January 2023 Affiliate of the Month: Steven Sandage (STH Religion, CAS Psychology)
Steven J. Sandage, MDiv, PhD (Counseling Psychology), LP, is the Albert and Jessie Danielsen Professor of Psychology of Religion and Theology at Boston University and research director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Psychology. He also serves as visiting faculty in the psychology of religion at MF Norwegian School of Theology (Oslo). Dr. Sandage does research in the areas of positive psychology, psychology of religion, intercultural competence and social justice, psychotherapy processes and outcome, psychopathology, and clinical training. He also practices as a Licensed Psychologist with clinical specializations that include couple and family therapy, multicultural therapy, and spiritually-integrative therapy. He is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and the Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care and received the Narramore Award for excellence in the integration of psychology and theology from the Christian Association of Psychological Studies. His books include The Skillful Soul of the Psychotherapist, Forgiveness and Spirituality: A Relational Approach, Relational Spirituality in Psychotherapy: Healing Suffering and Promoting Growth, and more.
What made you decide to be a social scientist/ why does social science matter to you?
I enjoyed studying psychology as an undergrad but also wanted to study theology. So, I went to a theological seminary for master’s studies and found I loved interdisciplinary courses in the psychology of religion and the anthropology of religion. Social sciences can help us explore diverse patterns of human behavior, as well as exceptions to those patterns in various contexts. By working as a chaplain, I also became interested in working in depth with people who were suffering, and this led me to become a psychotherapist. I value using social science to understand effective mental health treatments that can help reduce suffering, cultivate relational growth, and enhance well-being.
Can you tell us about a recent research project that you’re excited about?
We currently have a five-year project funded by the Peale Foundation on Positive Psychology and Formation-based Flourishing among Spiritual Leaders and Therapists. Therapists and spiritual leaders are at very elevated risks for burnout and vicarious trauma, so we are testing interventions to see if we can reduce those risks and increase well-being for helping professionals. We are also creating a network of partners, offering continuing education programs, and developing online resources to facilitate the sustainability of our communities of healers.
What is the best piece of professional advice you ever received?
During graduate school, I received advice to study areas that really interested me and to build an academic career in those personally meaningful directions. I got involved in research on interpersonal forgiveness for both my thesis and dissertation, which was a good fit for my interdisciplinary interests in psychology and religion. Some peers and faculty questioned the relevance of forgiveness research but I listened to the wisdom of my advisor, Everett Worthington, and my own passions. Forgiveness became a major area of fundable research within positive psychology, and the complexity of the topic has kept it interesting to me for nearly three decades.
What is your favorite course you’ve taught at BU?
I co-teach a graduate course on couple and family therapy with Dr. Sarah Crabtree that draws on systems theory and numerous social science frameworks. It’s fun to try to integrate the intellectual, professional, and personal dimensions in studying couple and family relationships. Students are consistently willing to reflect on how they have been influenced by systemic dynamics and work to develop strategies to facilitate constructive change in relationships and wider systems. The class discussions among students are often very moving and inspiring.
Tell us a surprising fact about yourself.
One of my most meaningful jobs and learning experiences was working in psychology services at a federal prison at the end of my doctoral training. It taught me a lot about injustice in social systems but also ways of trying to provide good psychological care in a difficult context. One man I worked with in therapy, an inmate, encouraged me to focus on working to help families (like his own) outside of correctional systems. His advice came at a critical juncture of decision-making when I was split between my pull toward prison psychology and couple and family therapy. I think I made the right decision for my core skills, but I miss the challenge of prison work.