According to the Indiana Capital Chronical, approximately 1 in 3 Hoosiers go without mental health care due to lack of access or other barriers. The CTS Counseling Center is able to address those barriers with immediate opportunities to meet with a clinician.  

Bryan Votaw, Clinic Director, said that while the Counseling Center is on pace to conduct 11,000 sessions this year, they have capacity for at least a 50 percent increase and telehealth capabilities – a combination that could directly address the magnitude of mental health needs that go unmet in our state. Right now, there are 40 Student Interns from CTS’s School of Counseling in supervised training and another 20 Post-Graduate Residents who have openings to see clients on their caseload.  

“I hear comments all the time that people have never heard of the CTS Counseling Center,” Votaw said. “But we have a lot to offer Indiana residents in terms of affordable mental health care. We are here to provide help to those in need and serve our community.” 

The student clinicians who work at the Counseling Center are enrolled in either the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) or Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MACMHC) programs at CTS. Each program has different requirements for the number and kinds of therapy that students must complete, but all the students are under direct supervision.  

“It’s a hidden benefit of working with a student practitioner,” Votaw said. “In addition to the student who is being trained on the most cutting-edge treatment approaches, clients also get the benefit of a seasoned supervisor.”  

The Counseling Center also employs post-graduate residents who are completing supervised hours required for licensure. Clinicians offer individual, couple, family, and group therapy sessions at the clinic (which is found on the CTS campus). 

Votaw said that the therapists can address a variety of issues from depression and anxiety to life and relationship adjustments and trauma. Due to their training in a seminary setting, they are all well prepared to address any spiritual issues that the client may present. He stressed, however, that it is not a Christian counseling service.  

“You don’t have to be a Christian to come here,” Votaw said. “We can talk about God if that’s what the client needs, but we don’t have that as an agenda.” Votaw noted that CTS often receives feedback that our clinicians are some of the best trained providers in the State. 

If you are considering engaging in mental health services and are not sure where to start, Votaw encourages folks to give the Counseling Center a call. Staff are available to help answer questions prospective clients might have. Votaw said that they can contact the clinic by phone or web and complete a very brief intake (questions about the presenting issues, their availability, and any characteristics of a therapist they would prefer). Often, the person can have an appointment scheduled with a clinician within a week.  

“It’s important to get help before the problem gets too big.”     

The Counseling Center is a fee for service operation and does not bill any health insurance plans. According to Votaw, this helps CTS clinicians offer treatment that is more focused on the needs and goals of the clients who seek treatment than being bound to third-party payer requirements and obstructions. Fees for services rendered by Student Interns are decided based on CTS’s subsidized fee scale, which ranges from $15-99 an hour depending on household income.  

While they do not offer medication management services, CTS clinicians can offer referrals to medical providers in the area and can collaborate with other providers if a client signs a release form giving the clinician permission to do so. All clinicians at the clinic use an electronic medical record system. 

Votaw also said that CTS clinicians can offer telehealth sessions to reach Hoosiers who do not live in the Indianapolis area. In some areas of the State, there are a limited number of mental health providers to address the needs of their communities – and the CTS Counseling Center can help in those cases.  

“Where there is a treatment desert, we can help,” he said. “As long as the prospective client is physically in Indiana, we may be able to work with them depending on the presenting concerns.” Votaw added that all services, virtual or in person, are bound by applicable confidentiality laws and ethics. 

“From a public health standpoint, we need more access to mental health treatment,” Votaw said. “Even if you don’t need services, please tell others about the Counseling Center. We can help.” 

If you, or someone you know, is interested in learning more about the services offered at the CTS Counseling Center, please visit https://www.cts.edu/counseling-center/ or call 317-924-5205.  

The post Mental Health Needs? Call the Counseling Center! appeared first on Christian Theological Seminary.

If you’re called to help others heal and grow, Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) offers more than a place to study — it offers a community where your commitment to care becomes a professional path. Through rigorous academics, compassionate clinical training, and a spiritually inclusive environment, CTS prepares students for counseling careers grounded in justice, humility, and integrity. 

Whether you envision yourself working in a community clinic, group or private practice, or ministry setting, such as a church, CTS equips you to serve others with skill and presence. The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MACMHC) and the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT) both provide the knowledge, experience, and mentorship to support your work with diverse populations in ways that reflect your values and goals. 

“Many students start in one setting and grow into another — from community mental health to private practice or spiritually integrated care — and CTS provides the foundation to support that journey,” says Bryan Votaw, clinic director and clinical supervisor in CTS’s post-graduate residency program.  

If you’re exploring long-term opportunities in counseling careers, CTS will position you for fulfilling work across a variety of clinical and community-based settings.  

How CTS Prepares You for Trauma-Informed Counseling and More 

At CTS, preparation for counseling careers is rooted in real-world experience and a deep understanding of human relationships. Students begin working with clients early in their education, integrating classroom learning with hands-on training at the CTS Counseling Center. They can also continue clinical work through the post-graduate residency program, gaining hours toward licensure with close support. 

“You’re applying what you learn in the classroom here in the clinic,” says Votaw, who directs the clinic. “It’s experiential. You can’t just read a book and know what to do. You have to be in it, and here, you’re in it a lot.” 

This immersive model helps students develop the awareness, adaptability, and presence required to sit with people through complex and often painful realities — and to grow their capacity as future clinicians. It also includes preparation for trauma-informed counseling and work with clients of diverse identities and lived experiences. 

Where CTS Can Take You — From BIPOC Therapist to Polyamory Therapist  

CTS graduates pursue a wide range of counseling careers, often beginning in one setting and evolving into another. Most roles fall into four broad categories: community mental health, group practice, private practice, and spiritually integrated care. The skills, experience, and flexibility students gain at CTS prepare them to move fluidly between these settings. 

Community Mental Health Counseling Careers 

Many graduates start their counseling careers in community-based roles, including positions in nonprofits, schools, and public agencies that serve individuals and families with high levels of need. Common roles include outpatient therapist, school-based therapist, or home-based therapist working with families in their own environments. 

“I worked in community mental health for a time, and then I was in private practice. Now I’m doing this,” Votaw says. “My experience working in community mental health has been pivotal to my success in my position as clinic director. You don’t have to stay in the same context forever, and what you learn in one setting can profit your work in new roles.” 

The MACMHC program prepares students to support individuals in complex, real-world contexts while building a strong foundation for long-term growth and licensure. Through direct client work and a systems-based approach, students graduate ready to serve communities that need it most — including those looking for a BIPOC therapist, LGBTQ therapist, or practitioner trained in trauma-informed counseling. 

Counseling Jobs in Group Practice Settings  

Some CTS graduates begin their careers in group practice, while others move into collaborative settings after gaining experience in the field. These environments offer peer connection, flexible schedules, and opportunities to focus on particular therapeutic approaches. 

“You still have some umbrella that is supporting you as you are having more autonomy,” Votaw says. “Sometimes it’s just the self-care of the therapist — that they can lean into their passion because there’s less of a corporate hierarchy.” 

Group practices, such as the CTS Counseling Center’s Post-Graduate Residency Program — a supervised training environment for new counselors — often serve as a bridge between agency work and private practice. CTS students are exposed to a wide range of modalities, including trauma-informed care, multicultural frameworks, and systems-based approaches, making them well-prepared for counseling jobs that call for both collaboration and independence. Graduates interested in becoming multiculturally competent counselors are trained to support clients across lines of identity, culture, and belief. 

Private Practice Counseling Careers 

Many graduates eventually open private practices as individual therapists, marriage and family therapists, or specialists serving particular populations — such as those seeking an LGBTQ therapist or a polyamory therapist. These careers offer flexibility and independence, allowing clinicians to shape their work around both their interests and their values. 

“This is where you really get to lean into that work,” Votaw says. “You get to be your own boss, set your policies, and that can be really liberating for people.” 

Private practice also allows clinicians to serve marginalized communities with intention. CTS helps students explore how to run sustainable, justice-centered practices — a theme carried through both coursework and supervision.  

Whether you plan to offer general therapy services or focus on identity-affirming care, CTS provides the foundation to do this work with clarity, compassion, and ethical grounding. 

The master’s degree in marriage and family therapy focuses on systemic and relational dynamics — ideal for those drawn to working with couples and families. The master’s in clinical mental health counseling, while also addressing relational factors, emphasizes individual mental health treatment across a wide range of settings. 

Counseling Careers in Faith-Based and Spiritual Settings  

Some graduates work within churches, nonprofit ministries, and other religious or spiritual communities, offering care that integrates mental health support with meaning-making. While CTS does not prepare students for pastoral counseling rooted in a single tradition, it trains them to approach spiritual questions with openness and care. 

“Many people bring spiritual questions to therapy, even if they don’t identify with a religion,” says Votaw. “We prepare students to navigate those conversations ethically, respectfully, and effectively.” 

CTS graduates serve as chaplain counselors, faith-integrated therapists, and nonprofit leaders offering community-based care grounded in a justice-centered approach. 

The Path to Become a Multiculturally Competent Counselor  

Whether you’re building a foundation to become an inclusive and affirming therapist, developing your expertise as a BIPOC therapist, or seeking counseling careers that integrate advocacy, spirituality, and inclusive care, CTS offers an environment where your goals can grow. 

• Hands-on clinical experience from the start: Students begin client work through the CTS Counseling Center as part of their supervised practicum/internship. 

• Inclusive and affirming education: Coursework and supervision follow anti-racist, justice-focused frameworks that honor the full spectrum of student and client identities. 

• Support beyond graduation: Students can continue accruing supervised hours toward licensure through CTS’s post-graduate residency program. 

• Spiritual exploration that honors difference: CTS welcomes students of all backgrounds and prepares them to engage clients’ beliefs in thoughtful and ethical ways. 

• Mentorship from engaged faculty: Small class sizes and personalized guidance support each student’s personal and professional development. 

The MAMFT is a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy that prepares students for clinical roles rooted in systemic, relationship-focused approaches. Likewise, the MACMHC is a well-rounded master’s in clinical mental health counseling program that supports students in building skills for individual, group, and community-based care. 

“I can’t conceive of a clinical counseling or therapy setting that exists that CTS does not prepare someone well to enter into,” says Votaw. “What sets us apart is we help people do the deeper work that is necessary to make connections with people. In the end, the common thing is you’re sitting across from another person or persons who need help. That’s what we do best — we help people help people.” 

CTS Launches Counseling Careers 

Counseling isn’t just what you’ll do. It’s how you’ll show up for others. At CTS, that presence is nurtured through compassion, curiosity, and the belief that every person holds inherent worth. 

Whether you’re drawn to clinical practice, family systems, advocacy, or spiritual integration, CTS provides the training, mentorship, and support to do this work with skill and care. 

The post Counseling Careers You Can Pursue With a CTS Degree  appeared first on Christian Theological Seminary.

In today’s counseling spaces, spirituality is often minimized — or overlooked entirely. Yet for many clients, it’s deeply intertwined with healing. Whether rooted in faith, identity, or existential meaning, spirituality shapes how people experience pain, growth, and transformation. 

Inclusive and affirming practices make room for the whole person. It’s an approach that centers empathy, welcomes difference, and acknowledges that every person carries their own beliefs, wounds, and questions into the counseling room. 

At Christian Theological Seminary (CTS), the Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MACMHC) program equips students to become therapists who offer compassion-centered counseling and culturally responsive care. This isn’t about pushing belief systems — it’s about presence, ethics, and the capacity to listen well. 

Learn how CTS prepares you to offer inclusive therapy and develop multicultural counseling competence to serve diverse populations.  

What Sets CTS Apart in Addressing Multicultural Issues in Counseling  

For clients, the need to talk about spirituality in therapy may not be obvious at first — but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. 

“Spirituality is never not present in the room,” said Dr. Christina J. Davis, clinical professor of pastoral theology and marriage and family therapy. “It may not be present in a verbalized way, but it’s there. And if it’s not engaged — if the clinician is not trained to know how to lean into it, to be curious about it, to welcome it — the client loses.” 

At CTS, the foundation of mindful and multicultural counseling is self-awareness. “We’re asking students to look at themselves first,” said Dr. Nicole Robertson, assistant professor of clinical mental health counseling and director of the program. “What do I bring into the room? What are my biases, my blind spots? Who am I not comfortable sitting with yet?” 

Bryan Votaw, director of the CTS Counseling Center and clinical supervisor in the post-graduate residency program at CTS, affirmed this need for inner work. 

“To be an affirming therapist does require self-reflection,” he said. “It’s about trying to make a space safe for someone who’s different from you so that they can come with their whole authentic self.” 

