California Lutheran University will host an innovative conference designed for pastors and therapists on Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28. Dr. Howard Stone, noted author, clinical psychologist and former professor at Texas Christian University, and Dr. Edward Shafranske, Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University, will serve as keynote speakers.

The conference will focus on the vital ways in which psychotherapy and religious faith overlap. Pastors and other church professionals who attend will learn about recent trends in psychotherapy, while therapists will gain insight into the religious lives of their clients.

Various workshops are scheduled to address topics such as the overlap between psychotherapy and prayer and how despair and suffering may be approached using both spiritual and psychological resources. Other topics will include the concept of the soul, boundary issues, and matters of gender and sexuality.

The event begins at 6 p.m. on Friday with a dinner, followed by Stone’s keynote address. On Saturday, Shafranske will open with a keynote address at 9:15 a.m., followed by workshops from 11 a.m. to noon, a buffet lunch, and discussions on "The Concept of Soul" and "Dealing with Difficult People" in the afternoon.

The two-day event is cosponsored by the Segerhammar Center for Faith and Culture and the CLU Community Counseling Center. Continuing education credits are available for both church professionals and clinical practitioners.

For more information, please visit the Faith and Life Conference 2007 Web site at www.callutheran.edu/faithlife or call (805) 493-3228.