and Neurobiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed postdoctoral training in Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine prior to joining the University of Colorado as a full-time faculty member. She is an award-winning teacher and NIH-funded researcher, studying the effects of stress and mood on immune function and health. She is active in the coaching and consulting world, providing faculty development training for institutions and individuals, as well as leadership and executive development training and coaching in higher education and the business community. She is active in her professional organizations and community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Society for Psychologists in Leadership, the Foundation for the Support of Management in Psychology, and the American Red Cross. In her free time, Dr. Mary enjoys attempting to play golf, spending time in the mountains of Colorado, and developing herself as a jazz and rock vocalist.