Faculty Bios

My goal in this brief sketch is to describe a bit about my background, interests, and teaching philosophy. I grew up in Cape Cod and North-Central Massachusetts . After graduating from high school, I went to Valley Forge Christian College and enrolled in a Pastoral Studies program. During that time, I became very interested in psychology and decided to further my education at Forest Institute where I graduated with a Master's and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. After that, I began Regent's two-year fellowship in the integration of psychology and spirituality and became a licensed psychologist.

The main interest that has been consistent throughout all of my education is the emotional experience of God. I recently wrote Pastoral Care of Depression: Helping Clients Heal Their Relationship with God to help clergy and mental health professionals learn how to address this issue in psychotherapy. Additionally, The God Image Handbook for Spiritual Counseling and Psychotherapy: Research, Theory, and Practice, is a forthcoming edited volume that addresses how to work with the emotional experience of God from a variety of theoretical orientations. Another main interest of mine is the integration of the Internet and psychology. I am the director of Missionary Outreach Support Services (www.missionaryoutreach.net), which is a web-based, mental health consultation service to missionaries. In addition, I have a new interest in social networks (www.5loaves.net) and online religion.

I also have a number of non-academic interests. My greatest, current, interest is spending time with my wife and two and a half year old twins. In addition, I'm forever renovating my house that was built in 1898 (Don’t ever buy an old house, even if you love the “charm”). Other interests include drinking copious amounts of coffee, reading, watching movies, walking, camping, and swimming.

Teaching is another strong interest of mine. My teaching philosophy is based on the fundamental idea that the desire to learn is inherent in human nature. Students seem more likely to actualize this tendency when information is presented in a manner that taps both the rational mind and the emotional mind. An orderly, logical, clear presentation helps students develop a rational understanding of current research and underlying theoretical assumptions. Illustrations, exercises, and case examples provide students with a vicarious emotional learning experience that enables them to apply knowledge to real life. I find that an integration of these two styles results in optimal learning. As a teacher, I strive to build strong relationships with students and provide a comfortable atmosphere in which people with different backgrounds and learning styles can actively participate in learning.