As we reflect on this past spring and look toward the year ahead, we want to honor a few of the individuals helping shape what鈥檚 emerging in our community. This highlight list focuses primarily on newer faculty and recent teaching developments鈥攏ot a comprehensive overview of every professor and their impact. Whether you’re a recent graduate or a long-time alum, may these glimpses offer renewed connection to the wisdom, formation, and care being cultivated in our classrooms.

Dr. Elizabeth (Lizz) Barton (Core Faculty) joined the Counseling Psychology faculty in 2024, bringing over 20 years of experience in university counseling centers. A licensed clinical psychologist with dual doctorates in Clinical Psychology and Theology, she鈥檚 known for her relational depth, embodied teaching, and commitment to helping emerging clinicians find their voice. Originally from rural Washington, Lizz integrates her love for story, formation, and belonging both in the classroom and in her community.

Dr. Allison Bradford Chow聽(Adjunct Faculty)
New to our adjunct faculty, Alison Bradford Chow,听补 天美视频 alum, brings a clinical lens shaped by psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and an appreciation for the ways our earliest experiences shape our lives. More about Allison is coming soon!

Dr. Monique Gadson (Core Faculty)
For Spring 2025 term, Monique Gadson introduced a new elective: African American Experiences in Societal Context. Through historical, cultural, and personal engagement, students were invited to reflect on how systemic realities shape both their own formation and their future work in clinical and ministerial contexts. The course is part of a growing commitment to center underrepresented narratives within our curriculum.

Shauna Gauthier, MA (Adjunct Faculty)
Alum Shauna Gauthier taught CSL 564 Assessment & Treatment of Trauma & Abuse in Spring 2025 offering students a grounded, compassionate environment to engage complex clinical content. Students praised the course鈥檚 thoughtful pacing and spacious design, noting Shauna鈥檚 ability to blend structure and emotional care鈥攁 hallmark of trauma-informed pedagogy.

Dr. Paul Hoard (Core Faculty)
In his Helping Relationships courses, Paul Hoard has been integrating tools like AI into roleplay and training exercises, inviting students to explore empathy and therapeutic dialogue in new ways. These experiments foster both clinical skills and critical discussions about the role of AI in mental health care鈥攁 timely and necessary conversation.

Dr. Joel Kiekintveld (Adjunct Faculty)
Joel brings experience in both pastoral leadership and clinical practice. His teaching bridges the spiritual and psychological with grounded clarity, helping students navigate vocational discernment and integrative formation.

Dr. Ron Ruthruff (Core Faculty)
Each spring, Ron Ruthruff leads one of our most beloved intensives: SFD 520 Engaging Local Partnerships: Northwest Native American History, Spirituality, and Culture. Held in Yakima, this travel course offers a deeply immersive learning experience through partnership with Indigenous communities. Alumni consistently describe it as a formative turning point鈥攚here land, story, and responsibility converge. Ron鈥檚 steady leadership reflects our commitment to place-based learning and the wisdom of community elders.

Dr. Lauren D. Sawyer (Affiliate Faculty)
Last year, in Beauty, Brokenness, & the Cross, Lauren Sawyer offered a hybrid-format course featuring podcast-style lectures and asynchronous learning. Her theological imagination and accessible teaching style created a powerful space for reflection and embodiment. We鈥檙e also celebrating Lauren鈥檚 upcoming book release: Growing Up Pure: White Girls, Queer Teens, and the Racial Foundations of Purity Culture, which explores identity, faith, and adolescence with academic and cultural insight.

Dr. Adam Schneider (Adjunct Faculty)
Adam (MACP, 2017), an experienced psychodynamic psychologist, is new to adjunct faculty this fall. His teaching is marked by practical experience, theoretical rigor, and a deep commitment to ethics. We鈥檙e honored to welcome Adam into the classroom.

Dr. Doug Shirley (Core Faculty)
Doug Shirley brings a rich legacy of integrative teaching that weaves together theology, psychology, and spiritual formation. Known for his invitational tone and reflective depth, Doug鈥檚 courses鈥攍ike Spiritual Formation & Direction鈥攐ffer students frameworks to sustain healing work for the long haul.

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An introduction from Dr. Lauren Sawyer

In fall 2024, our Masters of Theology and Culture students participated in TCE 546O: Constructive Theology, a course that introduced students to the particular intricacies of constructive theology鈥揳 mode of or orientation toward doing theology鈥揺specially alongside systematic and dogmatic theologies. With the help of our course readings, particularly Jason Wyman鈥檚 , we together built a blueprint for reading and then doing constructive theology.

We highlighted how constructive theology is a way of doing Christian theology that takes tradition seriously while also challenging certain assumptions. Constructive theology is inherently interdisciplinary and concerns itself with the very real issues of today鈥檚 world.

The final project for the term invited students to construct a theology, with the option of creating it through artistic means with an accompanying annotated bibliography. It is tempting to think that 鈥済ood鈥� theology only happens through academic paper-writing. My students, Vanessa Ryerse included, clearly showed how that is a false limitation. Constructing an open, tradition-respectful, ethics-oriented theology can happen in many beautiful ways.

Constructive Theology Assignment by Vanessa Ryerse

As a working mosaic artist, the opportunity to craft a project for our Constructive Theology class was an intuitive and welcome assignment. I create from broken dishes, and I am particularly interested in new meanings emerging from juxtaposition.

In this work, it could be imagined that each piece in the mosaic was a reference to the readings from Constructive Theology class as well as Intersections 1, which is concerned with the question of “What is the self?” There are also many visual call backs to other artists, who build on other work, such as Kehinde Wiley, who suggests religious iconography and Kara Walker, who touches on silhouettes as stereotypes. Jeanne Vaccaro鈥檚 work likening trans-bodies to hand-made bodies strongly influenced the project.

The resulting work, playing on the shape of a human shooting target asks the viewer to see God in the most vulnerable, and in one鈥檚 enemy, while at the same time interrogating certitude about the way God is known. This shooting target motif is an important addition to my body of work, which I first began to explore in the wake of the , as seen in 鈥淩end And Remember,鈥� a work that will next appear in the show at the Academy Art Museum in Maryland in the fall of 2025.

About Vanessa

Vanessa Ryerse, an associate board certified chaplain, is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Theology & Culture 鈥� The Arts at 天美视频 of Theology & Psychology. She chose the program to enrich and deepen her chaplaincy practice and is grateful for how seamlessly the curriculum integrates with and supports her work in spiritual care.

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Resmaa Menakem is a New York Times best-selling, artist, and psychotherapist specializing in the effects of trauma on the human body and relationships in Black families and Black society. His important book , was published in September 2017 and his most recent book, was published in 2022.

is a writer, liturgist, speaker seeking a deeply contemplative life marked by embodiment and emotion. She is the creator of , a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator. In her work, she produces and curates content to guide others into deeper musings and embodiment of the faith. She was also a for Advent in 2020.

is a contemporary theologian associated with process theology and womanist theology. She is John and Patricia Cochran Scholar for Inclusive Excellence and Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Delaware. Her memoir reflects on her experience and process around faith, race, and mental health. Her second book, , is included in syllabi in theological schools around the country.

is a dynamic speaker, teacher, author, and reconciliation leader. Her mission is to inspire and empower emerging Christian leaders to be practitioners of reconciliation in their various spheres of influence. Her book, , offers a distinctly Christian framework for addressing systemic injustice. In her most recent book, Dr. McNeil looks to the biblical story of Nehemiah for action-based model for repairing and rebuilding our communities and transforming broken systems. Listen to Rev. Dr. McNeil on The Allender Center podcast.

Jemar Tisby (BA, University of Notre Dame; MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is听补 co-host of the and the author of the New York Times bestseller, 听补nd several .

is an African-American Episcopal priest, womanist theologian, and the inaugural Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary. She is also the Canon Theologian at the Washington National Cathedral. She wrote which Dr. Ron Ruthruff uses in his course Word on the Street.

is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker, and media producer providing inspired leadership on racial justice in America. She is the author of and the Executive Producer of web series

Willie James Jennings teaches systematic theology and Africana studies at Yale Divinity School and is known for his award-winning book .

has 30 years of experience working with grassroots organizations, helping them unleash possibilities and reach their deeper potential. He has a PhD in Clinical and Community Psychology from Boston University, and Med in Counseling from Cleveland University. He is an executive coach, Professor of Practice, and the Associate Director of the Leadership Institute at the University of San Diego.

is a womanist theologian and activist, ordained United Methodist elder, and national and international lecturer. She currently serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Meadville Lombard Theological School and Associate Professor of Constructive Theology. Dr. Lightsey is also the author of . You can watch Dr. Lightsey engage with a panel of speakers at our .

is the Neil F. and Ila A. Fisher Chair of Theology at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and the author of . Dr. Brian Bantum was also our keynote speaker at the annual Stanley Grenz Lecture in 2020, .

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On January 11, 2025, 天美视频 hosted its third annual community-wide Day of Scholarship on campus in Seattle during our Winter Residency, connecting community members to the wider disciplinary and interdisciplinary conversations across our institution. This year鈥檚 theme 鈥淓ngaging (An)other鈥� emphasized the work of Dr. Esther Meek and her contributions as our current Senior Scholar including the . This publication, Dr. Meek’s gift to 天美视频, served as an opportunity for faculty and staff to model and practice engaging in discourse with each other. Day of Scholarship 2025 featured a panel discussion highlighting the eight essays where faculty and staff responded to “.” Current students, alumni, staff, and faculty also presented research posters and facilitated breakout sessions, discussing aspects of their research, work, and publications, as noted in the tables below. During this third year of Day of Scholarship, participants once again had opportunities to explore key questions that 天美视频 community members are pursuing in their work and research in Seattle and across the country.

Day of Scholarship 2025 Poster Presentations

Day of Scholarship 2025 Breakout Session Presenters

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What brought you to 天美视频?

The short answer was it was a calling fulfilled. The long answer is very long and probably too long for this interview.聽 My journey to 天美视频 was influenced by my own trauma work; my gifted and kind counselors (I did both individual and group therapy with alumni of 天美视频); the work of Dan Allender, particularly the Wounded Heart book/workbook; and an amazing preview weekend that left me feeling like I made sense and belonged somewhere for the first time in my life.聽聽

When you came to 天美视频, why did you decide to go through your degree program?

I completed the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (MACP) in 2015. I chose this program because I dared to dream that I could be a counselor one day, despite my own woundings.聽 I chose 天美视频 because I felt like it would grow my own capacity to sit with tension and to be kind to myself and others.聽 I also strongly wanted to learn from Dr. Dan Allender.聽 With that said, I was pleasantly surprised to be greatly influenced and shaped by other professors, including Dr. Roy Barsness, Dr. Stephanie Neill, Dr. Steve Call, Dr. O’Donnell Day, Dr. Dwight Friesen, and Laura Shirley.

What did you hope you would be able to do following graduation?

I hoped to work as a counselor and I jumped right in!听 It was anxiety-producing work at first.聽 I often found myself wondering, “Can I really sit with someone else in their pain and woundings?”聽 But my time at the school prepared me and here I am, 10 years later, still doing the work.聽聽

How has your work today been informed by your education at 天美视频?

I think my time at 天美视频 helped me ground my work in a belief system that still sustains me to this day.聽 I believe people bear the image of God.聽 I believe people’s behavior makes sense in the context of their particular woundings and hurt.聽 I believe I can only take people as far as I have gone, meaning I am still in my own counseling.聽 I believe I need to understand my own story so I know when it’s influencing my work with clients.聽 I believe we need community to do this work well (…to know ourselves well, to heal, to grow…for oh so much) and 天美视频 has provided me with a supportive community to continue to grow.

What inspires you or gives you hope?

People.聽 I know we are in a phase where people are more divisive than ever, but I truly am inspired by people. Being a counselor has privileged me to see some of the best of humanity.聽 Yes, there is often so much shit and people regularly hurt each other, myself included, but deep inside there is goodness and love.聽 I get to see that in beautiful and profound ways.聽 I often feel like my clients offer me more than I offer them, and they don’t even know it!

What does flourishing and service to God and neighbor look like in your life?