Building Affirming Therapy Skills Through Community  

Becoming an inclusive counselor doesn’t happen through theory alone — it happens in practice. At CTS, students develop the tools to support counseling multicultural and diverse populations through dialogue, supervision, and direct client work. 

“There is no checklist,” Davis said. “What we’re cultivating is an ethic — an ethic of care, an ethic of curiosity, an ethic of humility.” 

In community, students learn how to pause, reflect, and grow. “One of the most powerful tools we have is the classroom,” Robertson shared. “It’s a place where we can ask, ‘What just happened in that role play? What came up for you?’ That’s where the growth happens.” 

Votaw described this as a process of becoming. “It’s hard, agonizing work,” he said. “But that’s how we really create affirming therapists who are interested in doing the work of justice and loving our neighbor.” 

Practicing Compassion-Centered Counseling With Integrity and Care  

Affirming therapy at CTS means sitting with people across lines of difference — with care, not correction. 

“If I can’t hold a client’s identity with care — whether that’s their sexual orientation, their race, their theology — then I can’t be present with them. That’s the work,” said Robertson. 

Votaw noted that inclusive therapy must be intentional. “There’s a difference between being intentionally affirming and having something shift all the way inside of us,” he said. “It’s a lifelong process.” 

Students in the Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program explore these themes in coursework, group supervision, and clinical practice. They work with diverse clients in the CTS Counseling Center, navigating real-life conversations around identity, faith, trauma, and belonging. 

Learn to Foster BIPOC Mental Health and LGBTQ+ Inclusion  

CTS offers more than a typical seminary counseling degree. It fosters personal growth, meaningful dialogue, and deep listening. 

“We have students from all different backgrounds,” Robertson said. “Some are Christian. Some are not. Some are deconstructing their faith. Some are exploring it for the first time.” 

The CTS learning environment is intentionally built to support BIPOC mental health and counseling with LGBTQ+ clients, communities of color, and others who’ve been harmed or marginalized by traditional religious spaces. “There has to be an environment of safety in order for one to be vulnerable,” Votaw said. “And behind those defenses are the things that wreak havoc.” 

To help create that safety, students participate in conversations with community partners, including Indiana Youth Group (IYG), which regularly leads practicum kickoff sessions on LGBTQ+ mental health and the history of queer communities in Indiana. These experiences, along with mindful and multicultural counseling practices, center listening, humility, and respect. 

“Our work is to become people who welcome,” said Davis. “Clients know when they’re being welcomed — and when they’re being tolerated.” 

Develop Core Skills in Multicultural Counseling Competence  

To offer inclusive care, students must be able to bridge clinical expertise with cultural and theological humility. That’s why CTS places special emphasis on helping students build practical, transferable skills — not just in counseling technique but in navigating real-world complexity. These include: 

• Assessing and honoring a client’s spiritual worldview without assuming shared beliefs. 
• Addressing religious or spiritual trauma with care. 
• Understanding and applying multicultural issues in counseling across diverse settings. 
• Using inclusive language that respects diverse identities and traditions. 
• Building trust across cultural, racial, gender, and theological differences. 

The CTS graduate program also encourages students to deepen their understanding of social systems, power dynamics, and ethical frameworks — all of which shape the counseling relationship and the client’s lived experience. These are essential skills for anyone wondering, “What degree do I need to be an LGBTQ therapist?” — or how to make a real difference in BIPOC counseling. 

Why Choose CTS to Become an Affirming Therapist?  

At CTS, being an “affirming therapist” doesn’t mean offering blanket affirmation. It means honoring human dignity, challenging systemic harm, and approaching every client with cultural humility. As Dr. Robertson notes, “Words build our world” — and affirming must be expansive enough to include race, class, gender, faith, and more. 

The MACMHC program at CTS is grounded in this understanding and is designed for individuals who feel called to integrate ethical and inclusive therapy with deep spiritual and cultural awareness. It’s especially well-suited for those who want to support clients whose identities, including race, sexuality, and religious background, have been misunderstood or marginalized in traditional settings. This program may be a good fit for: 

• Career changers seeking a graduate counseling degree rooted in clinical excellence and spiritual care. 
• Those passionate about compassion-centered counseling that affirms diverse identities. 
• Individuals from underrepresented backgrounds seeking to support their communities. 
• People committed to offering care that reflects multicultural counseling competence. 
• Aspiring counselors who value deep reflection, justice-oriented practice, and cultural humility. 

Mindful and Multicultural Counseling in Action  

What students learn at CTS doesn’t stay in the classroom — it becomes part of how they live and lead. Graduates of the Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program bring their training to clinical practice, congregational care, nonprofit leadership, and more. 

Many go on to serve as licensed professional counselors and affirming therapists. Others work in advocacy roles, helping dismantle the systemic barriers that keep marginalized voices from being heard and healed. 

What unites them all is a shared commitment to healing through connection — and a belief that every person’s story is worthy of care. 

Start Your Journey to Becoming an Affirming Therapist  

A Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Christian Theological Seminary prepares you to serve with clarity, compassion, and multicultural counseling competence. Through reflective learning, clinical practice, and spiritual integration, you’ll be equipped to walk alongside clients from all backgrounds and belief systems. 

Begin your formation as an affirming therapist — and make a positive difference in the lives of those you serve. 

The post Becoming an Inclusive and Affirming Therapist appeared first on Christian Theological Seminary.

In the counseling room, every story matters. But not every client’s story has been equally centered or honored. For clients from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, therapy has too often been a space of misunderstanding, harm, or erasure. That’s why developing multicultural counseling competence isn’t optional — it’s a professional and ethical responsibility. 

At Christian Theological Seminary (CTS), students are prepared to serve diverse populations through a model that emphasizes self-awareness, knowledge, and skill. 

“This is a legacy that comes out of many decades of social justice–oriented understandings of not only ministry but ministry through counseling,” said Christina Davis, faculty member and clinical supervisor in the Marriage and Family Therapy program. 

At CTS, multicultural counseling is a core part of the curriculum — not a side topic or add-on. 

Interested in a counseling program committed to equity and cultural responsiveness? 

What Does Multicultural Counseling Competence Really Mean?  

Though it may seem obvious that all counselors should be empathetic, self-aware, and culturally attuned, that isn’t always the reality in graduate counseling programs or in the field at large. That’s why CTS makes multicultural counseling competence a foundational part of its counseling degrees by emphasizing a three-part framework: awareness, knowledge, and skill. 

