Author Archives: Jessamyn Anderson

Author:  Rida Mansoor

Unlocking Communities’ founder and CEO, Josh Goralski graduated from Loyola Chicago’s Masters in Social Justice Program with a specialization in Social Entrepreneurship in May 2019.  While pursuing his degree, he wrote the business plan for Unlocking Communities, a global social enterprise founded on Catholic social teaching that provides communities with access to essential products such as water filtration systems and clean burning stoves.

 What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from your time at Loyola?

The most important or valuable lesson I’ve learned is how to put faith into action, and what it means to be a man and woman for and with others. How do we go out and integrate the Jesuit teachings into our everyday learnings and things like community organizing? Things that we talked about in our class translated into the everyday work that we do.

 Why did you choose Loyola’s Institute of Pastoral Studies?

I chose Loyola because it was one of the only schools in the area that had a Master’s in Social Justice, and I had already done an undergrad in Nonprofit Management, but really wanted to deepen my theological learnings in the area of social justice. I had heard wonderful things from the graduates of the program.

My time at IPS was was foundational to my current success. The time spent in class to discern, reflect and understand how to build a social enterprise like ours, provided the bedrock for Unlocking Communities. We are a Catholic-informed organization, but not a Catholic organization. We don’t draw lines that separate people in communities based on religion. We are and continue to be a uniting and not a diving force.

 What has been the most memorable part of your Loyola experience?

The most memorable part of my Loyola experience was getting a chance to sit around a table with the professor and fellow students and engage in conversation. It was an intimate class setting, and we would brainstorm around the conference table on what it means to organize communities. Felt very real and applicable to me.

 What does Loyola’s Jesuit mission mean to you? How has it influenced your experience as an entrepreneur?

For me, the Jesuit mission means to men and women for and with others. I truly believe that this generation can see transformative change; I see movement towards issues like ending extreme poverty and want to motivate others by leading with example.

 How did you come up with the noble idea of Unlocking Communities? 

I came up with Unlocking Communities through a faith journey when I met a priest from Haiti. I’ve been involved in non-profit activities in Haiti since I was 8 years old. Hearing about his successes and lessons learned along the way was an enlightening path for me. Throughout graduate school,  I had an opportunity to look at what is truly social justice and how social justice base models really put that computing power in the hands of communities.

 What are your organization’s long and short-term goals?

Our short-term goals are to build a factory in Haiti that will reach provide clean water to over one and a half million people in the next five years. Our long-term goal is a focus on fundraising, allowing us to continue our mission-driven work in more countries.

Unlocking Communities’  core mission is to equip entrepreneurs with the education and tools to sell sustainable products that unlock economic, social, and environmental transformation. We are focused on improving health outcomes and environmental change by selling water filtration systems and clean burning stoves as our products.

The Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago has evolved over its nearly sixty year life.  Dr. William (Bill) Schmidt has accompanied the Institute for the better part of the second half of its existence.  During his tenure with IPS, he has seen changes in university structures including a building out of the Institute of Pastoral Studies from a summer program to the robust offerings of degree programs it has today.  His contribution to those offerings emerged as a contributor to the spirituality program during his time as the Graduate Program Director.  The lens through which Dr. Schmidt has experienced the IPS is Pastoral Counseling and Chaplaincy.  He talked about the purpose of IPS as pastoral.  He was open about the ambiguity of the term pastoral in a post-modern world.  His response to how a pastoral organization can persist in an ever changing world, was that the IPS is engaged in Jesuit-driven pastoral accompaniment.  The pastoral term encompasses the journey and the complications that arise from it.

We delved into his areas of expertise discussing the arc of the profession of pastoral care and counseling from a partnership with chaplaincy in the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE ) to a stand alone discipline and back to being a branch of the ACPE.  The focus of pastoral care and counseling falls under the depth psychology branch of psychotherapy.  Dr. Schmidt referred to the concept of spiritually integrated counseling as a way of summarizing the distinguishing characteristic of pastoral counseling from other forms of counseling.

