Dr. Adam McCormick ('09 PhD) is a professor of social work at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, where he teaches in both the Social Work and Master of Counseling programs. A nationally recognized educator and speaker, his work explores childhood trauma, burnout, authenticity, masculinity and the emotional lives of helping professionals. McCormick is the recipient of the 2026 Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award, Texas’ highest honor for university teaching, and the author of Healing the Helping Professional: The Unfinished Business of Childhood.
Dr. Adam McCormick poses for a photo. (Courtesy Photo)
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in social work?
A: For many years, I would have answered this question by talking about my first job working in a children's home during college. And while that experience profoundly shaped my path, I have come to realize that my journey into social work began much earlier. I recently wrote about this in my book Healing the Helping Professional: The Unfinished Business of Childhood Trauma. Looking back, I joke that I became my father's social worker when I was about two feet tall. Growing up with a parent struggling with alcoholism taught me to pay close attention to people, to try to understand suffering, and to care deeply about relationships. But it was during college, while working as a direct care counselor in a residential children's home, that I discovered my passion for working with youth in foster care and addressing the wounds of trauma. That experience changed the trajectory of my life and confirmed that social work was where I belonged.
Q: How did your experience at the UTA School of Social Work shape your professional path?
A: My years at UTA were transformative both professionally and personally. Some of my closest professional relationships today are with classmates I met during my doctoral program. I had the privilege of learning from remarkable faculty, especially my advisor, Dr. Maria Scannapieco, who was instrumental in my professional formation and whose mentorship continues to influence me today. It was at UTA that I developed the research interests that have guided the last seventeen years of my career, particularly in the areas of child welfare, trauma, and foster care. UTA provided not only rigorous training but also a community that helped shape the scholar, teacher, and social worker I have become.
Q: What is one project, initiative, or accomplishment you're especially proud of?
A: I am particularly proud of my recent book, Healing the Helping Professional: The Unfinished Business of Childhood Trauma. The book emerged from many years of clinical practice, teaching, and personal reflection and explores how our own experiences shape the work we do as helping professionals. I am also deeply honored to have recently been named a Minnie Stevens Piper Professor, one of the highest honors bestowed upon educators in Texas. Both recognitions are meaningful because they reflect the two things I care most about: teaching and helping others make sense of their lives with greater compassion.
Q: What are some of the challenges you've faced in your work, and how have you navigated them?
A: Like many social workers, some of my greatest strengths have also presented challenges. I have had to confront my own tendencies toward overwork, difficulty setting boundaries, and a deep need to be useful and needed by others. Over time, I have come to understand that many of these patterns were rooted in my own life experiences and represented adaptations that once served important purposes. Learning to recognize these patterns with compassion rather than shame has been an important part of my own healing journey. That process has ultimately made me a better teacher, clinician, and human being.
Q: Who or what has been a major influence or source of support in your career?
A: I have been fortunate to be surrounded by extraordinary people throughout my career. Dr. Maria Scannapieco's mentorship during my doctoral studies had a profound impact on my development as a scholar and educator. Equally important have been my students. They have been a constant source of inspiration, hope, and joy. One of the greatest privileges of teaching is witnessing former students go on to do incredible work in their communities and continuing those relationships long after graduation.
Q: What advice would you share with current social work students or recent graduates?
A: One of the lessons I have come to believe most deeply is that you cannot care for a self that you do not know. Social work asks us to bring our whole selves into relationship with others, and the greatest gift we can give the people and communities we serve is our own commitment to healing and authenticity. I would encourage students to remain curious about themselves, to approach their own stories with compassion, and to remember that self-awareness is not separate from good practice—it is essential to it.
Q: How do you stay connected to the values and mission of social work in your everyday life?
A: I remain connected to the mission of social work through teaching, research, writing, and practice. At its heart, social work has always been about helping people feel seen, understood, and less alone. Whether I am teaching students, conducting research, writing books, or providing training to helping professionals, I strive to remain grounded in the values that first drew me to this profession: dignity, compassion, justice, and the belief that people make sense and that healing is possible.