Carla M. Dahl joined the Luther Seminary faculty in 2011 as professor of congregational and community care leadership. Dahl previously served as professor of formation, lead faculty for the Marriage and Family Therapy Program and dean of the Center for Spiritual Formation at Bethel Seminary in Saint Paul, Minn. for 16 years. She is a Certified Family Life Educator and a therapist and consultant in private practice.

Dahl brings to Luther Seminary years of teaching and research experience having served a number of academic institutions throughout the Twin Cities metro area. Among her many positions of leadership and teaching in the areas of counseling and family, Dahl served the University of Minnesota, Saint Mary’s University and Bethel College. She developed Bethel Seminary’s marriage and family therapy program and has served as the vice president for the religion and family section of the National Council on Family Relations.

Dahl is co-author of Becoming Whole and Holy: An Integrative Conversation About Christian Formation and has authored articles and chapters in areas such as families and spirituality, phenomenological research methods, fundamentalism as a system process, spiritual and personal formation and the training of clergy and marriage and family therapists.

Dahl’s research has been funded by the Association of Theological Schools, the Lilly Endowment and the University of Minnesota. Her areas of specialization as a practitioner include individual and couples therapy, leadership consultation and coaching and program development and design.

Dahl received a B.A. degree from Bethel College in Saint Paul, Minn. (1976), a M.A. degree from Saint Thomas University in Saint Paul, Minn. (1982) and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis (1994).