We talked about meaning making within the context of spiritual seeking.  The IPS has a broad range of programs that pulls from all areas of interest, but a commonality that has been observed among the IPS student body is a sense of spiritual seeking.  Dr. Schmidt observed that spiritual seeking is not only institutionally driven.  The prescriptive body of knowledge that an institution, such as a spiritual community, offers does not usually match the spiritual journey of the seeker.  The field of pastoral counseling is tasked with preaching the world to the church and the opening the church to the world.  The spiritual seeker is seeking spiritual nourishment and as a discipline, pastoral counseling, is poised to experience the raw existential human experience of emerging realities.  Dr. Schmidt describes the field as having one foot in the ever changing dynamism of human experience and one foot in the faith tradition.  When pressed about the world of today with the many faith traditions and spiritual experiences that seekers are bringing to graduate school Dr. Schmidt referred to his working definition of pastoral care and counseling which is bringing the inner meaning of the gospel to persons at their point of need.  The inner meaning of the gospel, Dr. Schmidt lifted up as the core of the message of pastoral counseling, which is surrounded by the human values, love, hope, and compassion.  Dr. Schmidt has recently co-authored a book entitled: Spiritual Formation in Local Faith Communities: A Prompt Card Approach: which highlights his research interests in Psychology, Theology and Spirituality. His specific current focus addresses the theme of contemporary Pilgrimage as a resource for personal growth, transformation, and healing.  The IPS is honored to have Dr. Schmidt among our faculty and we celebrate with him his 30 year milestone.

Jenni Dressler is a 2022 graduate from the MA in Pastoral Counseling program at the Institute of Pastoral Studies. She took the time to share some of her thoughts about her experiences in the program and what the future holds. In her own words, she shares her journey with us:

“From childhood, I somehow knew that I was going to law school, where I would learn a trade. Therefore, for my bachelor’s degree, I undertook the study of philosophy and literature to discover what my 17-year-old self referred to as “the meaning of life”, fully embracing the pursuit of wisdom through critical thought. The works of William Shakespeare and Albert Camus particularly influenced me, and nearly 40 years later, I continue to study Hamlet. Like my life, the story opens with the eternal question, “Who’s there?” and continues through all five acts (or, in my case, five decades) attempting to answer it.  

I have been a devoted student of A Course in Miracles (the “Course”) since 2003. Through the Course I have experienced a profoundly deepening spirituality, peace, and love of God, as well as love of my neighbors. As a result of my study, I have come to understand that internal peace is the ne plus ultra of spiritual practice. As Tolstoy wryly noted, everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. If a person is peaceful, he has no need to make an other of his brother. Likewise, Matthew 22:34-40 teaches us that the most important commandment – and therefore our most important work – is relational: we must love God and our neighbor with everything we’ve got. However, we cannot truly love another if we are not first at peace with ourselves.”

The drawback to the study of secular philosophy, as well as the practice of law, is that neither embraces spirituality. In the years following my discovery of A Course in Miracles, I continued to stumble upon opportunities to listen to the struggles of others, offering support and creating a space in which they could find their own answers. Despite my grand plan to live a quiet retirement after I left the practice of law in 2017, I finally had to admit to myself that I was being called to this ministry. I then spent months looking at counseling psychology programs that would provide the credentials I needed to offer professional therapy, but none of the programs felt right. Finally, one day I stumbled upon a newsletter from JourneyCare, the hospice for which I volunteer. The newsletter contained an interview with Joel Bregman, a JourneyCare chaplain, in which he revealed that he had come to pastoral counseling from corporate America in his 50s (like me), and he had pursued his degree at Loyola’s Institute of Pastoral Studies. I opened the IPS website, and immediately felt at home. As I discovered when making the intellectual transition from secular philosophy to A Course in Miracles, IPS, like the Course, had something that all the other programs lacked: IPS had God. My spiritual and intellectual paths had finally converged.

The blessing of the Spirit’s prompting led Jenni to the IPS and we were honored to have her study with us. I asked her, what, if anything, from her academic experience would she would lift up as a valuable tool or experience that you took away from her degree?

JD: “Although Loyola University Chicago is a Catholic, Jesuit institution, I appreciated the support I received from faculty to explore how A Course in Miracles, my faith practice, integrates into my pastoral vision, identity, and practice.  In addition, I had exceptional experiences with the people and program. Specifically, I worked and continue to work closely with Michael Bland, who has been my professor, mentor, clinical supervisor, and role model. He has taught me to emphasize God’s gifts and grace in the people I meet. His abiding kindness and goodness are both a source of inspiration and a paragon of pastoral care to which I aspire.

Professor Bill Schmidt and Professor Deb Watson provided unfailing leadership, support, and patience. They helped forge my pastoral counseling identity, and their influence will extend to everyone who comes to me for care. 

As I mentioned above, Loyola University Chicago and the Institute of Pastoral Studies offer a unique program that combines a traditional counseling curriculum with theological attention to the important healing work of Spirit.

I was blessed with steadfast, principled, and inspiring companions on this journey in my pastoral counseling cohort: Marguerite Galvez, Greg McPhee, Charles Nuwagaba, Tara Parker, Norma Pocasangre Umanzor, Kathie Smith, Imad Syryany, and Uzochukwu Ikechi Ugo.

