I was not prepared to deal with the profound psychological brokenness that exists on college campuses today
Her work as a Catholic missionary on college campuses led Kate Ebeler to IPSIf you told me two years ago that I would be pursuing a master’s degree in clinical psychology, I would have laughed.
You see, for the past 7 years I have been a missionary on college campuses across the United States for an organization called Fellowship of Catholic University Students, better known as FOCUS.
Upon graduating from the University of Denver in 2002 with degrees in biology and psychology, I started working with FOCUS. FOCUS is a national organization whose mission is to evangelize on college campuses throughout the United States. Through large group events, Bible studies, one-on-one mentoring, and simply forming authentic friendships, FOCUS seeks to introduce or reintroduce Christ and the beauty of the Catholic Church to college students.
When I joined FOCUS, I felt emotionally and spiritually prepared to share the gospel with college students. I welcomed the challenge of bringing Christ to a culture that is often indifferent, and at times hostile, to Christianity. I expected to encounter roadblocks of sin in students’ lives: drinking, drugs, and promiscuity.
What I was not prepared to deal with was the profound psychological brokenness that exists on college campuses today-- the brokenness of depression, anxiety, abortion, and addictions.
After five years of encountering this brokenness, I felt called to act, and began researching graduate schools of psychology. I knew about IPS and had even stopped by for a tour a few years earlier, but I was looking for a Master’s-Plus program, which they did not offer at the time. It was not until an IPS representative visited Seton Hall University where I was working with FOCUS that I learned about the Institute’s recent addition of the M.S.-Plus Practicum.
I immediately applied to IPS and scheduled a second visit along with an interview. After meeting with the chair of integration, I knew IPS was where I was called to study. My heart was lit on fire as the professor spoke of integrating psychology with the disciplines of philosophy and theology.
In addition to resuming my studies this year, I will continue working with FOCUS part-time at George Mason University. I am grateful for the education I have received thus far and look forward to utilizing my degree working as a full-time FOCUS staff member.