Dr. Eileen M. Raffaniello Barbella is a licensed psychologist and trained spiritual director. After earning a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas in Austin, she developed a graduate course in family interventions at the University of Cincinnati. She also began to integrate her study and practice of Ignatian Spirituality with her work as a psychologist.  Since 1990 her scientific study has focused on natural family systems (or “Bowen”) theory.  After fifteen years as a licensed psychologist in private practice, a sabbatical offered her the opportunity to develop an innovative professional service - spiritual coaching. In 2001 Dr. Barbella returned to private practice as a psychologist providing that as well as Christ-centered psychotherapy in Cleveland, Texas.  Since then she also supervised a team of therapists at a nursing home, served as director of another formation program for spiritual directors, taught Pastoral Care and Guidance to the seminarians at St. Mary’s, and continued to lead many retreats and days of prayers for priests, deacons and laypeople in the dioceses of Austin and Beaumont, and in the Archdioceses of Galveston-Houston and San Antonio.