Awareness, Davis explained, involves recognizing how your own background — including race, culture, and lived experience — shapes your assumptions and values. 

Empathy, she continued, means going beyond acknowledgment and truly entering someone else’s perspective. 

“It’s not better than or less than. It’s about difference,” she said. “I can at least practice suspending my own normative understanding of experience and enter into ‘what’s that like for you?’” 

The third element is skill — specific competencies that can be taught, practiced, and refined. At CTS, students engage with well-researched frameworks that emphasize multicultural social justice counseling competence, preparing them to serve across cultural differences with humility, discernment, and respect. 

“There is research that suggests that BIPOC clients are more likely to unenroll in therapy than others,” Davis said. “It’s really important to not put that added layer of work on clients to defend their lived experience.” 

Supporting BIPOC mental health requires more than good intentions. It calls for active reflection, cultural responsiveness, and a commitment to ethical, client-centered care. 

Common Missteps — and What to Do Instead  

One of the most common mistakes Davis sees is counselors who take a “one size fits all” approach. That kind of uniformity can do harm, especially when it overlooks the influence of dominant cultural norms — often Eurocentric and white — on healthcare systems. Therapists who don’t account for this may unintentionally participate in systems that marginalize the very people they hope to support. 

At the same time, Davis warned against overcorrection. When counselors try too hard to “get it right,” they may overemphasize race or ethnicity in ways that reduce the client’s experience. 

“Sometimes, in the well-meaning eagerness to get it right, there can be an overemphasis on race and ethnicity,” she noted. 

This can lead to attribution error or confirmation bias. Davis offered an example of a Black woman discussing stress at work. A therapist might assume she’s facing racism even if she doesn’t mention race and works in a supportive, affirming environment. 

“We want to be curious. It’s fair to ask questions, but certainly not to assume,” she emphasized. 

Multicultural counseling competence means being neither blind to difference nor overly focused on it. It means listening with care, asking without defensiveness, and centering the client’s voice. 

How CTS Helps Students Recognize Bias and Blind Spots  

CTS doesn’t wait until students are in clinical placements to address cultural competence. It starts in the classroom, through intentional practices that invite students to reflect on their own backgrounds and biases. 

In the course Sexuality, Gender, and Culture, for example, students complete a genogram — a visual map of their ethnic and cultural heritage — and explore how that lineage has shaped their beliefs and values. 

“When they sit with their own stories and share it with others, they are able to self-identify a whole lot of blind spots themselves,” Davis said. 

The exercise is both personal and transformative. It builds self-awareness and normalizes honest, reflective dialogue. 

“Everybody has a turn sharing,” she added. “We really take our time with this process. People tend to rate this particular class one of their favorites in the program.” 

One reason the class resonates so deeply is the psychological safety it provides. 

“The number one reason that arose as to what holds people back was the fear of being misunderstood,” Davis said. 

By creating a space grounded in respect and curiosity, CTS helps students engage in difficult conversations with greater openness and less fear. 

That same mindset carries into clinical training at the CTS Counseling Center. Through the live supervision model, students receive real-time feedback during sessions — including in BIPOC counseling contexts — and are encouraged to apply it immediately. In some formats, clients even have the opportunity to listen in on reflections from the supervisory team, a practice that fosters transparency and shared understanding. 

Culturally Responsive Training That Begins With Relationship  

Multicultural counseling graduate programs often include diversity content, but CTS takes a relationship-first approach. The goal isn’t performance — it’s presence, Davis explained. 

“We try to set some norms early — values about respect, how we hold one another in regard, how we’re curious first,” she added. 

These values guide both classroom discussion and clinical practice. They also serve as the foundation for students to build multicultural social justice counseling competence in a supportive, relational environment — a foundation Davis often sees in action by the time students begin seeing clients. 

“Nine times out of 10, I am overwhelmingly proud of the care that they take when they’re counseling BIPOC clients.” 

That commitment shows up in BIPOC counseling settings as a willingness to examine blind spots, engage in honest reflection, and continue learning, regardless of the counselor’s background. 

“It’s not only a skillset for working across difference. It’s working with the particularities of any vulnerable community, period,” Davis said. 

This formation benefits all students, including BIPOC therapists in training, and it’s a hallmark of both CTS counseling programs. Whether you choose the MACMHC or the MAMFT, you’ll benefit from one of the few multicultural counseling oriented graduate programs that prepares students to meet the real-world needs of diverse communities — with insight, respect, and accountability. 

Why Multicultural Counseling Competence Is a Lifelong Journey 

Multicultural counseling competence is not a destination. It’s an ongoing process of reflection, growth, and commitment. At CTS, students are encouraged to embrace that journey with a willingness to keep learning. 

“Everyone has work to do in this area,” Davis said. “No one ever arrives.” 

At CTS, that process is grounded in a longstanding legacy of justice-focused counseling education and a commitment to preparing students to become inclusive and affirming therapists in every clinical context. 

“We’ve been at this for a while,” Davis said. 

Looking for a graduate counseling degree rooted in justice, humility, and care? For students who feel called to make a difference in BIPOC mental health, CTS offers both the foundation and the community to grow in that work. 

The post Multicultural Counseling with BIPOC Clients appeared first on Christian Theological Seminary.

AMBER DAWN TREJO, MAMFT ‘20 

I grew up in California, so I had never heard of Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) before. I moved to Indiana, and I enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College for my associate’s degree. My professor for Abnormal Psychology told me about CTS because she knew that I was interested in working with married people, couples, and families. I was set once I toured the campus. I wanted to be a marriage and family therapist, but I had never done any work to heal my own childhood trauma before entering the program. I shared experiences with my cohort that I never felt safe enough to share before. I felt accepted. It was a very transformative and healing experience to have others be just as vulnerable with me. I have never felt as connected with another group of people. I realized that it was safe to open up and share. I appreciated the questions that they asked, the papers we had to write, and the group projects we had to do. I had two children when I started at CTS. I ended up getting pregnant during my last year in school, and I had my baby on March 12, 2020. It was challenging and hard, but I also couldn’t imagine doing it another way. Going through the program and getting my degree when I did made me such a better mom. I was prepared to graduate, and then everything shut down when the COVID-19 pandemic happened. My husband was in the Army Reserve, so he was mobilized to work in an Army hospital in Detroit for two months right after we had our baby. I was so close to giving up, but my colleagues surrounded me and helped me finish. They brought me groceries, cooked me dinners, and helped take care of my kids. That connected me to CTS on an even deeper level. I am forever grateful for the community and parts of me I found at CTS while on my journey there. 

