Posted December 10, 2014 by
Tags: My Wheaton
My Wheaton College Graduate Psychology and Templeton Foundation Grant Experience
When I decided to pursue my Psy.D. at Wheaton, I told people I chose Wheaton because of a variety of factors. Although it is true that my wife and I tried to make a wise, holistically informed decision, the primary reason I came to Wheaton was the people I interacted with throughout the interview process. Quite simply, I wanted to be formed by people I thought were worthwhile to emulate. Since the beginning of my time here, my professors and the others in my cohort have made my experience worthwhile. The people at Wheaton have driven me to be a better counselor, scholar, and researcher. My research interests were broad when I started the Psy.D. program. Thankfully, Dr. Ward Davis, my research professor and professional mentor, listened closely to my varied interests and brought to my attention various people, conferences, and grants that could help enrich the process.
After a lot of hard work and many drafts, the Templeton Foundation chose my dissertation as part of their funding for Positive Psychology and Faith research. I am actually happy to report that it took me 20+ drafts in working with Dr. Ward, Nancy from Wheaton College Library, my dissertation committee, and the Templeton committee. While I am not someone who particularly loves research or even writing (my biggest passion is counseling), this research process has been enjoyable because of Ward’s support and direction throughout the process and the encouragement of so many at Wheaton.
My dissertation research project is an opportunity to team up with a large nondenominational church [Bethany Church near Baton Rouge, Louisiana] to study the virtue of humility. In positive psychology research, humility has recently been espoused as a worthwhile virtue to learn more about and attempt to foster. Therefore, we are implementing a humility intervention workbook that seeks to encourage church leaders to more accurately view themselves, while being open to others perspectives and putting others’ needs above their own. I am most excited about this research because I truly believe humility is something we, including the church, could use a lot more of in our lives.
Now that we have the grant and we are really digging into the project, I can see that my hopes are the same as they were before I entered the program. I hope my research furthers our knowledge about how we can better honor and serve those around us, no matter how hard it may be to find common ground with them. I hope my research can give a voice to people that do not often have their voice heard. Finally, my greatest hope is that the research will be about walking alongside and helping people every step of the way.
Andrew Cuthbert Psy.D. ’18 recently received a Templeton Foundation grant for his church-humility intervention study and is completing his clinical hours at the Wheaton College Counseling Center. Photos from top: Andrew goes to work at the Wheaton College Counseling Center two to three days per week; Andrew with classmates Grace Schuler, Meghan Cahill, and instructor Dr. Ward Davis after their presentation at a Christian Association for Psychological Studies conference; Andrew and his wife, Melissa, welcome the new cohort of Psy.D. students to Wheaton at their home near campus.
Learn more about Wheaton’s Psy.D. program on their website and how to apply.