About

Let me introduce myself. My name is Mark Yarhouse, and I teach clinical psychology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. I am part of the core faculty in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology where I serve as the Dr. Arthur P. Rech and Mrs. Jean May Rech Chair in Psychology and oversee the Sexual & Gender Identity Institute. 

I graduated from Calvin College with degrees in philosophy and art and a minor in psychology. In art my focus was lithography, pen and ink drawing, and watercolor painting. I then went to Wheaton College and earned a master’s degree in theology and a doctorate in clinical psychology. 

For more than 20 years I’ve been conducting research on sexual identity development and the experiences of persons of faith who are navigating sexual identity with a desire to achieve identity synthesis or congruence. I have also conducted original research on the experiences of transgender persons of faith. These studies include the experiences of LGBT+ students at Christian colleges and universities, people in mixed orientation marriages, and Christians parents whose children have come out as gay or transgender, just to name a few.

Research endeavors also open doors to discussions and consultations. I am active in the American Psychological Association (APA) and chair the task force on LGBT+ issues for Division 36 (Psychology of Religion and Spirituality). I also have consulted with and served in an advisory board capacity with the National Institute of Corrections on the concerns facing LGBTQI persons in corrections and in the juvenile justice system. I recently served on an APA consensus panel to share our understanding of research on conversion therapy with minors with the Substance Abuse and Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The opinions expressed here are mine. They do not necessarily reflect the thinking of Wheaton College or the School of Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy or the field of psychology as a whole. In a blog I will occasionally offer thoughts or reflections on various topics, but these brief essays are not the same as therapy or counseling or advice on what a specific reader ought to do and should not be taken as such. If I recommend a book, web site, or blog, I do because I found them interesting, not because I agree with everything that is written there.

I’m glad you came across this web site. The focus here is integration, which involves a meaningful dialogue between psychology and Christianity, specifically related to the topics of sexual and gender identity,