Personal Bio- Roger L. Parks, Psy.D.

Although I’ve been a Christian since age 19, for many years my faith journey was marked by a works-oriented approach to God in which I believed that I had to earn God’s favor. I intellectually believed in the concept of grace but in reality it had minimal, if any, effect on my daily life. As I later discovered, my lived experience of God as emotionally distant and strict (pictured with His arms crossed and a frown on His face) reflected a distorted image of the Divine which eventually shipwrecked my faith, causing me to leave the church for several years. However, these intervening years proved to be very fruitful as I stumbled upon the writings of Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Gerald May, and Dallas Willard, which challenged my prevailing image of God and fostered a desire to seek a deeper spiritual life. I was subsequently led to enroll in the two-year Christian spiritual formation program at the Renovare Institute. Through my participation in this program my image and experience of the Divine dramatically shifted – I discovered at a heart level that I am profoundly loved by God who earnestly and continually seeks intimacy and communion with me. It was during the Renovare program and afterwards that participation in my own spiritual direction deepened my awareness of God’s abiding presence and led me to obtain a certificate in spiritual direction/companioning at Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center in northern Indiana. I have experienced that transformation is indeed possible and am excited to accompany others who desire a deeper, heart-felt connection with the Triune God.

Professionally, I worked as a clinical psychologist for 30 years and taught several counseling-related courses for both secular and Christian universities, including 8 years of teaching spiritual formation online for the master’s counseling program at Colorado Christian University. I also obtained life coach training from ILCT and a certificate in Coaching for Spiritual Formation from Professional Christian Coaching Institute. 

I currently live in Crown Point, IN with my wife. We enjoy spending time with our 8 grandchildren, traveling, and working out at the YMCA. I also enjoy teaching classes in spiritual formation at our local Methodist church, listening to contemporary Christian music, watching my favorite sports’ teams, and savoring a really good cup of coffee!