Academic Catalog

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is authorized by the Washington Student Achievement Council and meets the requirements and minimum educational standards established for degree-granting institutions under the Degree-Granting Institutions Act. This authorization is subject to periodic review and authorizes The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology to offer specific degree programs. The Council may be contacted for a list of currently authorized programs. Authorization by the Council does not carry with it an endorsement by the Council of the institution or its programs. Any person desiring information about the requirements of the act or the applicability of those requirements to the institution may contact the Council at P.O. Box 43430, Olympia, WA 98504-3430. 

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in the United States and Canada, and the following degree programs are approved: Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, and Master of Arts in Theology & Culture. The commission's contact information is: The Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States & Canada - 10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275. Telephone: 412-788-6505; Fax: 412-788-6510; www.ats.edu.

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation. Accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution. Inquiries regarding an institution’s accredited status by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities 8060 165th Avenue NE Suite 100 Redmond, WA 98052. Phone: 425-558-4224. www.nwccu.org. 

The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology actively subscribes to a policy of equal education and employment opportunity for all people and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, sex, age, marital status or disability. This policy is in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Students have specific rights that are guaranteed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology has a policy prohibiting sexual harassment. Inquiries regarding compliance with federal, state and local laws or accreditation standards should be directed to the Office of Student Services and Alumni.

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this catalog, The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology (hereafter referred to as The Seattle School) has the right to make changes at any time without prior notice. The Registrar, in conjunction with other appropriate staff and faculty, is responsible for the annual updating and revision of the catalog. The Board of Trustees has final authority for approval of the catalog and approves changes annually. The catalog is for purposes of information and does not constitute the irrevocable terms of a contract between The Seattle School and current or prospective students. There are established procedures for making changes and procedures that protect the school’s integrity and the individual student’s interest and welfare. A curriculum or graduation requirement, when altered, is not made retroactive unless the alteration is to the student’s advantage and can be accommodated within the span of years normally required for graduation. If a student drops out of The Seattle School or becomes inactive and later returns, that student falls under the jurisdiction of the policies and procedures of the catalog in effect at the time of return.

It is the school’s expectation that students will follow school policies and procedures as presented in the catalog and student handbook. The student assumes personal responsibility for fulfilling their course of study and completing the graduation requirements of The Seattle School. A student’s ignorance of a policy, which appears in published student documents, particularly the catalog or student handbook, is not a valid reason for granting an exception to any policy. The catalog and student handbook are available to view and/or print from The Seattle School website: theseattleschool.edu.

This is a snapshot of the educational experience at The Seattle School. We place ourselves at the intersection of text.soul.culture to prepare you for wise, engaged service in the world. Yes, you will be reading many books, from the foundation of Scripture through the latest research in psychology, theology, critical social theory and the arts. We will also challenge you to explore aspects of your soul and story that may have been obscured before. And we do all of this in the context of culture and the complexity (and, sometimes, messiness) of community. Because increasingly, our national discourse is marked by division and fragmentation, we talk to each other more than with each other. Here, you will be invited to another way—to wrestle together with the big questions about living as relational beings amidst broken systems, and with our individual and collective callings in light of the wicked problems of our time.

Your work here will be full of deconstructing familiar ideas, participating in robust discourse, and building new imagination. It’s a difficult but life-giving process. And know this: we are not doing our jobs if your learning is contained to the classroom. Your education at The Seattle School is about training and equipping you to serve God and neighbor. I pray that the change and healing you find here propels you toward the change and healing of our world, and that the Spirit continues drawing you—and all of us—into emboldened service.

Welcome to our community of lifelong learners.

J. Derek McNeil, PhD

President and Provost

Core Faculty

Dan B. Allender, Ph.D.

Professor of Counseling Psychology, Founding President
B.A., Ohio Wesleyan College 

MDiv., Westminster Theological Seminary

M.S. Barry College

Ph.D., Michigan State University

Elizabeth Barton, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology

B.A., Concordia University

M.A., Fuller Theological Seminary: Graduate School of Psychology 

M.A., Fuller Theological Seminary

Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary

O’Donnell Day, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology

B.A., Mississippi State University 

M.A., California Graduate Psychoanalytic Institute 

Ph.D., Seattle Pacific University

Dwight Friesen, D.Min

Professor of Practical Theology

Cert., Biblical Studies Capernwray Hall

B.S., Alliance University College

M.A., Trinity International University

D.Min., George Fox Evangelical Seminary

Monique Gadson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology

Ph.D., Amridge University

M.S., Richmont Graduate University

M.S., Troy State University

B.S., University of Alabama

Cheryl Goodwin, M.L.S.

Director of Library Services

Director of Institutional Assessment

B.A., University of California, San Diego

M.L.S., University of Washington

Paul Hoard, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology

Ph.D., Regent University

M.A., Grace College Graduate School

B.A., Grace College

Ron Ruthruff, D.Min.

Associate Professor of Theology & Culture

B.A. Western Washington University

M.S., Pepperdine University

D.Min., Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary

Doug Shirley, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology

B.A., Messiah College

MDiv., The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology

M.Ed., Temple University

Ed.D., Argosy University

For Affiliate and Adjunct Faculty and other members of the Instructional Team please visit our website directory at 

https://theseattleschool.edu/directory/category/faculty-instructional-staff/

Board of Trustees

Dana Scannell, Chair - North Tustin, CA 

Suzanne Aultmann - Greenville, SC

Alvin Chu - Washington D.C.

Cole Dawson - Sunriver, OR

Winston Gooden - Washington D.C.

Margie Gradwohl - Edmonds, WA

Nicole Greenwald - Seattle, WA

Scott Owen - Monument, CO

Brent Stucker - Park City, UT

Dan Allender, Founding President (Non-voting) - Bainbridge Island, WA

Keith Anderson, President Emeritus (Non-voting) - Coupeville, WA

J. Derek McNeil, ex officio - Seattle, WA

A full list of Administrators and Staff of The Seattle School, including The Allender Center and the Center for Transforming Engagement, can be found on our website directory at: 

https://theseattleschool.edu/directory/category/administrative-staff/