BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

The Reverend T. Michael Dawson, D.Min., is an ordained Presbyterian minister specializing in pastoral counseling.  His ministry includes pastoral care, counseling, and psychotherapy, as well as clinical supervision and training. He also serves as a consultant on a variety of issues for ecclesiastical organizations and businesses.

Rev. Dawson has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton College and a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary, New York.  He earned his doctorate in pastoral psychotherapy from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis and completed a basic and three advanced residencies at CARE & Counseling. The American Association of Pastoral Counselors certifies him at Fellow Level.  He has been exercising his call to the ministry of pastoral counseling since 1977.

Michael came to Claremont in 1993, from Portland, Oregon, where he was Director of Community Education and staff psychotherapist for the Samaritan Counseling Center.  Previously, he was Center Director in Norristown, Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania Foundation of Pastoral Counseling. 

In Claremont, he served as Executive Director of The Clinebell Institute.  He was responsible for overseeing The Institute's broad and varied mission goals: delivery of high quality/low cost pastoral psychotherapy; training of clergy in pastoral counseling and psychotherapy; and education for clergy, laity, and health care professionals on a wide variety of peace, justice, spirituality, and wholeness issues.

The persons with whom he works as a pastoral counselor struggle with a wide variety of problems: relational difficulties, marital conflict, family dysfunction, anxiety, depression, anger, self esteem problems, identity issues, gender confusion, sexual problems, life passage questions, loss of faith, inadequate control of emotions and impulses, recovery from trauma or abuse, PTSD recovery and prevention, and loss of meaning in life.  His work includes long-term insight-oriented and supportive work with individuals, couples and adolescents, communication and object relations work with couples, and family-of-origin, multi-generational, and systemic work with families. His major interests in clinical work include individuals with serious personality difficulties; post-traumatic stress disorder; and recovery from abuse. He is trained in individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy, particularly ego psychology, object relations, and self-psychology.

Dr. Dawson has long been active in the training of pastoral counselors. In Philadelphia, he was Training Supervisor and Instructor at the Foundation's Pastoral Training Institute. He served as Adjunct Faculty at Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, teaching in the Masters in Pastoral Counseling degree program there.  In Portland, he taught courses and conducted individual and group supervision in the Intern, Extern, and Advanced Residency Training Programs of Samaritan Counseling Center.  At The Clinebell Institute, in addition to conducting individual and conjoint small group supervisions, he directed the Residency Training Program, the clinical component for the Ph.D. degree program at Claremont School of Theology.

He is dedicated to pastoral counseling playing an active role in community mental health and the ecclesiastical community.  "We fulfill our call as pastoral counselors in the fullest sense when we provide preventative, remedial, and educative mental health care programs from our unique perspective, not only to congregations of faith and but also to secular groups in the community.”  He participates in three area ecumenical clergy associations and has served as President in each.  While in Pennsylvania, Dr. Dawson was Chair of the Norristown Area Hospitals Chaplaincy Committee, and served on the Methacton School District Crisis Intervention Network Committee.  When a triple murder was committed at a local church on a Palm Sunday morning, he was instrumental in organizing community efforts to heal the widespread effects of the violence with the help of the Neuropsychiatric Institute of UCLA.

He sees pastoral counseling as serving and supporting both parish ministry and local judicatories through educational, preventative, remedial, and consultative programs.  He is an experienced trainer and consultant in several areas vital to the health of congregations and judicatories.  In addition to being an Alban Institute trained interim minister and consultant, he trained with Marie Fortune as consultant and is certified as a trainer in clergy misconduct by the Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.  He has received both basic and advanced training in church conflict management from George Parsons and Speed Leas of the Alban Institute. He notes “I’ve served inner-city ministries in East Harlem and Paterson, New Jersey, and worked in suburban parishes, rich and poor, in Jennings and Webster Groves, Missouri.  These experiences have taught me that mutual support and active communication between pastoral counselors, congregations, seminaries, and pastoral counseling centers is vital to the life and health of each, and to the church and community as a whole.”

As a Ministerial Member of the Presbytery of San Gabriel, he has serves on the Committee on Ministry. In the past he has served as Clerk of the Permanent Judicial Commission and for six years on the Personnel Committee. Professionally, he plays an active role in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.  He served six years as Chair of the Ethics Committee, Pacific Region, and as Secretary for the Association Ethics Committee.  He also served on the Pacific Region Executive, Finance, and Institutional Affiliation Committees.  He was Treasurer of the Atlantic Region for two terms, on the Atlantic Region Membership Committee for seven years, the Central Region Parish Concerns Committee, and the AAPC Finance Committee.

Michael is married to Marie Denkmann, MSW, ACSW, graduate of DePauw University and St. Louis University.  Marie, a clinical social worker specializing in pediatrics, is Coordinator of the Child Protection Team of Loma Linda University Medical Center and Children's Hospital. Previously she was Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Social Worker for Loma Linda Children’s Hospital, and, before that, Social Worker for the Hematology/Oncology Department, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Michael's interests include cooking gourmet dinners for his spouse and their friends, sports cars and motor racing, photography and wood-working, computers and gothic cathedrals, and reading history and science fiction.  His favorite place is on a secluded beach on Martha's Vineyard with Marie, watching the birds and the ocean.

