by Dru Phoenix, MA, LMHC
The upcoming Wild Heart Gallery art show at Southwestern College is titled “Anger and the Feminine Self.” The idea was to invite the feminine into a visual and written dialogue on anger and to give permission for anger to be present since many of us have been raised to avoid…
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Voices in America chose Southwestern College/New Earth Institute as a unique, unsung, yet storied institution, to feature in television slots between full PBS broadcast shows.…
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How Quitting School Was the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me
Charmayne Kilcup, Ph.D.
At the young age of 23, I was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and sure I wanted to be a therapist. I had just graduated college and knew that furthering my studies was the next step in my career. I had fallen in…
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Lisa Ramirez, M.A., LCDC
Women’s Behavioral Health Coordinator, DSHS
I graduated from the Art Therapy/Counseling program at Southwestern College in 2005. My career thus far has been primarily focused on advocating for women and their families affected by substance use disorders. My interest in working with women can be traced to early childhood experiences with gender…
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As I venture into another quarter here at Southwestern College I am having a difficult time figuring out where I will eventually fit in. I am currently entrenched in the theories and perspectives we are learning in family counseling, and though it may be called family counseling, I cannot separate some of the issues I…
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Dr. Ann Filemyr tells the story of Psyche in her graduation speech, November, 2014.…
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Learning to Lose: The Freedom in Failure by Claudia Escareño-Clark
Have you ever heard the question, “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” A while ago I fell down a self-help/find your passion rabbit hole where questions like these were supposed to somehow propel us into finding our dreams. I would like to…
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by Christina-Villarreal
The American Art Therapy Association's 45th annual conference (2012) was held in San Antonio, Texas.
As a budding art therapist, I decided to take the opportunity to attend my first official art therapy conference, located an hour and half from where I lived in Austin, Texas.
In retrospect, I am amazed at how…
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Claudia Escareño-Clark explores the impact that assimilation and being an immigrant have had and how this will impact her work with clients. …
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This morning I arrived on campus ready to tackle my day--yes, tackle, as in "I may have to listen to 'We Will Rock You' by Queen to really get my day started." Maybe not quite as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as I like, but I showed up. In conversation with the incredible and very supportive Dru…
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All In
by Bryce Downey, graduate of Southwestern College, Santa Fe
Not for the first time in my life do I find myself here: my physical surroundings are incredibly beautiful & conducive to frequent adventures, I am blessed with a sweet, conscientious, & peppy roommate, sharing a spacious, comfortable, quiet home. I have three…
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by Amy Hautman Bates
My first quarter at SWC has introduced me to what seems like a million new healing practices. One I find particularly interesting is Psychodrama. It is believed that acting out physically frees us from barriers and allows us to act spontaneously in the here and now. I like drama and I…
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by Amy Hautman Bates
Artist's Block "Who is an artist when she is not making art?"
(This is a doodle, not a painting.)
In September, my partner and I packed everything we owned to move from the Southeast to the Southwest. It was very cathartic to consider everything we had and decide if and why…
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Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM