There were five of us around the table today. Two were painting, one was creating with tissue paper, one was using play-doh, and I had the colored pencils out. Sometimes it was quiet, sometimes the conversation was lively. It was a typical “Open Studio” at noon on Tuesday, open to everyone – students, faculty, staff…
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Holistic Education Requires Soul in the Curriculum, say SWC Leaders... Today, eight leaders of Southwestern College (Me, Robert Waterman, Katherine Ninos, Webb Garrison, Deborah John, Jason Holley, Laura Lansrud-Lopez, and Gabrielle Viethen), met for over two hours, discussing the role of "Soul" and "Consciousness" at Southwestern College, among a great many other things... We discussed how…
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Reflections on India... Darshan and Bhangra, Nag Champa and pungent, burning cow poo, Krishna and chotchka wallahs, The dance of seeming oppositions Ultimately whirling into Same, Without losing an ounce of Different. I don’t know how that works. All I knew…
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It is time for Thanksgiving and I am so glad for this holiday. And yet I would like to take the word "time" out of the equation and practice giving thanks everyday of my life. There is so much to be thankful for each day. I would say if I were to choose a guru,…
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Holistic Counseling and Art Therapy Degree Seekers Must Find their Answers Inside Themselves at Southwestern College... I am the president of a spiritually-sourced graduate school, the mission statement of which is “Transforming Consciousness through Education.” With a mission statement like that, one must be extra careful to walk the College’s talk. …
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I truly believe (actually, I KNOW) that Southwestern College honors and appreciates its graduates. Somebody questioned that recently, and it made me step back and reflect, trying my best to be honest about my thoughts on the matter. I came up with a number of things I would like to share here... We certainly…
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I encountered the wild this dawn. Greybrown doggod Coy-YO-te, twanged a new mexican accent as alarms pealed through my system. I stopped. And my leashed goddog stopped, oblivious to CoYOte who stood still, watching us. Should I ignore this? Should I run? Who was more of…
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There is a great potential for transformation when you bring the heart into your awareness. The heart is the mediator between our emotional body and our mind. As one goes inward, the heart offers the potential for self forgiveness and compassion. Having access to the heart enables you to love yourself as well…
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The SWC president is Jim Nolan. He is originally from Cleveland. I have never met an Ohioan that I did not like. They are so friendly! Jim fell in love with the southwest from a distance, and now is a member of the New Mexico tribe and all that it brings. Although he has an…
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Southwestern College had its largest fall enrollment ever this year, and it appears that this January will bring our largest ever Winter enrolment of new students. We are ever-more aligned with our mission, and that is the key. More prospective students are looking for a meaningful graduate school experience, with intense, hands-on training…
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I remember when Nora arrived at SWC. She came from the east coast, and had recently left a job with a popular magazine. It was a big deal for her to pick up stakes and go in a completely different direction. Shortly after Nora arrived, Maggie entered her life. Maggie is a medium size…
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The word “mindfulness” may imply, for some, that you are in your head…but that really is not the case. Or is it? This past week in the mindfulness session there was so much buzzing happening in the old noggin’ that it felt like a hornet’s nest. Geez! When you are practicing mindfulness and the only…
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SWC Trustees vote unanimously to NOT RAISE TUITION for 2012-13. When an organization (or a person) truly aligns with its mission and focuses its energy and resources in the direction of its achievement, good things happen. Ever since reclaiming/re-articulating our original mission in 2009, Southwestern College has been on the upswing, even despite…
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This fall I had the opportunity to present at the European Arts Therapies Conference in Italy. One of the keynote speakers for the conference was Graziella Magherini, MD, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. The title of her Keynote was “Aesthetic Emotion and Health: Arts Therapies in Italy”. One of the issues that she touched upon…
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Since so many of our students come to us from out of state, many want to explore the region and there is so much here to discover and experience! Chaco Canyon is an ancient site that is popular to visit. I will share my experience here just to give you a flavor.... It is…
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In a graduate school that has a large student body studying art therapy, it is no surpise that the mandala is used in and outside the classroom. In Archetypal Psychology the counseling and art therapy students create personal mandalas and follow their progress in the class visually. In a mindfulness practice, when it is…
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It is a “Day of the Dead” as I write this. Gifted by a strong Mexican community, Santa Fe has access to the traditions surrounding this holiday. With roots in ancient Aztec traditions, this holiday invites us to welcome back the spirits of those who have departed. At the very least we have the…
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