MAP Newsletter, Fall 2025

Table of Contents

• Welcome
• MAP News
• MAP Transitions
• Psychotherapy Cooperative
• In Memory Of

Welcome to the 2025 IHSR Newsletter

In hopes of bridging the legacy of the last nearly 45 years of the MAP program with the current and future of the program, we offer our long overdue, inaugural MAP newsletter.  We hope to share this newsletter annually to let you know about MAP Program news, alumni and current student news, alumni networking opportunities, and continuing education offerings.  Let’s keep in touch and keep encouraging each other!  To stay connected make sure that our Program Coordinator, Diane Tomhave, has your contact information.

MAP News

Counseling Compact: As of the previous academic year 2024-2025, to align with Interstate Counseling Compact (an interstate reciprocal practice agreement for counseling standards across 39 and counting states in the US), the MAP program has shifted from a 72-credit program to a 90-credit expansion. For more information, please see the compact website. We will now be eligible to apply for privilege to practice in other states, which the Counseling Compact should make the process simpler. Washington State is still in the process of ironing out the specifics of the agreement. Details and updates, including legacy status for LMHC, for our WA State can be found here.

Transition to Semesters: On the near horizon is yet another shift as we move from a 90-credit quarter-based program to a 60-credit semester program which is expected to be completed by the fall of 2027.   

New Hire: Welcome Dr. Meg Blattner, our first MAP tenure-track hire since 2014, who will be teaching Lifespan Development, Career Counseling, and Community Engagement.

We are so excited to welcome Dr. Meg Blattner to the MAP program as tenure-track Assistant Professor, beginning Fall 2025. Dr. Blattner moved from Hawaii this summer along with her husband and two children, and they are looking forward to getting settled in after the complicated logistics of relocating from Hawaii to the mainland. Dr. Blattner is a licensed psychologist in Hawaii, Maryland, and Washington. She earned her PhD in Counseling Psychology, MA in Mental Health Counseling, and BA in Human Development and Economics all from Boston College. 

Dr. Blattner’s career includes inpatient, outpatient, private practice, and community-based settings. She taught at Loyola University Maryland and Boston College and worked with the NIH researching bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in Amish communities. 

Dr. Blattner has specialized training and experience working with perinatal mental health. She brings to the program expertise in developmental psychology, community-engagement and research, career and vocational psychology, as well as skills in clinical intervention, assessment and supervision. Dr. Blattner will be teaching Lifespan Development, Career Counseling, Community Psych for undergraduates, and has other courses in development. Dr. Blattner is passionate about mentoring and building relationships with local schools and in the broader community. She wants to build connections in the Seattle area to directly involve SU students in community and after-school programs. After having the opportunity to interview Dr. Blattner for this newsletter, I am really looking forward to her Lifespan Development class this fall! – (written by MAP Graduate Student Assistant, Rodney Shafar, MAP class of 2027). Dr. Blattner can be reached at mblattner@seattleu.edu

