Faculty Focus Friday is a Q&A series that highlights individual faculty members in various academic programs around Spalding University. This week’s featured faculty member is Steve Katsikas, Professor of Psychology & Director, Office of Sponsored Programs & Research with Spalding University’s School of Professional Psychology (SOPP).
Why did you decide to teach at Spalding? What do you like about Spalding in particular?
I relocated to Louisville in 2006 with my family from Miami, Florida to serve as department chair in the School of Professional Psychology (SOPP). It was a difficult decision — Miami was home — but I was drawn to SOPP’s mission and strong reputation. It turned out to be a fantastic choice. In addition to the mission, I deeply value the people here — faculty, staff, and students alike. Everyone is warm, dedicated, and incredibly talented. Spalding’s small size allows for flexibility and innovation, and I’ve been fortunate to lead positive changes to the PsyD program and, more recently, to help establish the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research (OSPRe).
What is your academic specialty, areas of expertise, or research?
I’m a child psychologist by training, with clinical experience in residential, inpatient, and outpatient settings. My research interests have evolved over time and currently focus on the use of psychedelics in treating addiction and on virtual reality applications in clinical psychology.
Why is a psychology degree a good option for students to consider?
Psychology is a versatile and valuable major. It equips students with essential skills that employers seek — clear communication, data-driven decision-making, ethical reasoning, conflict resolution, and team building across diverse backgrounds. For those pursuing graduate study, psychological science provides the foundation for evidence-based treatments. I’m also especially inspired by the field of positive psychology and its potential to enhance well-being on a broad scale.
I heard you have an upcoming event regarding your research on meditation and virtual reality. Can you dive a little bit into your research and the event?
I’m excited to present the results of my sabbatical research at an upcoming colloquium. The literature is clear — regular meditation reduces anxiety, stress, and depression. However, establishing a consistent practice can be challenging. Our research team, including a group of doctoral students, wanted to explore whether virtual reality (VR) meditation could offer similar benefits. We designed a study to test the impact of a single VR meditation session. Preliminary findings suggest that VR-based meditation is effective and may help make mindfulness more accessible and sustainable.
What major lessons do you hope students take from this program to implement in their personal and professional lives?
I hope our students, both undergraduate and graduate, learn to apply psychological knowledge, skills, and attitudes to help others become the best version of themselves. I also want them to appreciate that every client is unique and that the therapeutic relationship itself holds the power to foster healing.
What is an interesting thing you keep in your office?
I’m passionate about astrophotography and have several of my deep space images displayed in my office. Capturing and processing these images is a therapeutic outlet for me. Sharing the beauty of the night sky not only brings joy but also serves as a reminder to students that self-care is important — even for professors.
Spalding’s mission is to meet the needs of the times, to emphasize service and to promote peace and justice. How will your teaching style, your research, your class, or your curriculum support the mission of Spalding?
Many people lack access to guided meditation, but I hope VR-based practices can help make these tools more widely available. VR is engaging, immersive, and has the potential to meet the pressing mental health needs of today. This project also provided our doctoral students with a hands-on experience in designing, implementing, and analyzing a research study. Their contributions were vital to the success of the project — and to expanding access to wellness tools that promote peace and well-being.