Serving God and neighbor
through transforming relationships.
Who We Are
The Seattle School is one interdisciplinary graduate school and seminary offering immersive, holistic graduate degree programs in counseling psychology, theology, and culture. Discover your calling, and hone your craft with us.
We began as a gathering of a few passionate dreamers who imagined a new kind of theological and psychological training—embracing the human story, in its beauty and complexity.
More Facts
By the Numbers
1650
Alumni leading in the field as pastors, counselors, artists, and leaders.
Our Alumni1997
The year our school began and matriculated our first cohort.
Our Story“The prophet is not an outsider throwing rocks, nor a comfortable insider who defends the status quo; but one who lives precariously with two perspectives held tightly together in a loving and creative tension: the faithful insider and the critical outsider. ”
Richard Rohr Explore our Programs
Upcoming Events
Attuning to the Heartbeat of a Hurting World
At The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, we train people to attune to the heartbeat of a hurting world, knowing that this can only happen when we are also attuned to our own heartbeats—the joy, pain, grief, and hope of what it means to be human. Our entire learning model is grounded in that conviction.
The Persistent Hope of Transformation
The Seattle School trains pastors, therapists, leaders, and artists who are attuned to both the beauty and the brokenness in their own stories and in the world around them. As we near the end of our 25th year, would you consider partnering with us to help build the bridge to our future? Learn how at theseattleschool.edu/give.
Lovers of the World
We are led by our alumni. When you give to The Seattle School, you join us in sending women and men into their communities with the capacity to change and be changed by their world.
Learning Takes Your Whole Body
We live in a complex world. Engaging the beauty, complexity, and brokenness in ourselves and in the people around us requires a new kind of education—one that is robustly Christian, deeply questioning, and profoundly human. If you are seeking to deepen your capacity to work as a therapist, pastor, artist, leader, or healer, we invite you to join us at the intersection of text, soul, and culture.
Featured Content
Seeing God in the most vulnerable and in our enemy
Vanessa Ryerse, a current student in the Master of Arts in Theology & Culture – The Arts program, discusses the process of creating her final project for the Constructive Theology course, taught by Dr. Lauren Sawyer. Vanessa shares insight into her creative journey, offering reflections on her approach and the development of her work. Dr. […]
Ghost & Shadows Conversation Series: Podcast with Guest Dr. J. Derek McNeil
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 […]
Transformative Education
Our sacred mission is one of building capacity to think, empathize, and mindfully engage amid pain, trauma, and injustice. Our immersive, interdisciplinary education model develops adaptive, embodied practitioners.
“My professors at The Seattle School are not only invested in my classroom learning, but in my becoming more fully who I am, and doing that with grace and patience. I feel called to work with people in such a way that it leads unto joy — and not cheap joy. My primary excitement is being alongside people during the impossible work of lament. ”
Carrie Cates, MDiv '17
All Courses
Featured Courses
Engaging Global Partnerships: Creating Conversations with Grassroots’ Leaders in their Context
Hosted by Guatemalan leaders serving communities impacted by poverty, lack of education, homelessness, addiction, and gang violence, students participate in pre-trip readings and film study focused on Latin American theology, history, and culture.
Critical Social Theory: Bridging Church & Community
A mid-year and advanced course that examines critical theory, postmodern philosophies, feminist theory, multiculturalism, queer theory, masculinity studies, cultural studies, critical race social theories, and religion.
Interpersonal Neurobiology
Introducing and exploring the expanding data from neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology, this course addresses how this information can be used to enhance the practice of psychotherapy and the movement toward wholeness and integration within the context of relationship.
Human Sexuality
A course designed to ask questions about the nature of biological sexuality, sexual preference, sexual identity, and desire.