MAP Transitions

• The leadership of the MAP program will be transitioning at the end June of 2026. Dr. Randy Horton will be stepping down from the role of MAP Program Director, one which he has occupied for the last eight years, and Dr. Claire LeBeau will become the MAP Program Director. Claire and Randy will be working together closely throughout the current academic year, preparing for this leadership transition. Randy will be moving into a more limited, part-time teaching and service role in the MAP program starting fall of 2026. He will be expanding the scope of his clinical activities outside of Seattle University and involvements in other, as he has put it, definitely, non-administrative pursuits and projects. 
• In July 2025, Dr. Alexandra Adame became the Psychology Department Chair. We are grateful for her service and leadership in moving into this role as well as her longstanding support for the MAP program over the last 15 years. 
• In 2024, our Hermeneut par excellence and Gadamer scholar, Dr. Jim Risser retired from Seattle University after teaching his final Hermeneutics class for the MAP program. While we still can hope to have Jim’s help for a variety of MAP needs, we are delighted that his former protégé and colleague, Dr. Jerome Veith (MAP 2016), will teach the Hermeneutics seminar for the MAP Program. In the program’s transition into a 3-year 90-credit format, Hermeneutics is now the final part of a 3-course philosophical core sequence for first year students in the program. Dr. Veith continues to teach undergraduate coursework in the Philosophy and Psychology departments, as well, and he leads a seminar in clinical treatment of Trauma for the MAP Program. He has taught at Seattle University since 2012. In addition to teaching undergraduate courses in both the Philosophy and Psychology departments, he teaches in the Core, the Honors Program, and the Master of Arts Program in psychology. Having taught full-time for ten years, he now divides his time between part-time teaching and part-time work as a therapist at a group practice. He is also a faculty ambassador to Cura Psychologia, an interdisciplinary project with the aim of “cultivating a more virtuous psychological science.” 
• Rosalyn “Rosie” Newman (MAP 2010) enhances the training available to MAP students in their work with children and adolescents. She began teaching a short course in Play Therapy with the MAP Program in 2018. That course will expand in scope this fall, and Rosie has stepped forward to lead a small group Clinical Supervision seminar specifically keyed to interns who are working with children. Her key clinical approaches are grounded Person-Centered Child Therapy, a practice that draws deeply upon the work of humanistic and relational therapeutic traditions, emphasizing therapeutic presence and empathic attunement, working through the rich symbolic medium of play. (See events below for an announcement for Rosie’s book launch in October and play therapy CEU training in December). 
• Dr. Kevin Krycka, who transitioned from his appointment in the MAP Program and the Psychology Department to become an Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at SU in 2017, officially retired from that position this summer. He has accepted, however, a new appointment with the SU’s Office of the Provost. He will oversee Seattle University’s transition from the quarter system to the semester system slated to begin in the Fall of 2027. Since he will not be far away, he’s agreed to offer Focusing training for our community this next year and hopefully well into the future. (see upcoming MAP and Co-op CEU events below and stay tuned for info on his Spring Training).    
• Dr. Steen Halling continues to support us in so many ways, but we are working on gradually letting him retire. This fall, he will be teaching Research Methods to MAP students.  Steen has also continued to serve on the Board of the Psychotherapy Cooperative.  He has been a supervisor for the Cooperative since its beginning in 1998.  He has also been offering his guidance, mentorship, and friendship to all of us as we learn how to share our own gifts in research, teaching, and clinical practice. He continues to help gather the International Human Science Research community with contributions to the newsletter (look out for the 2025 edition later this Fall) and his own robust writings and presentations.  We are so grateful for all of his help and even for his dry Danish humor and jokes.  

Erica, Claire, and Diane at the Mariner’s Game in June – Still Believing 

Psychotherapy Cooperative

We at the Psychotherapy Cooperative are grateful to have the support and involvement of volunteer therapists, supervisors and board members. The Psychotherapy Co-op endeavors to provide alumni of the MAP program a space to connect with the community and one another to further serve, learn and grow together. The board of directors is currently composed of Nathan Feuerborn (President), Professor Emeritus Dr. Steen Halling (Secretary), Karen Sanders (Treasurer) (MAP 2000), and members at large Cynthia Engel (MAP 2014), Kelvin Peprah (MAP 2017) and Rachel Patrick (MAP 2017). We welcome you to connect and join us in any capacity, be it therapist, supervisor or board member. We also are interested in assisting alumni to set up and run CEU workshops which will financially support the Co-op. Please connect with us at contact@psychotherapycooperative.org or go to our website. 

Thank you, 

Nathan Feuerborn, Board President (MAP 2009) 

Our Origins

The Psychotherapy Cooperative is a Seattle-based non-profit organization with roots in Seattle University’s Master of Psychology (MAP) Program. Faculty and graduates of the MAP Program established the Cooperative as a 501(c)(3) in 1998 during the advent of managed care. Psychotherapy was becoming less affordable, and a growing bureaucracy and emphasis on prescribed treatments was threatening the understanding of psychotherapy as a healing relationship rather than one where the therapist is primarily a diagnostician or technician. From this context, the Cooperative’s mission was born. 

Our Mission

• Service
  • Our mission is to provide affordable counseling and therapy services to those who are not otherwise able to afford these services from therapists in private practice or from community mental health agencies. The goal is to provide quality counseling services where the duration and style of therapy is determined by the needs of the client rather than by limits imposed by insurance companies, managed health care, or limited income.
• Community
  • The Cooperative also strives to support community amongst practitioners. Our therapists, clinical supervisors, board of directors, and other participating members provide their services to the organization on a pro bono basis. These members are graduates of the Seattle University Master of Psychology (MAP) Program, whose instruction is grounded in the existential phenomenological tradition of psychology. From this training foundation, graduates tend to challenge approaches in psychology that view human beings in a reductionistic manner. They also seek to develop an in-depth, embodied understanding of human existence and emphasize an understanding of people within the context of their lives. They work individually with adults who experience depression or discouragement, problems with self-esteem or anxiety, difficulty with life transitions, and other issues influencing the quality of life.
  • A 2006 article on the Cooperative (In the Trenches) captured our long standing goal of fostering community thusly: “The Existential Phenomenological therapist must try to explain his or her model to a society holding an increasingly formulaic way of seeing and addressing psychological distress. [...] But at least one of the missions of the Cooperative is to attempt to support its members as they do this work.” 