 This alumni story is from CTS’ Oral History Project, A Century of Crossroads, which captured the stories and memories of our alumni from our first 100 years in printed and digital formats.   

The post Healing, Community, and Calling at CTS appeared first on Christian Theological Seminary.

In a world that can feel overwhelming, many people turn to counseling not just for emotional support, but to make sense of their lives. That reflection often touches something spiritual, rooted in meaning, connection, or belief. Yet spirituality is too often left out of counseling.

Integrating spirituality and therapy allows counselors to honor the whole person. Healing isn’t just about symptom relief. It’s also about identity, relationships, and transformation. Whether someone is facing grief, trauma, or a crisis of meaning, exploring their spiritual worldview can be essential.

But what does it mean to bring these two areas together, especially given how often spirituality has been used to harm, exclude, or impose belief systems? At Christian Theological Seminary (CTS), we approach what some might call spiritually integrated counseling with humility and care, recognizing the risks of proselytizing, coercion, or assuming shared values. We believe counselors can engage spiritual or existential concerns ethically and inclusively, honoring each client’s experience without judgment or agenda.

That’s the kind of formation students undergo in CTS’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MACMHC) program. Through rigorous training, hands-on experience, and a spiritually inclusive ethos, CTS prepares counselors who are attuned to the realities of both faith and clinical practice.

Interested in becoming a compassionate, spiritually attuned therapist?

Why Spiritually Integrated Counseling Is an Essential Part of the Healing Process

“Spirituality, to me, has to do with the soul — and the soul is Spirit,” said Bryan Votaw, clinic director and clinical supervisor in the post-graduate residency program at CTS. “It encompasses human connectivity — connectivity with the Divine. I think it is a realm that exists if we have both the courage and the openness to invite it to be part of the process.”

Far from a specific set of beliefs, spiritually integrated therapy is about being open to whatever the client brings, whether that’s Christian spirituality, Muslim spirituality, Jewish traditions or existential questioning without religious affiliation. This approach affirms that spirituality is not something reserved for the religious. “Spirituality is part of the internal human makeup,” Votaw says.

Integrating spirituality into counseling allows therapists to explore how belief systems shape identity, values, and healing. Many clients carry deep wounds tied to religion or spiritual communities. Some have experienced harm in religious settings. Others are searching for meaning while feeling disconnected from faith traditions.

“Some people who are trying to deconstruct their religion aren’t trying to abandon spirituality. They’re trying to heal,” Votaw explained. “How do we help them to use what healthy spirituality exists in them? How do we help them identify it so that when they’re deconstructing, they’re not abandoning all aspects of their belief system but rather discerning what aligns with their healing?”

In these moments, spirituality and therapy intersect in ways that can be profoundly life-giving. This is the heart of whole person counseling — seeing the soul, the story and the struggle, not just the diagnosis.

Becoming a Spiritually Inclusive Counselor

Some assume that a master’s in counseling from CTS is similar to a traditional seminary degree focused only on Christian counseling. In reality, CTS’s approach is broader, welcoming students and clients of all faiths — or none at all.

“We integrate spirituality. We’re not doing Christian counseling per se, which is a different modality,” Votaw explained. “We’re not asking you to believe any particular thing. We see you as a person who’s trying to figure your life out — and that’s enough.”

The MACMHC program prepares students to meet people from all walks of life with respect, humility, and a commitment to ethical, inclusive care. It’s about holding space for healing, identity, and meaning, however the client understands them.

“It’s about the transformation and the growth of the clinician — being open to the Ultimate, being open to this ineffable Other that comes and permeates our spaces,” Votaw added.

This openness is what sets spiritually integrated therapy apart from rigid, doctrine-based approaches.

Gaining Real-World Practice Incorporating Spirituality into Therapy

At CTS, you don’t have to wait until graduation to begin making a difference. Through your practicum and internship at the CTS Counseling Center, you’ll work directly with clients navigating grief, trauma, and spiritual uncertainty. You’ll develop the skills to meet people where they are and support them with care and presence.

This hands-on experience helps you embody what it means to offer more than just clinical techniques. You’ll learn to provide care that is thoughtful, grounded, and attuned to each client’s unique experience.

If you feel called to serve in both clinical and spiritual leadership roles, you can also pursue a dual-degree path that pairs the MACMHC with the Master of Divinity (MDiv). This combination prepares you for roles in pastoral counseling, chaplaincy, and ministry-based mental health care — uniting theological depth with advanced clinical training.

Developing Skills for Compassionate Counseling

CTS doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-all approach. Students come from a variety of spiritual and cultural backgrounds — and so do the clients they serve. Whether working with nonbelievers, people of faith, or those carrying spiritual trauma, CTS clinicians are trained to meet each person with openness and respect.

“Sometimes people will come with a lot of background in theology and religious life, and some people have little to none,” Votaw said. “My encouragement to them is, don’t try to know what you don’t know. Just listen. They’re not necessarily talking to you about God. They’re talking about how they understand God, and that tells you something about them.”

This ability to engage without assumptions is a cornerstone of spiritually integrated counseling — and of the MACMHC program. Rather than teaching a fixed set of beliefs, CTS helps students think critically, reflect ethically, and work with complexity. They learn to offer care that is clinically sound, and spiritually inclusive and affirming of each client’s worldview, background, and lived experience.

At its heart, this is more than a counseling degree. It’s an invitation to grow — spiritually, academically, and professionally.

A Seminary Counseling Degree That Offers Healing and Hope

For many clients who enter therapy, hope feels distant if not completely out of reach. They carry stories shaped by loss, disconnection, or spiritual wounding. Creating space for hope, even in its most fragile form, is one of the most sacred responsibilities a counselor can hold.

“I think what is often an overlooked aspect of clinical work is this idea of hope,” said Votaw. “Hope brings people to therapy. But it’s the connection — meaningful, safe, and therapeutic — that helps it take root. When clients are honored and held with dignity, they begin to experience something vastly different than what they carried in.”

At CTS, hope isn’t just a concept. It lives in students who choose this work. And it’s found in clients who walk through the doors of the CTS Counseling Center, searching for light in the darkness.

Spirituality and therapy don’t have to live in separate worlds. When integrated with care, training, and reflection, they become a source of profound healing — for both client and clinician.

