Forming provocateurs of change
at the intersection of
text, soul, and culture.
Who We Are
The Seattle School is a progressive graduate school and seminary offering immersive, holistic graduate degree programs in counseling psychology, divinity, 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.
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By the Numbers
1160
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
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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.
Dr. Chelle Stearns on Theology & Culture
"We are at a critical time in American culture because we are so convinced that we know. There is something in this moment where we are riled up enough to take to the streets but we don't understand enough to have good dialogue. People in the MA in Theology & Culture program are invited to think well about what culture actually is and how to understand and engage theologically."
Dr. Roy Barsness on Facilitating Change
"Research demonstrates that the single most factor for change in psychotherapy is the relationship between the patient and the therapist. Given that, our program places a high emphasis on the development and formation of the self of the therapist. Working with our patients requires us to be deeply attuned to ourselves and willing to take risks with them in order for change to occur."
Dr. Angela Parker on Developing a Prophetic Voice
"A prophet will raise up a voice that speaks a truth to power in order to bring about change. The Seattle School is committed to forming pastors, chaplains, and leaders to be prophets for the revolution."
Featured Content
#MeToo
#MeToo is a social media movement that cuts a small but significant hole in the dark façade of silence. Most social media protests fade like the news of the day as the next wave of hurricanes, shootings, and revelations crash on our shores. It is too easy to find fault with movements that merely ask for a click of a button to join. There is not much flesh in the game, but in this case, there is a massive amount of flesh in the game when we talk about the reality of sexual abuse.
Dr. Roy Barsness Publishes Core Competencies of Relational Psychoanalysis
Dr. Roy Barsness, Professor of Counseling Psychology, has released a new book, Core Competencies of Relational Psychoanalysis: A Guide to Practice, Study, and Research. Inspired and challenged by his students, Dr. Barsness embarked on a significant qualitative research project with the aim of demystifying the what and the how of relational psychotherapy.
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
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Featured Courses
Critical Social Theory: Bridging Church & Community
Examine critical theory, postmodernist philosophies, feminist theory, multiculturalism, queer theory, masculinity studies, cultural studies, critical race social theories, and postcolonial interpretations.
Dreams
A window into exploring theory of dreams and the experience of dreaming and working with dreams.
Shame
Discern the origin of shame, examine how shame permeates human relationships and gain insight into how shame can be addressed in a therapeutic context.
Culture, Identity, and Locatedness
This core curriculum course explores both the “Why?” and the “What?” of culture while helping students craft the necessary lenses for seeing and encountering the culturally other and growing awareness of their own cultural identity.