I also would like to raise up The Claret Center, the parish of Saint Mary of the Lake, their respective staffs, and my supervision colleagues for providing an unparalleled internship opportunity. The depth and breadth of my experience afforded by these institutions and their people was remarkable.

Jenni is doing amazing things professionally. I asked her to share some details and she was happy to share.

JD: I am currently, a psychotherapy resident at the Claret Center, a non-profit agency in Chicago that emphasizes the integration of spirituality and psychology. In additional to psychotherapy for individuals, I have offered psycho-educational programs and group therapy at Saint Mary of the Lake, a Catholic parish in the Buena Park/Uptown neighborhood. I counsel a wide variety of clientele in various sociocultural contexts and all along the spectrums from vulnerable to powerful and underprivileged to privileged. These services span the life cycle and include psychotherapy for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. I serve clients ranging in age from 11 to 70+, and I treat a wide variety of conditions and diagnoses including grief, PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, PMDD, attachment issues, and borderline tendencies. My clients, many of whom are immigrants, are of African, Asian, European, Latinx, and Native American origin or descent.

JD: In addition to my master’s degree from Loyola, I have completed Level 1 training in Internal Family Systems. I will complete Level 2 training and become a certified IFS therapist by the end of 2023. I am currently training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a mental health treatment technique that facilitates the processing of traumatic memories and healing from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. I also hold a graduate certificate in Psychedelic-assisted Therapy and Research from the California Institute of Integral Studies. In October of 2022, I presented, “Psychedelic-assisted therapy: Integration vs. harm reduction” at the American Counseling Association 2022 national Virtual Conference Experience, leveraging both my psychology and legal expertise.

I have developed specific interests in counseling applications for people with terminal diagnoses, as well as the people who accompany them; psychedelic-assisted therapy and research; and spirituality in counseling, particularly as it relates to unitive experiences. I hope to focus my practice on psychedelic-assisted therapy and research once psychedelics are legalized. Interestingly, psychedelic-assisted therapy became legal in Oregon in 2023. I asked her how her IPS experience informs her professional work and she said that her IPS experience informs every aspect of her professional work.

As a parting question – I asked her if there was anything she would like to share with future IPS students or grads that would be helpful advice for their journey?

JD: What I found particularly interesting about my IPS MAPC cohort was their age: all were mid-career or second-career professionals. It’s never too late to take advantage of the invaluable skills afforded by an IPS education. After all, Doogie Howser may have been a young genius, but no one went to him for wisdom.

Jenni Dressler, MA, is a psychotherapy resident at the Claret Center, a non-profit agency in Chicago that emphasizes the integration of spirituality and psychology. She also offers psycho-educational programs and group therapy at Saint Mary of the Lake, a Catholic parish in the Buena Park/Uptown neighborhood.

For more information about the IPS MA Counseling Program, please contact Julie Garcia, Student Coordinator, at jgarica33@luc.edu

It is graduation week and things are a lot different than I expected them to be. We took our last classes from home, we have been emotional and afraid, our minds went somewhere else at a time we should be thinking about next steps and looking back at what we learned at IPS.

I had to postpone my integration project! I did not do it because I had no time to finish, I did it because I want to learn everything I can from writing this project and with Covid-19 in mind that was not possible. A degree from IPS for me has always had a different meaning, it was never about the diploma I get to hang on the wall, it was about the learning experience, it was about the knowledge, it was about developing the drive to help others. I moved to Chicago from Brazil to study Social Justice at IPS. I chose Loyola and IPS because I wanted to attend a Jesuit school, I wanted to embrace St. Ignatius of Loyola’s teachings and principles and apply them in my life and the world. I already have a master’s degree, I just wanted to learn, I wanted to give more meaning and purpose to whatever I choose to do next.

The pandemic is making the social injustices in the world a lot more evident; my degree feels even more important and relevant. The work to be done seems overwhelming but being in classrooms filled with people already doing amazing work advocating for social justice gives me hope. My classmates were young, passionate, and dedicated, they have been doing work with vulnerable populations for a long time and they are great role models for me to follow.

In my time at IPS I found God in ways I had not found Him before; I was able to see Him in the faces of my classmates and that experience has been extremely inspiring. As much as I have learned from the classes and the professors, the exchange with my classmates and learning about their journeys in their missions has been one of the most valuable lessons from the entire program.

As my program comes to an end, all I can do is say thank you. Thank you to everyone at IPS for their help and support from my application to my online graduation toast; thank you to the professors for being so dedicated to the students and sharing their knowledge, thank you to my wonderful and amazing classmates for going through this journey with me. Every one of you made it worth going through two Chicago winters and being away from my family and friends.