Prepare to Be a Spiritually Grounded Counselor

A seminary counseling degree from Christian Theological Seminary is more than academic preparation. It’s a path that equips you to serve with clarity, compassion, and integrity. Through classroom learning, personal reflection, and clinical experience, you’ll gain the skills to support clients with care and respect for their full humanity.

Join the CTS community and see how the MACMHC program prepares you to integrate spirituality and therapy with purpose — and make a lasting impact through your counseling practice.

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Christian Theological Seminary’s 2025 Commencement Weekend was a joyful culmination of reflection, gratitude, and celebration—marking not only the academic achievements of our graduates but also the enduring legacy of the seminary as we continue to honor our 100th anniversary. 

The festivities began Thursday, May 15 with a meaningful gathering at our annual Graduate Dinner. Stories were shared, blessings offered, and accomplishments celebrated. This special tradition continues to nurture the strong bonds between CTS alumni and the emerging leaders formed in our classrooms. 

On Friday afternoon, the seminary community gathered for Baccalaureate, a service of worship and thanksgiving. This year’s Baccalaureate held particular significance as we introduced a newly commissioned hymn composed in honor of CTS’s centennial year by CTS honorary degree recipient Mark A. Miller. Miller is a composer, performer, and professor whose music inspires justice and healing. The lyrics reflect a powerful, ongoing vision of God’s redemptive dream—rooted in love, justice, and liberation—carried forward by faithful generations. The lyrics that follow can be heard in the video montage below. 

Our Story Started As a Dream

David Bjorlin & Mark A. Miller, 2025

Our story started as a dream you placed within your people’s heart, 
With love its everlasting theme and justice its unchanging art: 
Where you would split a sea to set the captives free; 
Surrender your own Son to see our death undone; 
And breakdown every wall to prove your grace for all. 
We give you thanks and boldly pray to live your ancient dream today. 

The dream our ancestors received and labored bravely to engage,
Is taken up and reconceived by faithful saints in every age:
Where all your children seek the welfare of the weak;
Endeavor to increase the common cause of peace;
and strive to recreate the lives destroyed by hate. 
We give you thanks and boldly pray to live your present dream today. 

And though this dream is unfulfilled and clouded by our grief and pain,
We pledge to use this time to build from blue-prints of your coming reign:
Where nations shore to shore will study war no more;
The roles of last and first will surely be reversed;
And your reviving breath will liven even death;
We give you thanks and boldly pray to live your future dream today.  

The weekend culminated on Saturday with the 2025 Commencement Ceremony, a tribute to the hard work, growth, and perseverance of our graduates. The keynote address was delivered by honorary degree recipient Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale, a national leader in preaching and pastoral leadership. Also honored were two extraordinary individuals whose lives and work reflect the mission and values of CTS: Pastor Rob Fuquay, a gifted communicator and advocate for ecumenical ministry who servse as Pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church here in Indianapolis, and Mark A. Miller, whose music and witness continue to inspire justice and hope. Each was awarded the degree of Doctor of Divinity. 

 CTS President David M. Mellott presented the Presidential Award of Excellence to Don Knebel, a long-serving trustee and cherished supporter of CTS, for his remarkable commitment to the seminary’s mission and students. 

 Together, these events embodied the heart of CTS: a place where scholarship meets spiritual formation, where leaders are called and equipped, and where celebration deepens our shared commitment to the Church and the world. As our graduates go forth, they carry with them the legacy of a century of theological education and the promise of faithful innovation for generations to come. 

 We invite you to enjoy this photo montage capturing the joy, gratitude, and meaningful moments of the weekend. 

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By Stephanie Seeger (MDiv ’17)

In the last year, I have enjoyed the great blessing of developing a friendship with Dr. John Landon (MDiv ’69). While meeting fellow CTS alumni always results in learning new and interesting facts, my visits with Dr. Landon stand out. His is a legacy that crosses generations and binds the nostalgia of “the good old days” with the technology of today. A visit with Dr. Landon lifts my spirits, inspires my soul, and reminds me that while our lives are woven from diverse experiences across different times, each thread remains part of a singular tapestry, shaping us along the way.

I first met Dr. Landon in February of 2024 at the suggestion of my colleague Charlie DeMaio. Charlie had visited John at his house the previous summer and raved about his musical collection and expertise, sharing that “His music collection is world class and echoes the cultural history of generations.” As a lover of classic vinyl, I knew I had to plan a visit myself. You see, John doesn’t just appreciate music… it is part of the very fiber of his being. Now retired from his career as a minister, social worker, professor, and organist, Landon keeps a collection of instruments, technology, and music in his home that any museum would envy. His basement holds multiple pianos, organs, phonographs, tube radios, and pipes. His office shelves are lined with 5,000 10inch 78rpm records, most of which he has recorded onto his computer and can burn onto CD in minutes. His bookcases contain volumes he has written on everything from his love affair with the pipe organ to the history of social work and his family upbringing. Like the vinyl records he loves, he has found myriad ways to record the things he loves so that he can share them with others.

Within minutes of being welcomed into Dr. Landon’s home, I feel like I belong. There is something about his quiet demeanor and warm presence that is disarming in a positive way. He asks me to sit down in his perfectly decorated parlor as he begins to share a bit of his story with me, promising that once I am familiar with his background we will explore his musical archives. I learn that his love of music, much like his faith and caring nature, was fostered by his mother, father, and siblings in his childhood home. Born the youngest of four children on a small farm near Marlette, Michigan, Dr. Landon grew up in a home without electricity, indoor plumbing, or central heating. One thing his home did not lack was the warmth of great love. He recalls living in such close quarters with his siblings and parents fondly, reminiscing on family prayers and daily worship. Thus began his love for music and his strong faith. The family would gather after breakfast to sing hymns together, a practice that took place without exception. As a child, he began taking piano lessons with one of his sisters. He did not practice nearly as much as his sister (much to her chagrin), as he found that he could play music by memory and find notes easily. Their teacher thought this a sign of great talent, but John humbly claims it was just his way of getting around learning the music (I tend to think his teacher was on to something). He played the piano by ear, never needing to read sheet music. To this day, he has a binder which contains his organ playing repertoire not with sheet music, but with notes to jog his memory, and his fingers and feet take it from there.

