There are lots and lots of things to do outside of the classroom at Southwestern College. Music, while not part of the curriculum, is still a passion of many of us here at the college and some of us got together to share a night of art and music making together. From meditation and yoga,…
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TLDR:
White privilege is entrenched in our society, and not where it might be expected. Many people who consider themselves "not racist" act in ways that are still oppressive. Racism and oppression are as much "ways of being" as "words" that are said. I was surprised that I have a history of being an…
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The writing group at SWC is a place where students, faculty, and staff can come together and share in a communal free-writing experience each Thursday at noon. Patterned after Natalie Goldberg's exercises, we start with a prompt of some sort and write for a few minutes, then, if we want, we share what we wrote.…
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So what's cool to do and see around here?
If you are like me, you are new to New Mexico and the Santa Fe area. Part of what drew me to come to SWC was the location. The moment I stepped into New Mexico for the first time I knew my soul was coming home!…
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Part 2, if you missed it…
Part 3: How Using Ownership Language Changes My Worldview
By changing the statement from "we" to "I" in this entire blog series I have shifted my perception of life. I no longer blame “society” (you, we, or any form of “other”) for what I am perceiving as a…
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Living in New Mexico has always been a dream of mine, and when I had the chance to move here to come to SWC, I jumped at the opportunity! It wasn't long before I was itching to explore my new world, and when I did, I was truly awestruck by the beauty within minutes from…
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Part 1, if you missed it...
Part 2: Practical Examples of Ownership Language
I look around and see so many things that say "Stop doing THIS!" or "Don't do/think/act THIS way!" or even "Fight THIS!"
With so much negative bombardment, is it any wonder I feel so overwhelmed and defeated much of the time, especially…
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Part 1: What is Ownership Language
In many of my classes our teachers have been training us to use “I statements” during discussions. For example, it applies when you fall into the habit of using we, or you, when you actually mean “I” in a statement, as I just did in this sentence. See what I…
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Writing has quite simply saved my life. When I was 16, I was on the verge of ending my life when I received a letter informing me that my first short story and illustration had been accepted for publication. When I was 39, and had just suffered through the death of my life partner, writing…
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Hello! My name is Beth Lykins, and I am a current student at SWC. I am starting my final quarter of my first year in the Art Therapy and Counseling program, and I wanted to share a student’s perspective of life at SWC. I am attending part-time, so I generally take two courses per term.…
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We are asked to look within ourselves in our first few classes here at SWC. This process varies from person to person. For me, it has been an incredible opportunity to work on some issues I had thought were already worked through. It only goes to prove the cyclical nature of self-exploration and personal growth.…
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The recent crop of counselors and art therapists from Southwestern College commenced on November 7, 2015 at the James A. Little Theater at the New Mexico School for the Deaf in Santa Fe. It was a beautiful ceremony unlike any other I have attended, and being a former college professor myself, I have seen quite…
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On Monday evenings there is an informal gathering of writers in the art studio building on the campus of SWC. Facilitated by Ann Filemyr, this group in dedicated to self exploration and expression through writing. The rules are simple: keep your hand moving, suspend judgment, and it is OK to write bad stuff. The exercises…
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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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I am sitting here outside The Cottage (the pottery studio) at SWC listening to the sounds all around me. Across the way are the sounds of earth movers as they feverishly work to complete the new Tierra Nueva Counseling Center next door, slated to open at the beginning of 2016. In the distance is the sound…
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Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM