Phillip A Foster, PhD

phil@truthin.love

Dr. Foster has been providing psychological services in the Bloomington-Normal area for over 15 years.  Prior to that, he taught at Lincoln Christian University where he directed the undergraduate psychology program for 11 years.  He has over 30 years of working in the people-helping profession in private, public, church, and non-church settings.

Specialty

Dr. Foster enjoys working with couples towards having a healthy and Christ-centered relationship that is consistent with God’s plan for them and a testimony of His grace to the world around them.  He is a certified trainer of the “7 Principles for Making Marriage Work” curriculum developed by John Gottman and borrows heavily from his research on what makes for a successful marriage.

With over 20 years of experience dealing with individuals and couples with sexual issues, he has been a beacon of help.  His training in this field includes a stint at the Loyola University Sexual Dysfunction Clinic.  He has helped dozens of men find freedom from patterns of sexually inappropriate behavior to embracing their identities as children of God with roles of purpose and significance.

In the midwest word is spreading about the variety of services he created to aid ministry leaders grappling with the challenges of kingdom service. Learn more about Enduring Leadership here.

Treatment Modalities

Operating from a Christian worldview, he uses tools from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and other treatment modalities. He integrates these with contemplative spiritual practices. Dr. Foster believes it is the Holy Spirit that needs to lead during his sessions with clients, and that healing and transformation take place as the therapist and client cooperate in their discernment of what the Holy Spirit is leading them to do.

His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in psychology from Illinois State University.  He also completed training towards certification as a Spiritual Director through the Christos Center for Spiritual Formation.

Fun Facts

Photography and writing are among his hobbies.  He has co-authored a devotional book on Proverbs for parents to use in leading their children, and self-published a devotional entitled “Follow the Leader,” as well as two other books, “Here’s my heart, Lord,” and “I’m not good enough.”  He is married for over 40 years and the father of 2 awesome young adults who have turned out remarkably well due to an abundance of prayer and the grace of God.