We are excited to announce that Dr. Shawna Aarons-Cooke, DSW, LCSWR, is the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Blanton-Peale Institute & Counseling Center. Dr. Aarons-Cooke started in January 2025. She most recently served as Senior Vice President of Programs at The Guidance Center of Westchester. She replaces the Rev. Dr. Shari Brink, who retired at the end of 2024 after more than nine years at Blanton-Peale.
“Dr. Aarons-Cooke exemplifies the legacy and values of Blanton-Peale, and possesses the skills and experience to carry out our strategic and operational plans,” said Elizabeth Peale Allen, chair of the Board of Trustees. “We are grateful to Shari Brink for her leadership that has left Blanton-Peale in a strong position, and we are confident Dr. Aarons-Cooke will help lead the organization into a new era so we can continue to serve those who come to us for help.”
At The Guidance Center of Westchester, Dr. Aarons-Cooke managed a portfolio of licensed behavioral health, education, and social determinants of health programs operating in 20 locations and serving 5,000 people annually. She previously held positions at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center and at Altria Group, where she served as Supervisor of Corporate Contributions, developing and implementing a multimillion-dollar national grant-making strategy supporting social services organizations. Dr. Aarons-Cooke earned her bachelor’s degree at Boston University, her Master of Social Work at New York University and her Doctor of Social Work at Simmons University in Boston.
“I am excited to join Blanton-Peale, an organization that aligns with my personal commitment to holistic care and integrating mental health and spirituality in the spirit of the founders’ vision,” Dr. Aarons-Cooke said. “I look forward to continuing the good work of Shari Brink and the Board of Trustees.”
Allen said the search committee was impressed by Dr. Aarons-Cooke’s demonstrated skill in clinic leadership, her variety of experiences inside and outside of the non-profit world, and her ability to articulate a vision for Blanton-Peale’s future.
About the Blanton-Peale Institute & Counseling Center
Blanton-Peale Institute & Counseling Center is a licensed mental-health counseling and training center located in New York City, promoting holistic mental health and wellbeing by nurturing mind, body, and spirit. In 2023, we provided 33,863 sessions of affordable, accessible, holistic, and culturally responsive therapy. We are helping to train the next generation of mental health professionals through the Psychoanalytic Training Program, the Care and Counseling Program (available in Korean and English), and our BIPOC Fellows program. Blanton-Peale was founded in 1937 by the Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, pastor at The Marble Collegiate Church, and the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Smiley Blanton.