Supporting Our Work

• Become a Member
  • If you are interested in becoming a therapist, supervisor, or other supporting member of the Psychotherapy Cooperative, please read more here about that opportunity.  
• Financial Support
  • The Psychotherapy Cooperative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are grateful for donations from the community. All monies received go toward the cost of operating the Cooperative. The therapists, supervisors, and board of directors all work on a volunteer basis. If you would like to support our work, please click this link to use PayPal or your credit card to make a contribution.  Or you may send contributions to the Psychotherapy Cooperative at 2711 East Madison Street, Suite 209, Seattle, WA 98112.  

Joint MAP Program and Psychotherapy Cooperative CEU and Networking Events for 25/26

• Book Club
  • Psychotherapy Cooperative Members and MAP Alumni Nathan Feuerborn (MAP 2009) and Paul Johnson (MAP 2014)
  • The first of three books in the Book Club this year will be on The Burnout Society by Byung Chul Han. Contemporary society demands the individual to be excessively positive and to possess a hyperactive and self-exploiting sense of achievement.  These demands may look appealing from the outside but leave the individual bereft of energy, esteem and genuine relating; an exhausted 'achievement subject' attempting to self-optimize. In short, they are leaving us feeling trapped, depressed and burned-out. We'll be exploring these phenomena in the therapeutic context, and what therapy can provide in an 'achievement society'. This will be a 2-hour Book Discussion offering 2 CEUs held on Zoom on December 1st from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Please email Paul if you would like to join this Book Club to get the Zoom link and the learning objectives. 
• Existential Case Consultation Group and Co-op Supervisors Consultation via Zoom
  • Open to Co-op supervisors and anyone who would like to present a case for existential phenomenological case consultation. We will meet every 3rd Thursday of the month at 11:00am.  Our first meeting this year will be September 25th and then will switch to every third Thursday of the months through May of 2026.  Email Dr. Claire LeBeau, if you have any questions or have a case you would like to present. 
• Trauma, Post-Traumatic Growth, and Gratitude in Clinical Practice with Kristi Lee. PhD, LMHC - 2 Hour CEU Training on Zoom - November 1st 10:00am to Noon
  • Register on this webpage
  • While trauma is a universal human experience, the ways it manifests—and the potential for growth that follows—are deeply individual and culturally influenced. Many therapists are skilled in recognizing trauma’s negative impacts but may not be familiar with the concept of fostering post-traumatic growth (PTG) in their clients. This workshop will draw on research and clinical practice to explore trauma in its many forms—individual, vicarious, generational, collective, and chronic—while introducing the concept of PTG as a framework for healing and transformation. Participants will learn to distinguish between posttraumatic stress responses and PTG, identify the conditions that foster growth, and apply gratitude-based interventions to support clients’ well-being. Special attention will be given to culturally grounded understandings of healing, including Indigenous perspectives, and the ethical and relational considerations of integrating gratitude practices into trauma-informed care. Through a combination of didactic teaching, case examples, and experiential exercises, participants will gain practical tools to help clients move beyond survival toward greater meaning, connection, and resilience. 
  • Objectives:
    • Understand and define multiple forms of trauma, including individual, vicarious, generational, collective, and chronic trauma.
    • Differentiate between posttraumatic stress responses and post-traumatic growth.
    • Identify the five core domains of PTG: improved relationships, personal strength, recognition of new possibilities, spiritual growth, and appreciation for life.
    • Explore the role of gratitude as an accessible, evidence-based intervention for fostering PTG.
    • Apply culturally responsive and ethically sound strategies for integrating PTG and gratitude practices into therapy. 
• Rosie Newman Book Launch (Free) - Saturday October 18th – 3-5 p.m.
  • Registration to come
  • Play Therapy Documentation Essentials: A Child Centered Approach to Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning
• Play Therapy - 2 Hour CEU event with Rosie Newman - Thursday December 4th 4-6 p.m.
  • Registration to come
  • Learn more about Play Therapy
• Health through Housing Systems, Service and Quality Manager with Tim Jolliff, (MAP 2013), LMHC - Winter Quarter
  • The Business Behind Meeting Clients Where They Are At - Friday, January 23rd from 4-7 p.m. - 3 CEUs
  • Registration to come
  • This seminar explores the intersection of clinical care and the broader healthcare system. Participants will gain essential insights into delivering quality mental health care across diverse settings, with a focus on systemic, financial, and integrated care considerations. 
  • Key Learning Components: 
    • Systems Perspective Understand the structural dynamics of healthcare and their impact on clinical practice. 
    • Financial Foundations Analyze the cost-of-service delivery and its implications for clinicians and clients.
    • Integrated Care Models Examine the evolution of behavioral health as a partner to primary care, especially in light of post-COVID funding increases.
  • Practical Application Participants will design a clinical program that:
    • Addresses gaps in community mental health services
    • Balances client needs with systemic demands
  • Importance & Relevance Grounded in an existential phenomenological framework, this seminar emphasizes
    • The lived experiences of clients
    • The clinician’s role in fostering meaningful engagement
  • By exploring the business side of mental health care, participants will learn to:
    • Navigate professional complexities
    • Stay attuned to individual client needs
    • Sustain effective therapeutic relationships and clinical practices
• Focusing for Personal and Professional Practice Workshop with Kevin Krycka - Spring Quarter - Saturday, April 25th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Registration to come
• Call for Alumni Class Coordinators for 45th MAP Anniversary: We need your help in reaching out to your MAP class to gather next year for our next anniversary gathering.  Please keep in touch!  Let us know what you are up to so that we can stay connected for the important work you are doing and for celebrating the legacy we share.  Please reach out to Diane with any news, updates, networking ideas or other things to keep us posted and help us share with each other. 

