Dr. Rebecca Cowan

Dr. Cowan is a Ph.D.-level Licensed Professional Counselor with over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. She holds master’s degrees in counseling and forensic psychology, with a specialization in terrorism. Dr. Cowan is a faculty member at Walden University in the College of Social and Behavioral Health. She has clinical and research expertise in mass casualty incidents and has responded to and worked with survivors of several mass shootings, including the Route 91 Harvest Festival, Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, and the 2023 Lewiston, ME shootings. She also served on the Commission to Investigate the May 31, 2019, Virginia Beach Mass Shooting. Dr. Cowan has numerous professional publications with a research focus on targeted/intended violence, public mass shootings, school shootings, crisis intervention, and disaster mental health, including the unique needs of survivors of mass shootings.