{"id":78784,"date":"2026-02-09T15:10:05","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T19:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/?p=78784"},"modified":"2026-05-04T19:10:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T23:10:57","slug":"student-spotlight-bridging-faith-therapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/student-spotlight-bridging-faith-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Spotlight: Bridging Faith and Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get to know MSW student Antonio\u00a0T.\u00a0(SSW \u201929)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this spotlight, Antonio Toliver gives insight into Boston University\u2019s Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Theological Studies (MST) dual-degree program. Antonio describes how his diverse and comprehensive curriculum gives him multiple lenses to tackle his mission: to destigmatize mental health issues within black church communities. Antonio believes education surrounding stigmatizing language \u2014 and giving people the vocabulary to properly identify and discuss mental health \u2014 could be the bridge between faith and therapy for many. \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Could you\u00a0describe\u00a0your background? What are your interests outside of work and school?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I would describe myself as really resilient, hardworking, and passionate, which\u00a0I think comes from both\u00a0personal\u00a0experience and from the values my mom helped cultivate in me early on.\u00a0She modeled what perseverance and faith look like, no matter the\u00a0circumstances. I\u2019ve come to realize that the balance of grace and grit I try to live by really comes from both of my parents\u2014my father and my mother each taught me, in their own ways, how to stand strong but stay humble, to give my best effort while still giving myself grace. A lot of different things that\u00a0I’m\u00a0interested in\u00a0coming\u00a0from a place of passion.\u00a0 So,\u00a0I guess I am really assertive in that way of trying just to achieve my goals and help those around me.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I was born and raised in Indianapolis.\u00a0After I graduated from high school, I enlisted\u00a0in\u00a0the Army and served two years in the military.\u00a0I got out after my service for school, got my bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in religion, and then a master’s in applied sociology at the University of Indianapolis. During that time, I founded the Black Male Initiative at the University of Indianapolis in 2020, which focuses on mentorship, leadership, academic success, and belonging for black men. That organization became the foundation for a lot of\u00a0community-based and advocacy work I continue to do now that\u00a0I’m\u00a0here at BU for the MSW program.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As for my personal interests, I want to learn how to play tennis. I am also interested in getting my glider license and then eventually my private pilot license. Right now, I find\u00a0myself getting into LEGOs and collecting different sets.\u00a0They’re a really big trend right now.\u00a0I\u00a0mainly build\u00a0different cars, and I have some botanical LEGOs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why\u00a0social\u00a0wor<\/span><\/b>k?\u00a0What\u00a0drew you to the field, and how did you become interested in becoming a social worker?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ll\u00a0say just wanting to blend the worlds of psychology,\u00a0sociology,\u00a0and theology. I feel like social work gives you\u00a0broader\u00a0opportunities to do so in\u00a0different ways, whether that is policy writing, face-to-face contact with clients, or working with different nonprofits.\u00a0That’s\u00a0how I want to use\u00a0my\u00a0social work\u00a0degree,\u00a0a way to\u00a0reach different areas, especially when it comes to bridging the gap between mental health and the black church.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I went into this MSW program\u00a0almost consecutively after graduating with my\u00a0master’s degree in sociology. I took a little break\u00a0after graduating in the 2024 winter semester from the University of Indianapolis.\u00a0I was born and raised in Indianapolis, so I\u00a0relocated\u00a0to Boston for this program.\u00a0I like the East Coast a lot. Boston is a big city\u00a0with good public transit. I enjoy taking the trains and just exploring\u00a0different parts\u00a0of the\u00a0city\u00a0and\u00a0sitting\u00a0by\u00a0the water.\u00a0The vibe is definitely different from the Midwest, and I like that.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tell us about your\u00a0experience\u00a0in the MSW and MST\u00a0dual-degree\u00a0program\u00a0so far.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most of my courses are within the School of Theology this semester, but I am in a few social work classes.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The way the dual degree curriculum is mapped out is that within the first year,\u00a0you’re\u00a0primarily with the School of Theology. In the second year,\u00a0I’ll\u00a0be doing all social work courses.\u00a0Then\u00a0the\u00a0third and fourth years\u00a0will\u00a0be a mix between the two. Internship placements will happen\u00a0in\u00a0our second year because we also need it for school of theology.\u00a0The practicum education department tries to find a placement that will meet both\u00a0schools\u2019\u00a0needs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What about the program has been surprising and unexpected?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ll say what was surprising was that the college class is pretty big.\u00a0I went to orientation\u00a0and\u00a0there\u00a0were, I\u00a0think,\u00a0over 60 people,\u00a0whereas\u00a0the\u00a0School of\u00a0Theology\u00a0had\u00a0roughly\u00a050-60\u00a0people.\u00a0My last institution\u2019s class year was really small.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So\u00a0yeah,\u00a0it’s\u00a0definitely an\u00a0adjustment\u00a0to\u00a0get\u00a0used to a\u00a0far\u00a0bigger program.