Florida College Professor Katrina Ayres is drawing on her school psychology and mental health experience to mentor students toward meaningful service. Her teaching examines psychology through a biblical lens and emphasizes the relationship between faith and academic study.
Ayres earned a Specialist in Education in School Psychology from Western Kentucky University in 2005 and began working full time as a school psychologist. When her three sons were young, she transitioned to multidistrict contract work while remaining active in the field.
“My professional path reflects the balancing of family, career, and service that many women experience,” she shared. “That season allowed me to remain active in the field while also balancing family, and I look back on it as a time where God provided both direction and growth.”
Ayres was named Caveland Region School Psychologist of the Year in 2013. She later returned to full-time service and developed and coordinated a district-wide mental health program. Her professional focus included trauma, disabilities, crisis response, wellness and resilience.
Experience in psychology and mental health
Ayres also works with Scout, a therapy dog who has helped teach resilience and emotional regulation to students and adults. “Scout became an invaluable partner in teaching resilience and emotional regulation to both students and adults,” Ayres said. “She simply has a way of reminding people that encouragement and kindness can brighten any day.”
Florida College has personal significance for Ayres. She attended the school from 1996 to 1998, and her grandfather, Glen Barnhart, served as an English professor there. Ayres said Florida College professors influenced her decision to pursue psychology.
“I was inspired to pursue psychology, in part because of the influence of professors who demonstrated that intellectual rigor and faith do not need to be separate pursuits,” she explained.
That conviction shapes Ayres’ teaching. She said psychology should be examined through a biblical lens and that faith and academic study do not need to be separate pursuits.
“One truth that guides my work is that all mankind, no matter what their circumstance, are made in God’s image,” she said. “God’s truth is the foundation, and the science of psychology is a set of supporting tools that can help us better understand the dynamics of human nature.”
Ayres said her role extends beyond conveying academic information. “My role is not simply to convey information but to allow my faith to shine within the academics,” she said. “To mentor students toward lives marked by integrity, empathy, and thoughtful discernment.”
She also believes Christians working in psychology can combine competence, compassion and faith-informed service to influence lives beyond a single conversation or classroom. Ayres hopes students leave with “a Godcentered life as their spiritual compass along with the practical psychological tools” to serve families, workplaces and communities with wisdom and patience.
Source: Original report