Alumni » Our Alumni » Peter Drabbant
From IPS to Television, One Graduate’s Story
Recently our staff had the opportunity to catch up with alumnus Peter Andrew Drabbant, a 2000 graduate with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. His journey in faith has taken him to various places throughout the United States since he left IPS and he kindly offered to share some thoughts with our readers during an in-depth interview.
Peter, when did you realize that you were called to help people?
“I realized many years ago that I wanted to help people who were suffering; whether I had the capacity to do it was something I had to grapple with. The responsibility for helping others is tremendous, as I realize today. I came to the understanding that one could or should not help others unless one first is willing to be helped by others; in a word, I needed healing in my own life before I could assist in the healing of others. Moreover, one cannot be a ‘leader’ until one first learns to become a ‘follower’, so to speak, a follower first and foremost of Christ Himself.
After growing in my Catholic faith both personally and academically (studying theology and philosophy), it was out of the question for me NOT to integrate my Catholic Faith with the science of psychology as both are integral to the human person.
I studied clinical psychology at the University of Western Ontario in Canada for one year during which time I realized how deeply secular their program was. I knew then it was time to move on. My next stop was the John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family along with teaching high school for a year. Shortly thereafter, I realized it was time to seriously study psychology that incorporated the Catholic anthropology. While completing course work at the JPII, I attended conferences sponsored by the Catholic Institute for Psychological Sciences (later to be re-named the Institute for the Psychological Sciences). From there I felt moved to enter the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS), the first year IPS became an academic institute.
After graduating from the Master’s program at IPS, I enrolled at Franciscan University of Steubenville to receive my Masters in Counseling because I felt called to this profession. After graduation, I moved to Traverse City, Michigan, where I met up with another therapist who studied the works of Conrad Baars and Anna Turruwe. Both Baars and Turruwe mandate a rational-personalist psychology.
I also needed supervision to be fully licensed as a mental health therapist, and so I sought that as well. I opened my private practice in Northern Michigan in 2004 but business was slow and I needed clinical, face-to-face hours to become fully licensed. It was then that I was hired at a Community Mental Health Facility (CMH) in St. Joseph, Michigan.
A Community Health Facility is a state-run agency where clients/patients are seen for therapy and other services, such as psychiatry, psychological testing, home-based services, severe mental illness, case management and so forth. I was hired as a home-based therapist to work with children and families who need intensive therapy. I then transferred to the Outpatient Unit where I now work with adults and children one-on-one. Unfortunately, there is a very high caseload.
In addition to my work at the CMH facility, I own a private practice called Open-Heart Counseling Services. It is not a group practice as of yet, but I hope it will be some day, Lord-willing. It is in this setting that I can openly communicate Catholic anthropology with my clients, since I advertise as a Catholic therapist. Sadly, in my state job, I cannot exclusively share my faith, for obvious reasons, but I can pray for my clients during sessions, all the while being attentive to their needs as best I can.
So far, all of my Open-Heart Counseling Services clients have been very receptive to a Catholic anthropology as a necessary part of their treatment and outcome.
With regards to integrating the Catholic faith with treatment, I would emphasize that prayer is important if clients are open to this. Secondly, I try to educate my clients so that a healthy view of the person ‘as a person created in God's image and likeness,’ is understood. Pope John Paul II's statement in Pueblo Mexico in 1979 rang true for years in me when he said: ‘What we owe to man is, first and foremost, the truth about man.’ And so I first educate and counsel my clients, not so much in what is ‘abnormal’ but what is ‘normal’ as God Himself intended; that is, who man ‘is’ and how man is to act in a truly human way. This is where our rich Catholic anthropology comes into play.
I have found both John Paul II's Theology of the Body and Baars and Turruwe's ‘Affirmation Model,’ to be exceptional teaching tools for my clients as well, and most, if not all, have responded favorably. I also incorporate good secular models of psychology that do not deny or contradict Catholic personalism. In addition I incorporate the ‘good’ that secular theorists have to offer, since many of them have contributed significantly toward understanding human behavior and personality traits.”
In addition to his work at the Community Health Facility and his private practice, Peter felt drawn to use a communication medium that resulted in being an affective teaching tool for others while increasing his knowledge as well.
“My involvement with integrating Catholicism with modern Psychology through Public Television can only be attributed to Mother Angelica of EWTN. I had and still have a great desire to teach, and so I first gave a year-long series on Catholicism in general to the viewing public in Traverse City, Michigan, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.
I felt uncertain about teaching on public television, but Mother Angelica set me straight! One day I heard her bellow out during a Mother Angelica Live episode: ‘For heaven’s sakes, what are you waiting for? Are you expecting to be perfect before you begin proclaiming God's Holy Word?’ This was the answer I needed as I began the series. I believe my audience was "mixed," as I hoped it would be. I cannot begin to explain how much I have learned (and still need to learn) while educating the public. It has been both exceptionally rewarding and humiliating as well. One only learns to swim by diving in head first.”
With regard to the future, Peter is docile to God’s will.
“I seek to live the present moment since only God knows for sure what He has in store for my future, and so I only hope to be docile to His loving Will in the process. However, as far as I can ascertain, I plan to continue with my work in Open-Heart Counseling and at my State job as a CMH therapist. As far as continuing with teaching on public television, I hope in the not-so-distant future to begin another series here for Southwestern, Michigan. (or "Michiana" as they say), but again, I defer to God's Wisdom and guidance for me on that one..."
Thank you, Peter! The Staff, Faculty and Students of IPS wish you much continued success with all of your endeavors.