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Something else that surprised me\u00a0was\u00a0that\u00a0there are people that\u00a0didn’t\u00a0know about the combination of the MSW and MTH degrees. But after hearing about it,\u00a0they’re\u00a0interested in how that curriculum works or\u00a0maybe pursuing\u00a0it afterwards.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What makes social work worthwhile to you?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I would say\u00a0it’s\u00a0the connection with people that\u00a0you’ll\u00a0make\u00a0and being able to use different resources to serve the population that\u00a0you\u00a0want\u00a0to serve. My overall goal is to bridge the gap between mental health and the black church.\u00a0With that, I\u00a0would like to say that I am an interdisciplinary scholar.\u00a0I want to take the\u00a0different aspects\u00a0of\u00a0all\u00a0my backgrounds (across sociology, psychology, and theology), and\u00a0bridge\u00a0that gap between the two worlds. And\u00a0I think social work\u00a0gives me the tools to be able to do that in a multidisciplinary way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you\u00a0think\u00a0stigma\u00a0around mental health\u00a0forms\u00a0within communities?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not having the language for it, I think, is\u00a0a big thing. And why it is stigmatized for like men in general, black men specifically, because\u00a0it’s\u00a0one of those things where\u00a0you’re\u00a0deemed\u00a0as less masculine or \u201csofter\u201d in a sense by expressing your emotions and how\u00a0you’re\u00a0feeling. So that keeps the stigma going with this idea of, \u201cI just\u00a0have to\u00a0be strong.\u00a0I have to be one way, and I have to provide.\u00a0And anything that comes my\u00a0way,\u00a0I\u00a0can’t\u00a0really talk about how\u00a0I’m\u00a0feeling about it. I just\u00a0have to\u00a0get up and keep going.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Those are ways in which it continues to be stigmatized, or even using stigmatizing language and terminology such as, \u201cyou’re crazy\u201d or different things like that. And\u00a0that’s\u00a0not always the case. Crazy\u00a0is\u00a0a word that I have been taught to not use\u00a0when\u00a0talking about mental health because it is like another stigmatizing word.\u00a0Language really does play\u00a0a big role\u00a0throughout the entire thing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you\u00a0plan\u00a0to\u00a0address mental illness stigma within black church communities?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I would say two things that I always mention every time I talk about this:\u00a0language and access. I think within social work, we talk a lot about language and providing access.\u00a0I think that language\u00a0is a way to provide access simply because most times, if we\u00a0don’t\u00a0know what to call\u00a0or\u00a0name something, it often goes untreated, unhealed, and\u00a0unspoken\u00a0about.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With mental health in the black church, it has been really\u00a0taboo.\u00a0Not just in the black church, but in the black community in general. Specifically\u00a0in the black church, we often hear, \u201cJust pray about it.\u201d\u00a0I believe there\u00a0is a way to integrate the two.\u00a0Yes, we can pray, but we can also\u00a0put in\u00a0the work\u00a0behind it and get the help that\u00a0we\u00a0need. I\u00a0truly believe\u00a0that faith and therapy can coexist.\u00a0I think social work\u00a0is an avenue\u00a0for\u00a0that\u2014to provide the language and access to things we have been feeling for\u00a0a\u00a0very long\u00a0time and\u00a0didn’t\u00a0know how to\u00a0identify.\u00a0I think social work might be able to provide the language so that people can get the proper help that they need.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I believe we\u00a0can\u00a0achieve this\u00a0through educational programs. What I want to do is\u00a0to\u00a0establish\u00a0different counseling\u00a0centers;\u00a0partner\u00a0with different churches\u00a0and\u00a0provide\u00a0mental health services that way.\u00a0That way it wouldn’t just be myself tackling\u00a0these\u00a0issues\u00a0alone,\u00a0and\u00a0other therapists that want to\u00a0participate\u00a0can help provide\u00a0access,\u00a0as well.\u00a0I think addressing this issue can be done by\u00a0creating\u00a0or partnering with a nonprofit to make the care affordable.\u00a0I think\u00a0that’s\u00a0another large barrier; counseling is very expensive and a lot of people\u00a0don’t\u00a0have access to that, or the means to be able to have insurance that will cover the cost\u00a0of\u00a0care.\u00a0\u00a0I’ll\u00a0say making it affordable for people, and making it available, whether that is directly within the church or partnering with a non-profit.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u00a0are\u00a0your favorite courses,\u00a0professors,\u00a0and events at BUSSW?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have First Formation, Spirit and Art of Conflict Transformation, and New Testament Hermeneutical Methods,\u00a0which are School of Theology courses, and\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0taking Human Behavior for Social Work. The curriculum from Human Behavior and Spirit and Art of Conflict Transformation plays off each\u00a0other extremely well. In Human Behavior, we explore different theories about how people think, feel, and act within their environments, and in Conflict Transformation, we talk about how those same dynamics show up in communities, relationships, and systems\u2014especially through a theological lens. I like looking at both sides to see how the theories from social work and the practices from theology can\u00a0blend together\u00a0for what I want to do. My New Testament Hermeneutical Methods class with Dr. Shively Smith also fits into that mix, but in\u00a0a different way. That course has helped me learn how to ask the Bible the right questions and find the language to speak to deeper issues that connect directly to my themes of language and access within faith and mental health work. Along with that, Dr. James McCarty (Spirit and Art of Conflict Transformation)\u00a0and Dr. Hokanson (Human Behavior) have both helped me connect spirituality, psychology, and social work in a\u00a0really holistic\u00a0way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One thing that I do like about my Human Behavior class is that we have a section coming up on the spiritual person,\u00a0and I know\u00a0we’ve\u00a0been talking about how social work as a field wants to bring in more of the spiritual side when looking at the overall holistic context of a given person. We talk a lot about the psychological side of people, as well as the environment, but\u00a0I think we\u00a0need to get to the spiritual side of things\u00a0too,\u00a0and\u00a0integrate that perspective.