Alumni Feature: James Van Matre

James Van Matre is a FOCUS alumnus and graduated from the IMF in 2023. He was a part of the Spiritual Direction program. He currently resides in Houston, Texas. James will be launching his own counseling practice in the coming months. Additionally, he is glad to have had the experience of attending Divine Mercy University. The program there prepared him well to embark on his “little v” vocation as a counselor.

James is grateful for the spiritual direction program at the IMF and his experience serving with FOCUS for 11 years, as they will help him be present to his patients in the clinical setting. His spiritual direction background is beneficial for understanding more aspects of the human person than he would have from psychology alone.

“Fr. Boniface inspired me to go on my own journey with God,” James said. “In the unitive way, you start to leave conventional things behind. The closer you get to God, the more unique your relationship with God is, and this is an invitation for everyone, not just the spiritually elite.” Thank you, James, for your participation with the IMF and your service in the church!