Ever since I can remember, understanding what makes relationships work has intrigued me. Working towards understanding the aspects of what makes for a vibrant relationship is a passion of mine. From communication and companionship to trust and forgiveness, from learning how to “argue well” to learning how to let the little things slide—all of it in certain balance and you have a relationship pulsating with life and love.
I began studying relationships on my own when I was in my early 20’s. I loved studying what scripture had to say about relationships – especially marriage. The language of mutual sacrifice, modeled for us by Christ is such a beautiful depiction of a relationship marked with the vibrant glow of life. I also loved reading popular books based on healthy relationships and how it could be applied practically with people. I even began conducting “happy-healthy relationship” groups based on popular curriculum. One day, however, I realized that if I wanted to continue to pursue helping couples, I would need a formal education. So, in my mid 20’s, I decided to go back to college and get a degree in psychology and religion. It was during this time that I met my amazing wife. Through many ups and downs (as couples commonly have) we learned a lot about each other and realized we both had a similar passion – we wanted to help people flourish in their relationships. Both of us were interested in doing therapy with couples, while I was also interested in doing research regarding how to help couples thrive in their relationships. This led us to Fuller.
We decided to pursue graduate education at Fuller. Both of us are in the doctoral psychology program and working towards being able to work with couples one day. Not only do we want to work with couples individually, we also plan to design a program teaching couples how to build a solid foundation for their relationship and then work with churches to implement it. This is how we got connected with the Counseling Ministries here at Lake. I met with Tsega Worku, shared with him my vision and passion, and he shared with me what Lake is doing through the Marriage Enrichment seminars. Immediately we realized that our visions were in line with each other and a great friendship was born. Ever since then, my wife and I have been assisting Tsega with the Marriage Enrichment project. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to learn the practical side of what goes into the administration of a program like this. I gain vital practical experience and Tsega gains an energetic, passionate person, that helps keep him organized (I say playfully teasing him).
I am very grateful for Tsega and the opportunity to assist the Counseling Ministry. My wife and I look forward to working with churches like Lake, to provide tools and resources to couples to help them grow and thrive in their relationships. It may take us a while (grad school is a long road), but we are glad to have the support of great friends along the way.
For details on Counseling Ministries visit http://counseling.lakeave.org.