Fuller Seminary Psychology School Celebrates 60 Years of Hope and Healing

Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy announced it will mark six decades of training mental health professionals with a celebration weekend early next month.

The Oct. 3-4 milestone anniversary recognizes the Pasadena school’s role in equipping therapists, researchers, scholars and consultants since 1965. Alumni, students and colleagues will gather for multiple events across the city.

“For 60 years, the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy has been equipping therapists, researchers, scholars, and consultants to bring hope and healing to their communities,” said Dean Cynthia Eriksson. “This legacy is one that I am immensely proud of and one that I want us to steward well into our future.”

The weekend kicks off Friday evening with a happy hour at Anaya’s Restaurant on East Colorado Boulevard. Free appetizers will be provided for the informal gathering of alumni, faculty and friends.

Saturday’s activities begin early with an optional alumni hike along the scenic Arroyo Seco Trail near the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The 1.5-mile round-trip walk follows a stream but includes rocky areas and potential river crossings.

Two separate brunches will follow at 11 a.m. Marriage and Family Therapy alumni will meet at Copa Vida in Old Town Pasadena, while Clinical Psychology graduates gather at Found Coffee near Eagle Rock. Both are no-host events.

The academic highlight comes Saturday afternoon with a continuing education workshop on sex therapy. Clinical psychologist Clifford Penner and clinical nurse specialist Joyce Penner will lead the two-hour session in Travis Auditorium.

The Penners will explore how neuroscience, sexual response and medical advances can enhance sexual fulfillment within marriage. The workshop examines gendered attitudes and therapeutic strategies within a Christian marriage framework.

“Participants will examine how gendered attitudes and expectations shape sexual experiences and identify patterns that either support or hinder intimate connection,” the organizers said in a description of the event.

Clifford Penner holds degrees from Bethel College, Fuller Seminary and Fuller’s Graduate School of Psychology. Joyce Penner earned her nursing degree from the University of Washington and a master’s from UCLA. Both are certified sexual therapists.

The workshop costs $30 for general admission and $20 for Fuller alumni, with two continuing education credits available. Fuller faculty attend free.

Saturday’s celebration concludes with a dinner at the University Club of Pasadena. The evening will honor Clifford Penner for more than 50 years of service on Fuller’s Board of Trustees.

General admission tickets cost $120 per person, with reduced rates of $60 for Fuller faculty, staff and students. Tables of 10 are available for $1,200.

Ticket sales end Sept. 18 due to venue requirements.

Registration is required for all events, including free activities, to ensure adequate planning for space and materials.

For more information, visit https://fuller.edu/events/sopmft-60th-anniversary-celebration-and-dinner/.