Fuller Theological Marks Milestones With 60th Anniversaries of Mental Health School and Clinic

Pasadena’s Fuller Theological Seminary is marking significant milestones in its commitment to bridging mental health and spiritual leadership. As the Fuller Psychological and Family Services (FPFS) Clinic and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy approach their upcoming 60th anniversaries, the seminary reaffirmed its dedication to fostering collaboration between mental health professionals and religious leaders.

The School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy, one of Fuller’s two schools alongside the School of Mission and Theology, holds a unique distinction as the first seminary-based psychology program accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1974 to explicitly incorporate spirituality, religion, and theology into its psychology training. This holistic approach equips graduates with a deeper understanding of the questions of meaning and purpose embedded in spirituality and religion, enabling them to engage with clients’ areas of pain more effectively.

“We are uniquely positioned to empower spiritual and mental health leaders to work together effectively and to dismantle the stigma sometimes associated with mental health within spiritual communities,” said Cynthia Eriksson, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Situated within a theological seminary, the school also has the opportunity to influence future community religious leaders. By promoting a better understanding of the scientific and spiritual nature of emotional distress, these leaders can help destigmatize the need to seek mental health services and model attention to personal emotional well-being.

FPFS, the clinical training and community mental health outreach arm of the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology, has played a vital role in providing affordable, high-quality mental health care to the Pasadena community and beyond for over 50 years.

“We are proud to provide psychological services to the Pasadena community and beyond on a sliding scale making it affordable to all,” said Ted Cosse, Ph.D., Executive Director of FPFS.

The clinic, initially established as the Pasadena Community Counseling Center in 1964, offers a range of services, including individual, couples, family, and group therapy to address issues such as anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, and grief.

FPFS also provides neuropsychological assessments to help detect neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD, autism, and learning disabilities.

FPFS therapists, mostly students from the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology’s Clinical Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy programs, provide thousands of hours of therapy and assessment services each year under the close supervision of licensed professionals. They are trained to integrate issues of faith and spirituality into treatment in a sensitive manner, welcoming clients of all faith traditions.

As Mental Health Awareness Month underscores the importance of addressing mental health issues, Fuller Seminary, a global ecclesial, evangelical, ecumenical, and egalitarian Christian institution with a global enrollment of more than 3,000 students across its campuses in Pasadena, Houston, Phoenix, and online, as well as its digital learning platform FULLER Equip, said in a statement that it remains committed to integrating mental health and spiritual leadership.