By Deborah Schroder
At Southwestern we believe that therapists should be grounded by their own connection to their spirituality. And we hold a wide view of what those spiritual practices and beliefs might be. Walking in nature, meditating, singing, being part of a faith community, so many varieties are represented in our diverse community.
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By Deborah Schroder
A tiny flash of yellow, right outside my window, caught my eye today. A precious little yellow bird was clinging to the branch of a pine tree. The usual New Mexican spring wind was blowing and the branch was really moving around. The tiny bird seemed to be just fine, riding the…
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By Val Valentine
Wow, what a difference a month can make! I went from a full private practice with between 25-30 face to face clients a week, to 15-20 clients per week with every session either on-line or by phone; some clients ready and discharged and some needing to take a break during this time…
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By Kate Latimer
The work of a counselor is inherently ironic, and often misunderstood. We are shepherds of grief, sadness, doubt, fear and anger, and know that when we can help our clients feel these things, and look the pain in the eye, healing occurs. This is the transformational paradox. We often feel worse before…
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By Courtney Shackelford
This time last year I was new.
The sun was brighter than anything I had experienced on the other side of the country and the landscape was unlike anything I had ever seen.
I was in New Mexico.
I had moved from across the country, like many of my peers, to this…
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My name is Alyssa Ellegaard and I am a first-year student at Southwestern College. My journey at SWC began before classes started during this past fall’s Wilderness Fast in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. I had just moved from Northwestern Minnesota a week before I was to embark on the Wilderness Fast. I knew very little…
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Council of All Beings
The Ecotherapy Certificate Program under the leadership of Dr. Ann Filemyr, Director of the Ecotherapy certificate program and President of Southwestern College, hosted a ceremonial weekend, October 28-30, 2016 to honor and celebrate our kinship with all beings. We became the Council of All Beings. Below are a few of…
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Graduate student and Student Board Member of Southwestern College reflects deeply on what it means to be a man in this age, at Southwestern College/New Earth.......…
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I have had the honor of watching the power of art therapy first hand, in my personal life recently. I asked my husband if he would mind if I shared this story, and he told me to go ahead, so I would like to share it with you. It is a true testament of how…
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It was during my second week at Southwestern College, the second meeting of Tuesday’s Psychology of Altruism class, that Ann Filemyr presented us with this lesson: “reduce shame, enhance love.” We talked about feelings of shame and the aching, overwhelming presence it can have in our daily lives. Shame that can continually haunt us whether…
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Student Amy Gordon's reflections on the beginning of graduate school at Southwestern College...…
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Graduate Assistant Amy Gordon experiences transformation on the first day of class...…
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Dr. Ann Filemyr tells the story of Psyche in her graduation speech, November, 2014.…
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The Mirror and Portal of Art
by Allegra E. Borghese
I have been studying art therapy formally for a little over a year. Really though, it has been much longer. While my initial creative interest was fashion design, it lost its luster when a series of events cast me into a dark…
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Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM