Our hope at The Seattle School is to be led by our alumni and their stories–how they labor to live out their calling among the people and communities they serve. Author and professor Cynthia Beach received her Certificate of Spiritual Direction in 2002 from what was then known as Western Seminary-Seattle (later to be renamed The Seattle School). Next month her novel The Surface of Water will be published by InterVarsity Press. Read below to understand more of Cynthia’s journey including how her studies at The Seattle School shaped her lifelong vocation serving writers and writing. What year/de ..read more

In January 2024, The Seattle School held the second annual Day of Scholarship on campus during Winter Residency. This year’s theme of “What If There’s More?” aimed to connect Seattle School community members to wider disciplinary and interdisciplinary conversations across our institution. Current students, alumni, staff, and faculty presented Research Posters and facilitated Breakout Sessions, discussing aspects of their research, work, and publications. The Day of Scholarship fostered a spirit of collaboration as presenters engaged community members in exploring key questions. The tables ..read more

For the fourth podcast conversation in the Ghosts & Shadows Conversation Series, Dr. Paul Hoard and Dr. Doug Shirley wanted to hear from Dr. J. Derek McNeil, President and Provost of The Seattle School. Dr. McNeil joined the leadership team at The Seattle School in 2010, and he has served as President since 2019. Enjoy this dialogue among faculty as Dr. McNeil shares his insights on the school’s history, identity, and growth. He also speaks to the season of planting and rebuilding as well as the value of games and play.  [Podcast has been edited for length.] Ghost & Shadows Conver ..read more

Dr. Chelle Stearns joined Dr. Paul Hoard and Dr. Doug Shirley for this third podcast in the Ghosts & Shadows Conversation Series. She taught at The Seattle School from 2008-2023 as Associate Professor of Theology and now serves as Affiliate Faculty. Listen to the insights, experience, and theological imagination she brings to this exploration. [Podcast has been edited for length.] Ghost & Shadows Conversation Series In this season as The Seattle School has been looking back at the first 25 years, we, Dr. Paul Hoard and Dr. Doug Shirley, have been exploring what it means to live with th ..read more

For the second podcast in this series, Dr. Paul Hoard and Dr. Doug Shirley invited Dr. Monique Gadson, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, to share her perspective on the Ghosts & Shadows conversation. Dr. Gadson joined The Seattle School in 2022. Listen to her engage Dr. Hoard and Dr. Shirley as an “asker of questions” in this bold adventure of exploration. Ghost & Shadows Conversation Series In this season as The Seattle School has been looking back at the first 25 years, we, Dr. Paul Hoard and Dr. Doug Shirley, have been exploring what it means to live with the legacies an ..read more

In this season as The Seattle School has been looking back at the first 25 years, we, Dr. Paul Hoard and Dr. Doug Shirley, have been exploring what it means to live with the legacies and histories in our community, as well as how to engage with these proverbial ghosts and shadows, these systemic inheritances. Together in this series titled “Ghosts and Shadows,” we’ve examined the past and looked towards the future through three essays, and we also invited colleagues to join in the conversation and share their reflections in a series of podcasts. To start the series, psychiatrist, speaker, and ..read more

This spring, join us for a unique, relational event addressing the pressing questions of our time and place. The upcoming 2024 Christ & Cascadia Gathering on April 25, 2024, marks the revival of an annual Christ & Cascadia tradition, now under the stewardship of The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. We aim to foster open dialogue among Christ followers, encouraging exploration, imagination, and collaboration to shape the future of Christianity in Cascadia. This year, conversation will be centered around this question: What is distinct about ministry in Cascadia? Click below ..read more

In this season of gathering and gaming, we want to share with you the first part of a series created by faculty and staff. Dr. Jermaine Ma, Visiting Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Paul Steinke, Vice President of Alumni & Community Relations, and Dr. Paul Hoard, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, began a conversation around their shared passions for psychology and board games. They wove a discussion around the game of Turncoats that they played while simultaneously reflecting on what is being stirred in and between each other. The conversation covered topics of shame, wo ..read more

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology has received a grant of $1,250,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help continue efforts to equip leaders by gathering lay and ordained, active and aspiring preachers in the western region of the United States to develop their preaching skills and support one another in the art and spiritual practice of crafting sermons.  The Center for Transforming Engagement will lead the effort, which will include components on preaching as a means to gather diverse individuals into a community of belonging. At the end of the project, participating preachers ..read more

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology student Kathleen Cope shares her thoughts on residency from her experience in our low-residency programs. Walking into the red brick building that housed The Seattle School during my first residency was like stepping into a sea breeze that awakened my senses, drew me in, and welcomed me into a new place of belonging. In a playful and expansive way, like the sandy beach extending to the ocean, I felt invited to open my arms out wide, take up space, and fully be me. I have often felt divided within myself in different spaces: where I live, work, worship, a ..read more