Dr. Dan B. Allender, Professor of Counseling Psychology and Founder Emeritus at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, is on an academic sabbatical from teaching at The Seattle School. Allender’s sabbatical began on January 1 and will last for the duration of 2015.

While Allender will continue in his speaking engagements and conference events for The Allender Center (including To Be Told Conferences this weekend in Houston, March 19 in Chicago, and April 17-18 in Arlington), as well as his teaching role in the Advanced Counseling and Lay Counseling certificate programs (applications for the 2015-2016 programs are now open), he is taking advantage of the time off from his graduate school teaching. Allender is nearing completion of a 25-year retrospective of The Wounded Heart, one of his touchstone books and the foundation for his work with adult victims of sexual abuse. He is also experimenting with an idea for a novel, which he discussed on a recent podcast for The Allender Center.

“I think [a sabbatical] is something akin to the rhythm of how we are meant to live life,” says Allender. “It is a significant period of time in which one lives what we are given each week: the opportunity to know Sabbath. […] Sabbath is moving us toward the culmination of what all of life is about: the coming day of the Lord Jesus Christ, when all things are put right, and where all mercy is extended and restoration is received by all.”

Tune in to The Allender Center’s weekly podcast for continued updates on Allender’s plans, activities, and reflections during his sabbatical.