\u00a0Spirituality is a big part of\u00a0human\u00a0experience, and\u00a0social\u00a0work is all about taking the whole of a person within their context.\u00a0It’s a pretty big context for a lot of people.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another thing that I love about\u00a0social\u00a0work\u00a0is\u00a0that\u00a0it gives us a 360-degree holistic approach, which\u00a0I’ve\u00a0been mapping out through all my different studies.\u00a0It’s\u00a0not just about the mind and the environment; social work gives us the ability to see the person within the environment,\u00a0and these different lenses of how it goes from micro to\u00a0macro\u00a0and\u00a0looking\u00a0at\u00a0an issue from other perspectives.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are you looking forward to\u00a0most\u00a0in the program?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I would say\u00a0[becoming]\u00a0more\u00a0involved in leadership roles. I am always looking for\u00a0different ways\u00a0to use my\u00a0previous\u00a0experience in class. My human behavior professor is allowing me to lead a class discussion on the spiritual person, given my background.\u00a0I think I will be looking forward to doing more things like that.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am also interested in joining different organizations.\u00a0Just learning more about the field, growing, and connecting with different\u00a0people,\u00a0whether\u00a0they are interested in the same thing as me or something completely,\u00a0totally different;\u00a0just to be able to learn from all of those around me.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is your dream job in the \ufb01eld of social work?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I’ll say because of the different areas and goals that I want to reach, I think the best way to do that would be as a founder and CEO of a faith-based nonprofit organization that would be able to provide educational programs for the community, for churches, and maybe housing as well. I envision this organization having a section that houses those in need, and clinics within the nonprofit that can be sent out to the community.\u00a0Like I was explaining before, my mission is to destigmatize mental health within black communities and churches. What I want is to be\u00a0at\u00a0the forefront of that effort, and I believe that I can do that with my own dedicated organization.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another section of that would be affordable housing for the\u00a0community, and\u00a0helping the community at large with whatever that may be for that specific community. I used to call it a one-stop shop when I was\u00a0an\u00a0undergrad. People would ask\u00a0me\u00a0what I wanted to do,\u00a0and\u00a0yeah, I\u00a0think\u00a0I’m\u00a0getting back to that one-stop shop of\u00a0a central hub where you can address differing needs.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is your advice for other MSW students?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I’d\u00a0say a couple of things. One, to look at higher education and\u00a0your field of study in the same way\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0system\u00a0and\u00a0then be curious about that system and ask as many questions as possible to be able to learn it. So that way, you can get out of it what you need and have the best outcome.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And remain curious, have fun.\u00a0Don’t\u00a0be afraid to\u00a0seek out the things that, even\u00a0if you\u00a0would\u00a0say\u00a0,\u00a0\u201cWell, I’m only interested in it a little bit.\u201d I\u00a0say\u00a0still go after it, and\u00a0maybe take\u00a0a class in whatever it is, or talk to somebody who’s in that area. I believe the more\u00a0we’re\u00a0exposed to different\u00a0things\u00a0it gives us the ability to kind of reimagine or kind of boost our imagination to be able to dream again and dream bigger than the thing that we may see\u00a0in front of us.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Be okay with\u00a0change, because\u00a0change will happen. Graduate school\u00a0stretches you, but it also\u00a0grows you. I think\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0important to remind students to\u00a0stay curious, stay open, and trust the process\u2014because growth often\u00a0comes through change. You come in your first\u00a0semester;\u00a0you may have a plan, but because of that exposure by the time you finish, it\u00a0might’ve\u00a0changed completely.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about our MSW program<\/span><\/a><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Antonio T. emphasizes that social work bridges faith and mental health by promoting culturally responsive education, expanding access to care, and reducing stigma through more open, informed community conversations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25047,"featured_media":78793,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8534],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78784"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25047"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78784"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81494,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78784\/revisions\/81494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/ssw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}