Counseling Center Dedicated in Honor of Dr. Larry J. Crabb
The Larry J. Crabb Center for University Counseling was dedicated at Colorado Christian University on Thursday, November 29, 2018. The center is staffed by full-time, state-licensed mental health professionals and counseling interns which provide counseling services to the nearly 1,400 undergraduate students at CCU's Lakewood campus. It was dedicated in honor of Dr. Larry J. Crabb, a longtime CCU professor and former chair of the graduate-level counseling degree program.
"We've been so blessed to have Dr. Larry Crabb associated with the University for nearly 30 years," Dr. Donald W. Sweeting, CCU president, said. "He has been a huge blessing to the Church. We wanted to honor God's goodness in and through his life today, and we hope that there will be many more students graduating from CCU that share his vision."
Crabb is a well-known Christian psychologist, best-selling author, teacher, speaker, and founder of NewWay Ministries. As the founder and former professor of the counseling program at CCU, he set the University on the national stage and immediately elevated its graduate programs.
"Today was about the legacy of Dr. Crabb," said Jim McCormick, vice president of Enrollment and Student Life for the College of Undergraduate Studies. "The start of his program in the 1980s put Psychology on a trajectory throughout the life of the University -- both as an academic discipline and also in our daily activities in the CCU counseling center. Psychology is one of our top undergraduate majors and one that has been growing rapidly over the last few years."
Crabb was instrumental in founding and shaping the Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling (now the Master of Arts in Counseling) program, which has grown over time into the largest graduate-level degree program in CCU's College of Adult and Graduate Studies. The program is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP)
"Community is so central to the work of growth and I rather think that we've lost in many cases the art of theology-shaped conversations, and that's what counseling is, it's a conversation," Crabb said at the dedication. "How do we have a conversation that makes a difference in people's lives? That's been my burden. It continues to be my burden."
Crabb added that the dedication ceremony served as an affirmation of his five decades of exploring Christ-centered, biblically grounded psychology.
During his nearly three-decade affiliation with CCU, Crabb has written 28 books; served as the spiritual director of the American Association of Christian Counselors; spoke or taught in CCU classes, chapels, symposia, staff trainings, and student forums; and been a trusted colleague to six CCU presidents. Crabb and his wife, Rachael, now live in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area.
Also announced at the dedication was the launch of an endowed scholarship in Crabb's honor. The scholarship is intended for students pursuing a Masters of Art in Counseling at CCU. The campaign has a goal of $50,000.
"The goal for us is to multiply the efforts of what Larry Crabb has done here," Eric Hogue, vice president of University Advancement, said. "It will be great to see the work done in the Larry J. Crabb Center for University Counseling produce hundreds of new counselors for the kingdom."
Crabb was the featured speaker at a University Chapel Thursday morning, followed by a celebratory lunch and the counseling center's dedication in the afternoon. The lunch and dedication ceremony were attended by more than 150 colleagues, former students, and community members.