He learned more than an appreciation for music at home. His great capacity to care for others was modeled for him by his mother. “I resolved early in my ministry to be non-judgmental and compassionate. I did this largely because of my mother’s influence. She took seriously the Biblical admonition, ‘Judge not that you be not judged.’ She might disagree with someone’s behavior, but she left the judging to God. Based on her example I came to believe that God’s love is unconditional. My mother also and always demonstrated compassion in her daily encounters with people, a needy neighbor, a crying child, or an anguished friend. Thus God has called us to love one another as God has loved us,” he shares. This resolve had a profound impact on his ministry and led him to pursue a master’s degree in social work.

Dr. Landon struck out to attend college at Taylor University in Indiana. Though he missed his family dearly, he thoroughly enjoyed learning and growing alongside peers, and a passion for lifelong learning fanned into flame. He continued his education at seminary, attending Christian Theological Seminary while serving as Pastor at New Victory Chapel Church in Noblesville, Indiana. He often played the organ at the Anderson Paramount Theater, an exquisite historic building with incredible acoustics. He went on to earn Master and Doctorate degrees in social work while serving as a social worker in Iowa. In 1971, he moved to Lexington, Kentucky to teach Social Work at the University of Kentucky. He eventually worked his way up to Associate Dean of the College of Social Work, but he never stopped sharing his gift of music. Dr. Landon played the organ anywhere he could, from churches to the Kentucky Theater. He also served his calling as an assistant pastor at Gardenside Baptist Church in Lexington.

At one point, Landon briefly moved to Florida. He couldn’t find a church with a traditional worship service, so he started one himself. Given the large population of retirees, he believed that people who shared his love for traditional music would come, and he was right. The church’s first service in his own home drew 35 people to crowd in. The congregation moved, first to a storefront shop, and finally to a church building generously purchased by two congregants who believed in the value of the faith community.

After a few years, Landon returned to Lexington to serve as pastor of Gardenside Baptist Church. The retiring pastor had called and personally asked him to return because of the strong relationships he already had with the congregation. He obliged and served for 5 years as Senior Pastor. During that time, he got them on local television, and more people started attending as awareness of the congregation grew. His organ concerts were also a draw, but it was his pastoral care that truly defined his ministry. He made it a priority to connect with his congregation beyond the pulpit—visiting members in their homes and hospitals, offering counsel in times of need, and ensuring that each person felt seen, heard, and valued. Through his compassionate leadership, Gardenside Baptist Church became not just a place of worship, but a community where people felt genuinely cared for and uplifted.

Whether through the power of a hymn or the comfort of a hospital visit, he believes that both ministry and social work are about meeting people where they are—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Landon suggests that caring for people should involve serving the whole person and all parts of their lives, not just the parts of them that show up in church on Sunday mornings. He recalls talking to a fellow pastor who was uncomfortable visiting congregants at the hospital and shares his surprise. To Dr. Landon, pastoral care through visitation is inextricable from preaching ministry. He reflects, “People [in the hospital] don’t expect a sermon. They expect you to come in and talk with them about how they’re feeling, how the family is doing, and have a word of prayer with some comfort in it. When some of those people got better from their ailments they came to church because they felt like somebody there was concerned about them, and I was. It was a genuine concern.”

This brings us up to speed, so we can return to the musical magic. Dr. Landon currently lives in his 3rd house in Lexington. His prior homes did not have rooms big enough for a pipe organ, which led him to ask his realtor to find a home with a space where he could house a full-sized organ. She found a ranch with a large basement, and after renovating one basement room to remove the ceiling and floor from the first level, he finally had the two-story room he needed for a home organ. The rest of the basement is chock full of pianos, a theater organ, and boxes upon boxes of player piano rolls. He has arranged a seating area such that small groups of people can come hear him play and share his joy. When you step off the final stair and look around, it’s as if you’ve been transported to a bygone era of music halls and swinging jazz. My face lights up like a kid in a candy shop, and as I look at John I notice his excitement mirrors my own. The joy he feels immersed in his world of music is palpable and has clearly never faded.

He begins to explain what is in the room piece by piece, weaving in relevant stories and memories like a master storyteller. He shows me his player piano and explains that when the holes in paper music rolls align with the holes in its metal plate, a vacuum sucks the note down and the song plays. He demonstrates the way it can be powered by foot pedal (an impressive workout) or by motor. We walk past a working tube radio into the room with the classic full-size organ, and my eyes hardly know where to land. The walls are filled with player piano rolls. I notice an old Victrola phonograph, and Dr. Landon pulls out a vinyl record as thick as a pancake to play. As the Big Band music plays, he explains that this Victrola does not have internal speakers, but rather plays the music through an internal horn. He shows me the Leslie tone cabinet next to the organ. The speaker is named for its inventor, Donald Leslie, who started working in the late 1930s to develop a speaker for the Hammond organ that more closely mimicked the sound of a pipe or theater organ. Leslie found that rotating baffles along the axis of the speaker cone produced the most effective sound, and when Dr. Landon demonstrates by playing the organ, I can feel the vibrations of the rich sound in my bones.

As we walk back to the main room, he stops to put a square disk into a piano. “Now I’ll play a duet with George Gershwin,” he says. “Gershwin died in 1937, the year I was born, but this disk has a recording of him playing a piece live. The recording captures his expression, so the piano will play it as if Gershwin is here himself.” John then walks to his theater organ and accompanies the classic composer, and I am suddenly transported to the Roaring Twenties. As Gershwin stops, John moves on to play his mother’s favorite hymn “Trust and Obey,” followed by some Mozart.

I ask Dr. Landon what it feels like when he gets lost in the music. “It’s been a blessing to me. When I am depressed and I am sad, or when I’m feeling really good and on top of the world, I come down to this organ and play something, and it’s just like a benediction. The music flows and I just enjoy it, and I thank God for the gift,” he says.

We realize nearly 3 hours have passed, and Dr. Landon insists we make our way back upstairs so that he can copy some of my favorite music to send home with me. This is his hobby outside of playing the organ – cataloging and sharing the records he loves so dearly. Dr. Landon’s generosity is paramount. While his musical equipment is quality enough to warrant display in a museum behind lock and key, he gladly shares it with friends and community members. His collection of records sits in a large office ready to be copied for visitors who share the type of music they enjoy, and he can ALWAYS find an album (or 5) to burn to a CD that he thinks they would enjoy and insists they take home as a gift. My music of choice? Bing Crosby. Dr. Landon copies 5 rare recordings of Bing onto CDs for me to take home, and a week later I receive a package in the mail containing more.

