FPU Alumni Step Up to Heal and Lead

Burnout. Culture shock. Spiritual exhaustion. These are the often unseen battles faced by local pastors and international missionaries. They're the ones we turn to for strength, guidance and healing—yet they, too, reach breaking points.
That’s where a powerful partnership steps in.

For decades, Fresno Pacific University and Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary have been equipping students to serve not only in pulpits or on mission fields but also in counseling rooms. Their impact is deeply felt at Link Care, a Fresno-based nonprofit that specializes in counseling those who serve.

A Mission to Heal the Healers

Since 1965, Link Care has served over 7,500 pastors and missionaries, helping restore spiritual and emotional well-being. Its mission is simple and powerful: “To serve those who serve.”

Today, 10 FPU alumni and 2 current students are part of this healing mission, offering therapy, spiritual guidance and Christlike compassion.

Where Calling Meets Clinical Excellence

One of those alumni is Kevin Reifman, who began his journey at Link Care as a practicum student in 2023 while pursuing an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy at the seminary. By 2024, he was hired as a staff therapist.

What drew him in?

“There’s really nothing like it that I’ve seen,” Kevin shares. “It combines a strong missions focus and church focus with high clinical professional standards.”

He also praises the supportive and collaborative culture:

“We have approachable supervisors who are passionate about learning, mentoring and sharing knowledge. It’s a place where people really help each other grow.”

Seminary Preparation Rooted in Mentorship and Faith

Kevin says his time at the seminary was foundational to his development—academically, professionally and spiritually. It was during a Counseling Children class and lab that he first began to feel confident in his skills and sensed that this was the calling God had placed on his life.

Another turning point came in Mark Baker’s Theology for Integration course, where Kevin learned to weave together threads of personal theology with professional practice. This class helped shape not only the way he works with clients but also how he understands his own identity as a counselor and follower of Christ.

Faculty played an equally vital role in his journey. Kevin credits his advisor, Cheryl Smith, D. Arts, with offering steady encouragement, wise boundaries and guiding him to balance ambition with sustainability. He also found deep insight and perspective from Adam Ghali, Ph.D., who helped him consider the intersection of counseling, culture and society. Delores Friesen, Ph.D., offered a reservoir of pastoral wisdom and gentle encouragement, while Baker challenged him to think deeply about connecting theology with practice.

“Each of them poured into me in a different but meaningful way,” Kevin says. “They prepared me not just academically, but spiritually and emotionally to do this work.”

Day in the Life: Therapy Rooted in Purpose

Today, Kevin spends his days walking alongside pastors, missionaries and their families.

“I usually see four to seven clients a day. Sessions are 45–50 minutes, and in between I write case notes, plan sessions and reflect on how to help clients move forward,” he explains.

The work is sacred and demanding. But with strong preparation behind him, Kevin is confident he’s exactly where he’s meant to be.

A Mission Shared: Serving Leaders Around the World

Kevin joins a long line of FPU alumni now leading at Link Care. They include licensed marriage and family therapists, current practicum students, pastoral counselors and even the nonprofit’s president and CEO. Each one is living out the missions of both institutions through compassionate, Christ-centered service.

A Partnership of Purpose

Fresno Pacific’s mission is to “develop students for leadership and service through excellence in Christian higher education.” Link Care’s mission is to “serve those who serve.”
Together, they create a ripple effect of healing across pulpits, mission fields and communities worldwide.

“I want to continue to serve pastors. I want to continue to serve missionaries. I want to continue to serve people in our community,” says Kevin.

And thanks to the foundation laid at FPU and the seminary, he, and so many others, are doing just that.

Adapted from an article written by Christopher L. Scott and posted on the Alumni Blog, May 5, 2025.