Recently our staff had the opportunity to catch up with alumnus Peter Andrew Drabbant, a 2000 graduate with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. His journey in faith has taken him to various places throughout the United States since he left IPS and he kindly offered to share some thoughts with our readers during an in-depth interview.
Peter, when did you realize that you were called to help people?
“I realized many years ago that I wanted to help people who were suffering; whether I had the capacity to do it was something I had to grapple with. The responsibility for helping others is tremendous, as I realize today. I came to the understanding that one could or should not help others unless one first is willing to be helped by others; in a word, I needed healing in my own life before I could assist in the healing of others. Moreover, one cannot be a ‘leader’ until one first learns to become a ‘follower’, so to speak, a follower first and foremost of Christ Himself.
After growing in my Catholic faith both personally and academically (studying theology and philosophy), it was out of the question for me NOT to integrate my Catholic Faith with the science of psychology as both are integral to the human person.
I studied clinical psychology at the University of Western Ontario in Canada for one year during which time I realized how deeply secular their program was. I knew then it was time to move on. My next stop was the John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family along with teaching high school for a year. Shortly thereafter, I realized it was time to seriously study psychology that incorporated the Catholic anthropology. While completing course work at the JPII, I attended conferences sponsored by the Catholic Institute for Psychological Sciences (later to be re-named the Institute for the Psychological Sciences). From there I felt moved to enter the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (IPS), the first year IPS became an academic institute.
After graduating from the Master’s program at IPS, I enrolled at Franciscan University of Steubenville to receive my Masters in Counseling because I felt called to this profession. After graduation, I moved to Traverse City, Michigan, where I met up with another therapist who studied the works of Conrad Baars and Anna Turruwe. Both Baars and Turruwe mandate a rational-personalist psychology.
I also needed supervision to be fully licensed as a mental health therapist, and so I sought that as well. I opened my private practice in Northern Michigan in 2004 but business was slow and I needed clinical, face-to-face hours to become fully licensed. It was then that I was hired at a Community Mental Health Facility (CMH) in St. Joseph, Michigan.
A Community Health Facility is a state-run agency where clients/patients are seen for therapy and other services, such as psychiatry, psychological testing, home-based services, severe mental illness, case management and so forth. I was hired as a home-based therapist to work with children and families who need intensive therapy. I then transferred to the Outpatient Unit where I now work with adults and children one-on-one. Unfortunately, there is a very high caseload.
In addition to my work at the CMH facility, I own a private practice called Open-Heart Counseling Services. It is not a group practice as of yet, but I hope it will be some day, Lord-willing. It is in this setting that I can openly communicate Catholic anthropology with my clients, since I advertise as a Catholic therapist. Sadly, in my state job, I cannot exclusively share my faith, for obvious reasons, but I can pray for my clients during sessions, all the while being attentive to their needs as best I can.
So far, all of my Open-Heart Counseling Services clients have been very receptive to a Catholic anthropology as a necessary part of their treatment and outcome.
With regards to integrating the Catholic faith with treatment, I would emphasize that prayer is important if clients are open to this. Secondly, I try to educate my clients so that a healthy view of the person ‘as a person created in God's image and likeness,’ is understood. Pope John Paul II's statement in Pueblo Mexico in 1979 rang true for years in me when he said: ‘What we owe to man is, first and foremost, the truth about man.’ And so I first educate and counsel my clients, not so much in what is ‘abnormal’ but what is ‘normal’ as God Himself intended; that is, who man ‘is’ and how man is to act in a truly human way. This is where our rich Catholic anthropology comes into play.
I have found both John Paul II's Theology of the Body and Baars and Turruwe's ‘Affirmation Model,’ to be exceptional teaching tools for my clients as well, and most, if not all, have responded favorably. I also incorporate good secular models of psychology that do not deny or contradict Catholic personalism. In addition I incorporate the ‘good’ that secular theorists have to offer, since many of them have contributed significantly toward understanding human behavior and personality traits.”
In addition to his work at the Community Health Facility and his private practice, Peter felt drawn to use a communication medium that resulted in being an affective teaching tool for others while increasing his knowledge as well.
“My involvement with integrating Catholicism with modern Psychology through Public Television can only be attributed to Mother Angelica of EWTN. I had and still have a great desire to teach, and so I first gave a year-long series on Catholicism in general to the viewing public in Traverse City, Michigan, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.
I felt uncertain about teaching on public television, but Mother Angelica set me straight! One day I heard her bellow out during a Mother Angelica Live episode: ‘For heaven’s sakes, what are you waiting for? Are you expecting to be perfect before you begin proclaiming God's Holy Word?’ This was the answer I needed as I began the series. I believe my audience was "mixed," as I hoped it would be. I cannot begin to explain how much I have learned (and still need to learn) while educating the public. It has been both exceptionally rewarding and humiliating as well. One only learns to swim by diving in head first.”
With regard to the future, Peter is docile to God’s will.
“I seek to live the present moment since only God knows for sure what He has in store for my future, and so I only hope to be docile to His loving Will in the process. However, as far as I can ascertain, I plan to continue with my work in Open-Heart Counseling and at my State job as a CMH therapist. As far as continuing with teaching on public television, I hope in the not-so-distant future to begin another series here for Southwestern, Michigan. (or "Michiana" as they say), but again, I defer to God's Wisdom and guidance for me on that one..."
Thank you, Peter! The Staff, Faculty and Students of IPS wish you much continued success with all of your endeavors.