It is hard to leave, but I know the joy Dr. Landon has shared with me will not dissipate outside these walls. I feel inspired, hopeful, playful, and happy. There is something about sitting in the presence of someone who loves what they do that makes one grateful for God’s blessings. I realize that John’s gift of music is more than a hobby; it is a ministry that emanates powerful blessing to everyone it touches. I ask Dr. Landon if he has any parting advice for future CTS students, and he leaves me with this: “Cultivate your empathy for people, because there is nothing more important than that. Education is very important. If you add education to empathy, that’s wonderful. If you have empathy and no education you’re more limited, so you want to strive for both.”

It is only appropriate to conclude a story about John by bringing it all back to the foundation: his unshakable faith and profound gratitude to be able to serve those around him. As he shares at the end of his autobiography, “Throughout my life I have felt the hand of God upon me, guiding me through the maze of this life. Is it any wonder that now I thank him and praise him for his guidance and leading me through it all?” Dr. Landon’s life is a testament to the power of passion, compassion, and connection. Whether through the music he shares, the wisdom he imparts, or the kindness he extends, his influence continues to resonate and connect people in genuine community. In him, I have found not only a dear friend but also a living bridge between past and present—a reminder that the wisdom of those who came before us continues to guide and enrich our journeys today, just as Dr. John Landon has enriched mine.

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Students are at the heart of Christian Theological Seminary, and they are also the fortunate recipients of the generosity from those deeply committed to theological education. This steadfast support helps shape future generations of theologians and counseling professionals. In this issue of CTS Connect, we are spotlighting student stories that reflect both their experiences and gratitude, showcasing the transformative impact of scholarship support. 

Timothy Knight arrived in Indianapolis at 17 in the late 1980s with little more than determination and faith. His mother had purchased him a one-way bus ticket and given him $745—just enough to cover three months of tuition at Aenon Bible College, some rent, and a bit of food. Despite experiencing homelessness for nearly three years, he never wavered in his commitment to education, ultimately graduating on time.

If that sounds like a lot, it is. And there’s more.

Knight built a distinguished career as a homicide detective, excelling in police oversight policy, community engagement, and leadership development. He also became a professor, earning a Master of Theological Studies from Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) in 2006 and completing a PhD in Human Services in 2013. His policy work was implemented in at least three major metropolitan cities.

Then, he lost his job.

“I was too young to retire,” Knight reflects. “But I was in therapy with a CTS graduate, working through my employment challenges.”

During their sessions, the therapist suggested that Knight had the makings of an excellent therapist himself. However, returning to school seemed financially out of reach.

Still, he took a leap of faith.

He applied on Monday. By Wednesday, he had been awarded a scholarship. By the end of the week, he had been fully enrolled in the program.

Through his studies, Knight has discovered that therapy is a profession in which one grows and refines one’s craft over time.

“I can draw on all my lived experiences,” he says. “It’s the perfect space for someone like me.”

For Knight, the support he has received has been life-changing.

“For the first time in my academic journey, I can fully immerse myself in learning without the constant pressure of making ends meet,” Knight says. “In my previous programs, I always faced a choice: do I pursue true knowledge by engaging deeply with all the readings, or do I focus solely on completing assignments to earn the degree? Now, for the first time, I don’t have to choose.”

The post On Not Having To Choose: Timothy Knight, MAMFT Student appeared first on Christian Theological Seminary.

The CTS MAMFT Program proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary of accreditation with the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) this year. Last spring, the program was recognized for its 30th accreditation anniversary at the Spirituality and Psychotherapy Annual Conference with its plenary speaker, Celia Falicov, Ph.D., internationally known Latina scholar, author, and systemic therapist.

The celebration reaches its culmination November 1-2 with the MFT 30th COAMFTE Accreditation Celebration. Friday night, 6-8pm kicks off the weekend celebration with the MFT Family Celebration in the Common Room. MFT students and alumni are invited to an open mic experience to entertain MFT students and alums along with their families.

“We are hoping that we creative MFTs will share our artistic talents at this event. Instrumentalists, vocalists, musical groups, comics, poets, storytellers, and spoken word artists will share the performance stage. Visual artists are invited to share their art. Authors are invited to share their books for sale as well as reading portions of their books,” says Program Director Suzanne Coyle.

MFTs who are performing, written, and visual artists can share their interest by clicking this link:  https://cts.jotform.com/241055289150049. Handheld food with sweet bites will be served to whet the appetites of toddlers to grownups. Fellowship and fun will be had by all.

The Anniversary Celebration Weekend will wrap up Saturday, November 2, from 10am-12pm with a MFT Showcase. MFT students and alumni are invited to share creative approaches with individuals, couples, and families in a virtual webinar format. Interested persons can reach out to Dr. Coyle.

This 30th COAMFTE Anniversary Celebration Weekend is an opportunity for CTS to highlight the significant impact the MAMFT program has had on training systemic therapists throughout Indiana. Contrary to some thinking, MFTs are trained to work with individuals, couples, and families all from a systemic perspective. “We are always thinking about the individual client’s family context, as well as community context which is incredibly helpful in our broken world,” says Dr. Coyle.

Recent research indicates that over 50% of clients’ initial concerns focus on relationship issues. What better way to start therapy than with a systemic therapist trained specifically to support clients with their relationships? Core faculty members Dr. Christina Davis and Dr. Jacquie Braeger see the MFT program as where self, systems, and spirit meet. Merged through courses and systemic supervision in Practicum is an emphasis on spiritual integration. Students see clients in the on-site, state-of-the-art Counseling Center as well as off-site internships. Some internships offer stipends. They range from private practice to medical settings to community agencies.

Students who graduate from the MAMFT program take the same national licensure exam in all 50 states. Most states require that licensed marriage and family therapists graduate from COAMFTE accredited programs. This gives CTS program graduates a strong position to work in other states.

The CTS MAMFT program has a 100% job placement rate in addition to a strong licensure pass rate. Together with its national COAMFTE accreditation, the CTS MAMFT offers students a program that is geared for adult learners. This 2024-2025 academic year saw the program shift its delivery format from a campus-based only program to a hybrid program. The hybrid program offers 50% of the classes in person and 50% of the classes online. The program also maximizes scheduling for not only day classes but evening classes for 15 weeks. In addition, Friday and Saturday all-day intensives are offered each semester.

Drs. Braeger, Coyle, and Davis along with the MFT clinical supervisors warmly invite the MFT students and alumni community to connect and share joy and passion in this culminating event of the 30th COAMFTE Accreditation year.

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