In Memory Of

• Donna Orange, PhD, PsyD
  • An enormous loss to our Phenomenological and Psychoanalytic communities, our friend, mentor, and colleague Donna Orange, PhD, PsyD, was killed tragically in a biking accident last November. Dr. Orange was a philosopher and relational psychoanalyst who dedicated her life to studying and teaching philosophy, history of psychoanalysis, and contemporary relational psychoanalysis. Her writings have been an anchoring beacon for her students and colleagues in the MAP program and at Seattle University ever since she first taught in the Philosophy department many years ago.  Her reach and her influence are ongoing and inestimable as she will continue to be our guide and our reminder that there is always a deeper layer of relational ethics to be found in every moment we live the wisdom of love.  Listen to her on Spotify. 
  • See this tribute from her friend and colleague Lynne Jacobs
    • Jacobs, L. (2025). For the love of Donna and the gifts she has left us. Psychoanalysis, Self and Context, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/24720038.2025.2545825 
• Edward Durgan (MAP 1998)
  • Ed Durgan passed away in his sleep February 28, 2025. Ed had a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of British Columbia.  He was a member of the Psychotherapy Cooperative and worked as a therapist in private practice.  Ed was a truly interdisciplinary scholar and researcher who has focused on existential-phenomenological solutions to the crises of homelessness and mental illness through innovations in architecture, psychiatry, and social organization.  He was a frequent contributor to Levinas reading groups with George Kunz and a presenter at the Psychology for the Other seminar and conferences.  Ed was also a passionate activist who served in direct action organizing for Palestinian human rights, indigenous sovereignty, anti-poverty movements, and cannabis decriminalization.  Ed also spearheaded the Clemente Veteran’s Initiative at Antioch University in Seattle.  This work in helping veterans renew their sense of purpose and meaning after returning from deployment was incredibly important to Ed.  As his friend Joe Guppy (MAP 1998) said, “Ed Durgan was one of the most amazing, unique people I have ever been privileged to know”.  He is and will be deeply missed.
• Xander Malasa (MAP 2025)
  • Xander Mateo Malasa, 30, of Waipahu, Hawaii passed away on May 26, 2025.  He was born on July 21, 1994, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Xander was an incredibly kind, compassionate, and loving friend who offered profound witness to all who had the privilege of being around him.  He will be remembered for his warmth and “the calmness he brought to any room”. 
• Pat Burke
  • July 18, 2025 – Patrick Burke was a former Seattle University Professor of Philosophy who taught philosophy at SU for almost 30 years.  Dr. Burke had a profound impact on generations of students and he had a deep friendship and collaboration with MAP founders and faculty. He was a beloved colleague in the College of Arts and Sciences who was shaped by, and in turn helped integrate, the Jesuit mission into education through the classroom, his work with the Core and Honors Program.  Pat left Seattle University to become the Dean of the Gonzaga-in-Florence Program, which he oversaw for almost two decades. During that time, he continued to teach, mentor, and profoundly impact countless students, colleagues, and friends. 
• John Schwab (MAP 1992)
  • John Schwab passed away in June of 2024. John credited the MAP program with changing the professional direction of his work. He practiced clinically for thirty years in the Seattle area, impacting countless lives. Though he had gone on to obtain a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Washington, his love for the MAP program was deep. Upon his passing, his close family members reached out to the program, raising money to establish the John Schwab Fund for Clinical Training. This fund will help the MAP program to enhance clinical training opportunities for our students and alumni, helping to support visiting speakers, conferences, clinical trainings and workshops in the coming years. The program is deeply appreciative of this gift and holds with affection the memory of John, his work and commitment to others.