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Fuller Combined Sara Cherry’s Two Great Passions: God and People

Sara Cherry, from Big Bear City, Calif., expects to graduate this year from Fuller Seminary with an M.S. in marriage-and-family therapy, a degree that she says reflects her two great passions in life: God and people.

“I love serving and learning about God, as well as spending time with people. I came to Fuller because it integrates those two passions,” Cherry says. “I want to be a Christian therapist who helps people with their relationships and struggles. But when I came to Fuller, I didn’t want to be trained strictly in psychology, I also wanted training in the Bible. Fuller was a match for me in that I was trained to be a marriage and family therapist by faculty who truly love the Lord and were also skilled in the profession. In addition, the theology classes helped me gain more understanding and knowledge into God and the Bible.”

She describes her journey through the marriage-and-family program as rewarding, though often difficult, and sometimes painful. “Some of the information and issues we studied directly affected me in my personal life,” she says. “Therapists must look at their own lives and work towards becoming more healthy themselves. I found that studying my course materials, listening to the lectures, and participating in the classroom discussions opened my eyes and heart to the hurts in my own life.”

Cherry is currently seeking an intern position in a clinic. “I feel a calling to work with people in a therapeutic setting,” she says.

Yet counseling isn’t Cherry’s only outlet for ministry. “My goal and heart’s desire is to become a marriage-and-family therapist, but I also love being part of the ministry in the church,” she says. “Currently I give three nights a week to ministries at my church, including the junior high, high school, college, and women’s ministries. Giving my time to the youth and finding support among other women has been invaluable to me. It is important to me to use my loves and passions to build up the kingdom of God.”