CURRICULUM VITAE

EDUCATION

Eden Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri
Doctor of Ministry Degree, 1980

Union Theological Seminary, New York, New York
Master of Divinity Degree, 1973
 Distinction granted on Thesis, Department of Psychiatry & Religion
Thesis Advisor: Rev. Ann Belford Ulanov, Ph.D.

New York Theological Seminary, New York, New York
Bachelor of Divinity Degree program, 1968-1971

Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota
Bachelor of Arts Degree, 1968
Majors in History and Classical Studies

The Taft School, Watertown, Connecticut. Graduated 1964

CLINICAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Psychoanalytic Treatment of Severe Character Pathologies: Interdisciplinary Group Supervision
and Didactic. Harry Hightower, M.D., St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute, 1982

C.A.R.E. & Counseling, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri: Advanced Residencies:

Narcissistic and Borderline Conditions: Theory and Practice I and II: 1981-82

Object Relations Theory and Therapy; Advanced Family Therapy: 1980-81

Therapy with Adolescents; Marriage and Family Therapy: 1979-80

Residency Training Program in Pastoral Counseling, 1977-1979:

Certificate in Pastoral Counseling, 1979

SPECIALIZED EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Alban Institute: Advanced Congregational Conflict Management: Certified Consultant.

Alban Institute: Interim Ministry and Consultation, Certified Pastoral Change Agent.

Alban Institute: Congregational Conflict Management: Certified Consultant.

Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence: Certified Trainer in Clergy Ethics and Sexual Misconduct.

Fisher Divorce and Personal Growth Programs, Certified Leader and Instructor

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

American Association of Pastoral Counselors: Certified Fellow Level, March 1984

ECCLESIASTICAL

Minister of Word and Sacrament, Presbyterian Church, (USA). Member, Presbytery of San Gabriel

Ordained October 25, 1975, Presbytery of Elijah Parish Lovejoy, United Presbyterian Church, USA

FACULTY POSITIONS

Adjunct Faculty, Moravian Theological Seminary, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Adjunct Faculty, School of Theology at Claremont, California

ACTIVITIES

Professional

President, Southern California Associated Pastoral Counseling Teaching Centers, 1994-1996

Member, Presbyterian Association of Specialized Pastoral Ministries, 1980 to present

Member, Presbyterian Health, Education, and Welfare Association, 1979 to present

Charter Member, The Interim Network, 1980

American Association of Pastoral Counselors: Pacific Region

Ethics Committee, 1993-1999

Ethics Committee Chair, 1994-1999

Finance Committee, 1993-1998

Institutional Accreditation Committee, 1993-1999

American Association of Pastoral Counselors: Association Committees

Ethics Committee, Member and Secretary, 1994-1999

Community

Casa Colina Hospital, Bio-Ethics Committee, 2000 to present

Chair, Friends of Claremont Canine Off-Leash Exercise Park, 1999-2001

Co-Secretary, Executive Committee, Claremont Youth Partnership 1998-1999

Claremont Youth Master Plan Partnership Board, 1996-1998

Board Member, Claremont Community Coordinating Council, 2007 to present

Casa Colina Hospital, Institutional Review Board, 1995 to present

Member, Upland Interfaith Council ,2008 to prsent

President, Claremont Interfaith Council, 1995, 2008

President, LaVerne/SanDimas Ecumenical Communion, 1999, 2002 to present

Ecclesiastical:

Presbytery of San Gabriel, Presbyterian Church (USA)

Member, Committee on Ministry, 2009 to present

Secretary, Personnel Committee, 1994-2000

Stated Clerk, Permanent Judicial Commission, 1996-2002

PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT

PASTORAL COUNSELING & CONSULTATION, Executive Director, 1996 to present

CLAREMONT CONGREGATIONAL CONSULTANTS, Founding Partner, 1996 -2001

THE CLINEBELL INSTITUTE, CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA, Executive Director, 1993-1996

SAMARITAN COUNSELING CENTER, PORTLAND, OREGON, 1991-1993

Supervisor Director of Community Education; Staff Pastoral Psychotherapist; Small Group; Instructor, Extern Training Program; Supervisor, Advanced Residency Training Program; Member, Management Team

PENNSYLVANIA FOUNDATION OF PASTORAL COUNSELING, 1984-1991

Center Director, Norristown Pastoral Counseling Center
Pastoral psychotherapist, Norristown Center; Chestnut Hill Center
Instructor & Clinical Supervisor, Residency Training Program, Pastoral Psychotherapy, 1985-1991
Training Committee 1988-1991
Cluster Staffing Convener/Facilitator, 1988-1991
Compensation Committee 1988-1990
Strategic Planning Committee 1988-1989
Personnel Committee 1985-1989
Instructor, Pastoral Care Program, 1984-1985