Fall Preview
Faculty, staff, alumni and current students come together to host Preview three times a year, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Join us in energizing conversations about who we are and who you might become at The Seattle School.
At Preview, you’ll catch a glimpse of life with The Seattle School and engage in meaningful conversations with people from all realms of our community. Our Preview is designed for those who are interested in hearing more about our learning institution, whether you’re planning to apply for 2021 or are curious about what our graduate programs have to offer.
Happy Hour w/ Current Students
Friday, October 30
4:00-5:00 pm PT / 6:00-7:00 pm CT / 7:00-8:00 pm ET
The evening before Fall Preview, grab your favorite drink and gather with current Seattle School students to hear more about their experiences as a graduate student. They’d love to share about their research, internships, coursework, and community life as a student with us. This is meant to be an informal and conversational time!
Preview Event
Saturday, October 31
9:00-11:00 am PT / 11:00 am-12:00 pm CT / 12:00-1:00 pm ET
9:00-9:10am – Welcome from The Seattle School
9:10-9:20am – Learning at the Intersections of text.soul.culture with VP of Advancement Jim Ehrman
9:20-9:55am – Faculty Conversation: Faithful Presence with Dr. Doug Shirley and Dr. Dwight Friesen
9:55-10:00am – Break
10:00-11:00am – Breakout Rooms with Alumni (see full list of breakout sessions below)
11:00-11:30am – Optional: Learning about the Application Process and Program Specifics with The Admissions Team
Alumni Breakout Sessions
During the Alumni Breakout Sessions, you will have time to sit in on two of these alumni breakout sessions:
Practicing from a Relational Approach in Private Practice
Jeremy Dew, LPC
Jeremy Dew is a licensed professional counselor, supervisor, as well as the clinical director at The Oakwood Collaborative & Oakwood Roots in College Station, Texas. He received his MACP from The Seattle School in 2010 and is also in the 2nd year cohort of RFPT at The Seattle School.
He will be leading a session on Practicing from a Relational Approach in Private Practice. Join this breakout session if you are interested to hear more about how private practice and the unique lens of a relational approach in clinical work.
Community Organizing: Disorganizing your Time
Rev. Michele Ward
Rev. Michele Ward joined the staff as the associate pastor at Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church in September 2018. She comes to Brown Memorial from Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia, where she was the social engagement minister and coordinator. She is a trained community clergy organizer with Baltimoreans United In Leadership Development (BUILD). She has a BA in English Writing from Whitworth University, and a Master of Divinity from The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. She organizes and lives in Greenmount West in Baltimore City.
She will be teaching on Community Organizing: Disorganizing your Time. Time is finite. How we spend our time is a reflection of how we value ourselves and our real priorities. Attend a brief teach-in about the power of disorganizing and reorganizing your time in order to better reflect what you value and what you prioritize.
Theology and Social Change in the Chaos
Annie Mesaros
Annie Mesaros, MDiv, is a graduate of The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology. A practicing agnostic, Annie specializes in political theology, spiritual darkness, and dismantling patriarchy. From 2018 to 2020, she hosted God Help Us, a podcast on the ways our country’s Christian heritage still informs our politics today (the complete archive is available at anniemesaros.com). She currently serves as a chaplain intern at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, MD.
As a political theologian, the primary questions I’m concerned with are, what do we believe is true about God? What do we believe is true about being human? And how do those beliefs shape our relationships with each other? Please join me for a conversation about Theology and Social Change in the Chaos that is life in our country. Together, we’ll peel back the layers from current events to identify the underlying beliefs that got us to where we are. And we’ll discuss what it might take to fundamentally shift those beliefs in pursuit of social and political change.
Forging A Unique Path: Conversation for those seeking non-traditional vocations
Megan Doner, MDiv
Megan Doner, MDiv, moved to Seattle from Oklahoma, where she was born and raised. She came from a conservative evangelical megachurch background seeking to work in preventing Human Trafficking. While at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology she pursued an MDiv because she wanted to combine her love of Jesus and the church with social justice work. Not only did her theology and understanding of scripture change, but she also began to understand social justice through different lenses. Her areas of focus have expanded and she is now seeking to help women and children who have been sexually violated through public education, conversations, and church training.
While the material of an MDiv, MATC, or MACP may ignite your passion, the typical vocations of therapist, pastor, etcetera may not be your end goal. In this session, Megan will talk a little about how she came to The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology, how she curated her degree to the work she was most interested in, and where she is at now. There will be a significant amount of time for attendees to ask questions and seek advice for their own unique vocational aspirations and how the program may best suit their journey.
Using the Body and Creative Expression to Facilitate Healing
Jenny Wade, LMHC
Jenny Wade is a psychotherapist and yoga teacher in Seattle, WA. She received her Masters in Counseling from The Seattle School in 2013, and is a forever student of the body. After working for five years at Opal: Food + Body Wisdom counseling individuals struggling with eating disorders, Jenny is now the owner of Haven Yoga + Counseling (@havenyogaseattle). She teaches her clients to listen to the wisdom of their bodies in order to fight against body shame. She is leading a session on Using the Body and Creative Expression to Facilitate Healing. Join this breakout session if you want to learn more about how we can use movement and expression to loosen the binding of trauma and stress on our body and heart.