“Tending Agonizing Seeds: Healing the Anger and the Catch-33 Surrounding Black Boys”

Dr. Howard Stevenson received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and is now an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as the Chair of the Applied Psychology and Human Development Division and is the Director of the Professional Counseling and Psychology Program in the Graduate School of Education. He teaches courses such as: Psychological Intervention, Psychology of the African American, Psychology of Family and Schools, Cultural Issues in Family Therapy, and a seminar entitled Interactional Processes with Adolescents Families and Community Psychology. Stevenson serves as the Associate Editor of the Journal of Black Psychology and is an ad hoc reviewer and editorial consultant for numerous other journals. He has authored many professional journal articles, manuscripts, and edited books and is an often sought conference speaker and media spokesperson. And if anyone asks which of our invited speakers was an All-American, Semi-Professional soccer player, the answer is "Howard Stevenson".

“Relational Spirituality and Transformation: A Crucible Model”

Dr. Steven Sandage has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL). He is an Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Studies at Bethel University (St. Paul, MN), where he teaches psychology and marriage and family therapy graduate courses. Sandage also maintains a private practice as a Clinical Psychologist. He was the recipient (along with co-author, F. LeRon Shults) of the first Narramore Award for excellence in the integration of psychology and theology, presented at the 2005 CAPS convention for their book, The Faces of Forgiveness: Searching for Wholeness and Salvation. Their newest collaborative book, Transforming Spirituality: Integrating Theology and Psychology, was published in 2006 by Baker Academic. Sandage is a popular presenter at community and professional gatherings, and has published numerous articles in professional journals. He serves on the editorial board of The Journal of Psychology and Theology and is an ad hoc reviewer for Oxford University Press and several journals, including the Journal of Psychology and Christianity. His impressive vitae, as well as the genuineness of his Christian character, are (in part) a reflection of years spent under the tutelage of Dr.Everett Worthington; we are pleased to be able to reunite mentor-mentee at this conference.

Dr. Chris Boyatzis received his Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Brandeis University. Currently, he is an Associate Professorof Psychology at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, where he serves as the graduate program coordinator and teaches courses in Developmental Psychology, Child Development, Religious and Spiritual Development, Culture and Child Development, Multicultural USA, and General Psychology. Boyatzis has published numerous professional articles, (co)edited several books, and has a very busy speaking schedule. He was the editor for special issues of journals on religious and spiritual development, as follows: International Journal for the Psychology of Religion (in press), Applied Developmental Science (2004), and Review of Religious Research (2003). He is on the editorial boards of Teaching of Psychology and the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior and is a member of the advisory board for the Encyclopedia of Spritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence (Sage). Boyatzis is the chairman of the Commission on Children's Ministries for the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. In case you are wondering, the "cute little one" in the picture is his daughter,Sedona!

“Therapy as Dance: With-ing in the Wild Spaces of Love”

Dr. James Olthuis is Emeritus Professor of Philosophical Theology at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, and a psychotherapist in private practice. Olthuis is editor of Knowing Other-Wise: Philosophy at the Threshold of Spirituality (1997),Towards and Ethics of Community (2000) Religion with/out Religion: The prayers and tears of John D. Captuo (2002),and the author of I Pledge You My Troth (1975), Keeping our Troth: Staying in Love During the Five Stages of Marriage (1986), and The Beautiful Risk A New Psychology of Loving and Being Loved (2001). Jim is a grandfather who rollerblades to work.