Tough question.聽 I’m in a tough season of life.聽 It’s a season of transition and change.聽 I think right now flourishing is staying true to my essential self and continuing to do my own healing work so that I can be fully present and engaged with others.

Who are the people who support your flourishing, and what practices do you engage that help you flourish?

I have really good people in my life: my husband, my children, my tribe of women (other local alumni with whom I gather), my friends. They help me be a better me.聽 Practices that I engage in to flourish include my own counseling, pilates, gardening, reading, walking, and being part of a book club.聽

What is one piece of wisdom or advice you would give to prospective students interested in pursuing the same degree program as you?

Find people who think differently than you and engage with them.聽 Practice noticing what the differences do to you and how they impact your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.聽 Also, find people you can be yourself with, with whom you can relax.聽 Share yourself with your safe people, even the difficult stuff.聽 Go to counseling and stay in counseling.聽 There is always so much to learn and process.聽聽

Learn more about our Master of Arts in Counseling Program: take the next step in your journey and !听

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What brought you to 天美视频 and how did you choose your degree program?

Coming to 天美视频 is a fulfillment of many dreams鈥攕ome lifelong, some newer. Dreams that lay dormant in my soul awaiting the right timing to be planted and birthed. I still vividly recall the moment I was driving home to Boise from my grandmother’s funeral in Portland when I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit to truly ask for this desire of my heart. To pray aloud my desire to go back to school at nearly 40, not just any school but The Seattle school, and finally pursue this deeply felt longing of my soul. If you told me 20 years ago that I would even be going back to school let alone to study counseling psychology, I would have laughed at the absurdity of it. And yet, it may be the first big thing I’ve done in my life that was just for me.

My desire to pursue a Masters in Counseling Psychology (MACP) comes from having seen and experienced firsthand the (often unintentional) hurt that happens within the church when those without training in psychology attempt to counsel others. I chose 天美视频’s MACP program for its alignment with my own personal values of doing the work myself first before making any attempts at helping others to do the same and for its integration of theology and psychology without the spiritual bypassing that too many Christian institutions encourage. While I originally only planned to do the MACP program, over time and through the counsel of one of my professors, I have come to see that to not do the dual degree program would feel incomplete so I’m now pursuing both my MACP and my Masters in Theology and Culture (MATC) with a focus in ministry.聽

What do you hope to do following graduation?

My desire is to work at the intersection of psychology and practical theology within the church as well as in private practice focusing on issues of betrayal, spiritual abuse, somatic healing, and neurodivergence.

What has been your favorite class or project so far?

My favorite project so far has been my Theological Anthropology, which focuses on answering the questions “What is human flourishing?” and “What is a human being fully alive?” The paper felt like a culmination not only of my first year of grad school but also of many years of personal growth and exploration. The invitation to put this ideas down on paper felt sacred. While I didn’t love needing to make my ideas fit into the academic boxes required of a grad school paper, I loved the opportunity to begin writing down what I hope will one day become a book.

Are you part of a student group or community at 天美视频?

I am a Student Leadership Fellow, member of Student Leadership, and part of the Access student group.

What is one insight, quote, topic, or question you find yourself drawn to at the moment?

As I’m in a season personally that I never envisioned myself being in, I find myself asking, “What does it look like to dream and hope amidst earth-shattering hurt and pain?” I’m finding the deeper I allow myself to grieve and lament the deeper I’m able to experience joy and delight.

What are you reading and/or listening to lately?

Outside of school, I’m currently reading Trauma and the Soul by Donald Kalsched.

What do you love to do outside of school?

My life outside of school is very full but my favorite thing by far is spending time reflecting, laughing, and loving my two teenage daughters.

What is your favorite place to visit when you need to replenish your body and soul?

The PNW! I grew up in Seattle and spent most of my adult life in Portland before moving to Boise a few years ago. I didn’t realize quite how much I missed the PNW until I came to Seattle for my first residency and felt at home in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.

What inspires you or gives you hope right now?

My daughters.聽They are the crowning glory of my life and I couldn’t be more proud of the amazing young women they are.聽

Learn more about our MACP and MATC programs!听

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What brought you to 天美视频?

When I started researching grad schools, I got curious about my own journey in therapy. There were therapists that I did not connect well with, and others that I look back with a lot of gratitude for the work that we did. It felt clear to me that when I felt invited and accepted, as well as seen and deeply known, that the work in those relationships was powerful. I came to 天美视频 because I wanted to learn how to attune with, journey alongside, see the beauty in, and empower each person who comes to my office.聽

When you came to 天美视频, why did you decide to go through your degree program?

I first thought about being a therapist in 2002. I was volunteering on a sexual assault hotline, and doing advocacy work. I look back at my journey and think about Jonah, except Jonah was only swallowed by a fish once, as far as we know. The invitation came back several times, and it wasn’t until 2012 that I felt the invitation and thought, I think becoming a therapist is my next season.聽

What did you hope you would be able to do following graduation?

When I first came to 天美视频, I wanted to keep my expectations open. Except, I did think I in no way wanted to work with children. Which come to internship, there I was, working with children and adolescents. I had a desire to work with trauma, however I left it open to be revealed to me what that could look like.聽

How has your work today been informed by your education at 天美视频?

My time at 天美视频 continues to inform my practice as I witness the beauty of humans coming alive, and increasing their understanding of the intersecting layers of who they are, and how they show up in the world.

What inspires you or gives you hope?

I’m in awe of my clients, and the work that they do. The small steps, and the big steps. In class I once heard Dan Allender say, “Love changes people always.” It gives me hope to see people bravely stepping into trauma work, and the impacts it has not only on their lives, but also the lives of the people around them.聽

What does flourishing and service to God and neighbor look like in your life?

When I think about flourishing and service to God and neighbor, I think about how I am loving God, loving self, and loving neighbor. I often feel most connected to and in service to God in nature, and in community. I often think about how I am both stewarding the planet well, and relationships in community. When I think about loving myself, I think about the continued work I do on my own story, not only for my healing, but also for how I am engaging with and raising my children. Neighbor can not only be a community both small and wide, but also my clients. I am mindful of how I show up in community, and the impact that I have. I am also intentional about how I set up and run my practice, as well as how I sit with my clients.

Who are the people who support your flourishing, and what practices do you engage that help you flourish?

Friends, found family, and colleagues who come alongside me have been necessary. One practice I have learned is communicating my needs. I have found these relationships to be supportive not only when they check in with me because they care about me, but also when I communicate when I am struggling, and how I can be supported. Having a going to, and leaving work ritual has been supportive of my awareness of what I am carrying in my body and mind. Playing music and creating art is not only a practice I find helpful, but also connects me to community. Being in nature is another important practice. Whether that is going for a hike, sitting next to a creek, or walking a labyrinth, I find spending time in nature to be grounding and a place for processing and reflection.聽

What is one piece of wisdom or advice you would give to prospective students interested in pursuing the same degree program as you?

Be open. You are about to learn a lot about not only therapy but also yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be mindful of what you say yes to, and what you say no to. Also, get support if you need it. I am grateful for the disability accommodations that helped me be successful in the program.

Learn more about our Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program.

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Red Brick Building: The Liminal Space by Sunghee Kim

This fall, our second-floor gallery at 2501 Elliott Ave. features watercolors created by Sunghee Kim, a second-year student in the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program. Through the Artist Statement and interview below, she shares more about her experiences as a 天美视频 student and artist.

Prints of these paintings are available for purchase in the , with proceeds supporting the BIPOC student group. More information about an online auction for these nine original paintings will be available early in the new year.

Artist Statement:

In my first year at 天美视频, I often sat quietly in the Back Alley in the mornings, watching the blue sky, the water, the trains, and the cruise ships pass by through the window. During these moments, the Red Brick Building became a liminal space for me鈥攁 place where I lost track of time, reflected on my past, grounded myself in the present, and held hope for the future. To capture the emotions, joys, and struggles I experienced there, I began drawing and painting the Red Brick Building.聽

Many thanks to my classmates and instructors who helped and encouraged me to discover my joy in painting. As we prepare to move to a new campus farther south of downtown Seattle, I hope these paintings will evoke memories of joy and gratitude, as well as the struggles and sorrows, for those who shared this space. I hope these paintings inspire people to embrace their own journeys, use their talents, and share their gifts with the world.

What drew you to 天美视频 and how did you choose your degree program?

I thought I knew why I came here, but now that feels like a question for me too, as I keep finding new answers along the way. I’ve always been interested in understanding the human mind, and I also wanted to understand why I was struggling so much to adjust to life here in America, even when I was surrounded by kind people. I’ve seen many of my friends, especially international students and immigrants, struggling in similar ways, but it’s difficult to find someone who is truly willing to listen to our voices. I thought I needed to be the first to listen to my own story, so I could develop my capacity to listen deeply to others. This is one of the many reasons鈥攕ome still not fully clear to me鈥攚hy I began studying Counseling Psychology at 天美视频.

What has been a favorite class at 天美视频?

So far, I鈥檓 both enjoying and challenged by all of my classes. Each one offers so much to learn and work through. Instead of naming a favorite, I鈥檇 like to share how certain classes have inspired me to draw and paint.

In the winter term of 2024, I took a course on Narrative, Identity, and Asian American Experiences with Dr. Jermaine Ma. She encouraged us to express our emotions using just three colors with colored pencils or any other art supplies we had. At first, I picked random colors, started coloring, and then gripped the pencil in a sort of rebellious way. I drew lines and circles without any form or order. It felt like something was cracking open inside me, like I was opening a box I didn鈥檛 know I had. From that moment on, I kept art supplies close by on my desk, but did not begin drawing or painting. Suddenly, I remembered how much I had enjoyed drawing and painting when I was a kid.聽

In the same term, I was taking the Critical Learning Lab with Dr. Dwight Friesen, where I frequently heard the term “unlearning.” It prompted me to reflect on how I could become more flexible in letting go of what I was used to doing and believing. So, I decided to approach everything differently, what I called the 鈥渟tupid way.鈥� I dedicated the most time to the assignment with the least weight on the grade. For the final presentation of my “My Landmark” project, which I had already earned enough points to pass, I spent hours and hours working on it. Instead of using PowerPoint, I hand-drew all the slides for my presentation. After giving the presentation with my own paintings in this class, I got enough courage to paint as a way of expressing my Korean immigrant identity for the final assignment for Narrative, Identity, and Asian American Experiences class. Those paintings were later displayed at the Underrepresented Students鈥� Voices Gallery throughout spring term and summer at the school.聽

In the spring term of 2024, I took an elective class called The Artist鈥檚 Way with Dr. Pat Loughery. Throughout the course, students were asked to create any kind of creative works, and I decided to try urban sketching, something I had never done before. Then, I ended up painting the 天美视频. Some of the paintings currently displayed at the gallery are pieces I created during this class.

What draws you to watercolor painting?

I do love various, different types of art mediums, but when it comes to watercolor, I particularly love its picky and sensitive personality. Watercolor painting requires a lot of patience. It never allows me to take a shortcut. It is also not forgiving. Once I make a mistake, there鈥檚 no going back. So, I have to slow down and learn to accept my mistakes as part of the 鈥淎rt.鈥澛�

Another thing I really love about watercolor is its transparency. Sometimes the color on the paper is really bold and vivid, and other times, it鈥檚 almost invisible. What I appreciate is that, no matter how strong or faint the color is, it never fully takes over the paper. If you let it cover the whole surface, it loses that delicate, shimmering beauty that makes watercolor so unique. I enjoy this challenging, sometimes even painful, process of creating a watercolor painting.

How did your classmates and instructors encourage you to find joy in painting?

What I really appreciate most is their presence. Instead of offering comments or advice, they were just there with me, spending time and sharing curiosity about my stories. That alone made me feel heard and seen. Once my story was heard by them, I became more curious about what I wanted to express. Their curiosity about me helped spark my own curiosity in various areas. This year, painting became one of the mediums through which I expressed myself.聽

At this point in time, what would you like to explore after graduating from 天美视频?

Well, like many students, after graduating, I want to complete the required clinical hours and pass the licensure exam as soon as possible, and eventually secure a stable position as a counselor. But these are just factual steps. At this moment, my main focus is to explore my own picture of the world and to cultivate a deeper curiosity within myself. By doing this, I hope to develop my capacity to see and listen to others鈥� pictures of the world and their voices more fully. Ideally, I would love to work with people of color, international students, immigrants, and refugees. If I could serve as a blank canvas on which they feel free and safe to express themselves, I couldn鈥檛 be happier. The journey I鈥檓 on now feels like it鈥檚 strengthening me to become like watercolor paper鈥攁ble to hold water and pigments without warping.

What鈥檚 your hope for these Red Brick Building paintings and reproductions?

Initially, I started painting the school building to capture moments of both joy and struggle that I experienced here. To finish just one painting, I鈥檇 spend hours looking at the same spot鈥攐r a photo of it鈥攐ver and over. Through that process, I noticed something special happening: an ordinary place would transform into something extraordinary, from a simple object into a meaningful and spiritual subject. I hope my paintings can remind others of their own moments at the school, prompting them to pause, reflect on their memories, and perhaps even experience a transformation of their own.

We often pass through doors, walk up and down staircases, or look through windows without paying them much attention. But when these ordinary objects are captured on paper, they stop being mere backgrounds and become the main subjects. I hope鈥攁nd this is a hope I carry for life鈥攖hat people who have been marginalized can receive this same level of warm attention, both in quality and quantity, so that their often invisible identities become visible and their unheard voices are truly heard, just as the doors and staircases became focal points in my paintings. This is why I want to donate all profits from selling my artwork to support BIPOC student groups.

Find the Red Brick Building: The Liminal Space prints at 天美视频 .

Learn more about our Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology.

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Dr. Dwight Friesen, Professor of Practical Theology, Dr. Paul Hoard, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, and 天美视频 Admissions Counselor Milli Haase, MDiv 鈥�21, joined Lisa Sharon Harper for a panel discussion exploring grief, shame, and community focused on the profound implications of being made in the likeness of God.聽

Lisa Sharon Harper is the founder and president of , a groundbreaking consulting group that crafts experiences that bring common understanding and common commitments that lead to common action toward a more just world. Lisa is a public theologian whose writing, speaking, activism and training has sparked and fed the fires of re-formation in the church from Ferguson and Charlottesville to South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Ireland. Lisa鈥檚 book, Fortune: How Race Broke My Family And The World–And How To Repair It All was named one of the 鈥淏est Books of 2022鈥� and The Very Good Gospel was named 2016 鈥淏ook of the Year鈥� by Englewood Review of Books. The Huffington Post identified Lisa as one of 50 Women Religious Leaders to Celebrate on International Women鈥檚 Day. Lisa is host of the Freedom Road Podcast, cohost of The FOUR Podcast and author of her weekly column on Substack, 鈥淭he Truth Is鈥︹��.

We are grateful to Lisa Sharon Harper for sharing with our community a deeper historical understanding of the conflict in Gaza as well as theological grounding in the Kingdom of God as we continue the conversation and wrestle with the call of leaders, therapists, pastors, theologians, and caregivers in responding to this ongoing and tragic humanitarian crisis.聽

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Dr. Misty Anne Winzenried, Dean of the Graduate School, explains the importance and impact of this new program: 鈥淭his Certificate will provide participants a rich and robust year of thinking about how we read scripture, how we interpret scripture, and how we engage our world and communities. Our teachers are also practitioners, and they are committed to providing deeply contextual understandings of the Bible and its relevance in today’s society.鈥�

Examining the literary forms, themes, and history of the Bible alongside social justice perspectives, students will discover and apply insights to their lives, ministry, and vocation. With the School鈥檚 signature emphasis on the integration of theology and psychology, learners in the Certificate in Scripture & Society program will strengthen their listening skills and develop a therapeutic presence to foster change in society. With plans for additional certificates in the future, 天美视频 is excited to create this opportunity for students who may not be seeking a full master鈥檚 degree to develop and expand appreciation and application for the relevance of the Bible while learning skills and understandings to empower transformation and service in today鈥檚 world.

Applications are open and seats are limited. The early bird application deadline is November 1, 2024 and applications close on December 1, 2024. For more information on our programs, please contact 天美视频 Admissions at admissions@theseattleschool.edu.

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