~
Maria

Last week, Assistant Dean for Continuing Education Mariana Miller, Interim Dean Peter Jones, and Assistant Professor Mike Canaris hosted the IPS annual “Breakfast With The Bishops” during their national meetings at the USCCB November General Assembly. As in past years, the breakfast was a chance to have an extended and intimate conversation about current and future IPS priorities, and where our mission of forming professional ministers, social justice advocates, and persons for others can best align with needs and challenges on the ground. To do this effectively, both institutes of academic formation and credentialing, and institutional representatives of ecclesial leadership need open and frank conversations. This is one small element in remaining committed to exactly this exchange. It also allows IPS community members to meet with former colleagues and graduates serving in various capacities around the country. Emily Kane, the current assistant director for social justice at Loyola University Maryland joined our faculty and staff this year to share her experiences and values with the participating bishops. She told us the experience was valuable and enjoyable.

“I appreciated having the space within the USCCB conference to engage with bishops about the intersection of their work and the work of IPS. Particularly as a woman within the Catholic Church, it felt significant to be able to share my experience directly with those who are a part of making formative decisions about the direction of the Church. It was also fascinating to see the perceived needs of the Church from both a clergy and lay perspective, and to brainstorm collaboratively about how IPS can play a role in formation both locally in Chicago, as well as globally.”

An interview with dr. timone davis:

The life of a theologian is a fascinating story.  dr. davis (who uses lower case spellings of her name to decrease herself as God increases in her life) has a faith story that is no exception.  Her story is Spirit-led, practical and rooted in prayer.  The opportunity to talk with her is always a joy.  In our conversation, a theme that came up again and again was an unapologetic surrender to the Spirit.  This way of being began when she was a young adult and found her faith again.  As a child she went to church but did not identify with her faith until she was entering adulthood.  She discovered that her faith could heal, soften sharp edges, and bring hope to herself and those around her.  She reacquainted herself with her faith through opening her perspective to God and whatever the Spirit had in store for her.  The Spirit led her to teach faith formation classes in her local parish and the rest is history.  She now blesses IPS with her teaching and leadership as an Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology.   

In our conversation I asked about her journey into academia within the backdrop of her Spirit-led faith.  She chuckled at the question because her career in academia was not originally her end goal.  She shared she was working in churches in faith formation capacities and felt that was where she was supposed to be.  She came to IPS after the former Dean of the IPS, Dr. Brian Schmisek, heard her speak at an event. He shared with her there was an opening for an adjunct professor at the IPS.  That position led to a new tenure-track professor position at the IPS. This hiring for the position she currently holds at the IPS was the beginning of an unexpected and successful path into academia. 

She shared the context around the decisions she faced when accepting the appointment to a professor position at the IPS.  She and her husband were and are entrepreneurs.  The career path she thought she was on, when the Spirit came in and opened up these academic opportunities, was a small business offering pastoral counseling and spiritual accompaniment.  Her husband is a clinical counselor and with him, she was developing plans to fund the counseling program through another small business offering medical billing services.  She noted, God had different ideas.  She found that the spiritual accompaniment and counseling business gained enough traction to stand on its own.  With that intact, she said yes to the professorship and began to acquaint herself with campus life.  As a woman of color, she discovered there was ‘an assumption that she ‘should be’ in the social work or education fields.  She felt a Spirit prompting that being in academia was a necessary calling.  As a professor at the IPS, she can challenge assumptions and be a role model for future theologians and ministers of color.  Through this consistent surrender to the Spirit, she has embraced teaching, writing, presenting and research.  It is easy to see the congruence with her Spirit-led posture and the many speaking and writing requests she receives from student and professional organizations looking for expertise in how to bring the next generation of faithful into the Church. 

In closing, I asked her what makes the IPS a unique higher ed experience for those seeking a ministry-focused graduate program.  She said, the IPS has God, it’s that simple.  This summary coming from someone who has vibrant faith journey filled with testimony about what God has done for her, makes this statement a compelling one. 

dr. davis shares her spirit-led message of faith at events and on multiple platforms. She has also written a book focused on faith formation through intergenerational storytelling entitled: Intergenerational Catechesis: Revitalizing Faith Through African-American Storytelling. She is the first woman of color to be awarded tenure at the Institute of Pastoral Studies.  Her tenure achievement was recognized at the 2023 Faculty Convocation.  She is returning to write at https://movingtowardspeace.blogspot.com/ and will soon have a podcast that features her preaching.