A message from James Michael Nolan, President

Jim Nolan, PhD.

Speaking from the heart, I invite and welcome you to Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. SWC is unique (in the true sense of the word) in its Transformational Education in an ecumenical tradition. What does that mean? To me it means that through creative, authentic, interactive experiences, we endeavor to enhance ourselves and our consciousness profoundly so that we may then be of greatest service to others in therapeutic relationship. Here, the spiritual is emphasized but the specific tradition is not prescribed. On our campus, you may see any number of spiritual traditions, ancient and modern, from all continents, reflected in the practice of students, faculty or staff. So as a student member of the SWC community, you will find that spirit is explored and woven into your helping identity so that your full personhood will be brought to bear against the dynamic, spiritual and/or sociopolitical issues that prevent others from attaining their own full presence and manifestation in this life. That is the true essence of what I would call the "therapeutic relationship"..  

I write from my campus office, where a whistling breeze skips over the meditation garden and out to the Jemez Mountains in the west. Cloud formations pattern the mystically blue skies that entice artists and photographers from all over the world. The aura of Santa Fe, the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the local spas and springs and spiritual and musical cultures found here perfectly complement the journey of the SWC student on the way to consciousness and a professional calling. 

With a solid, stable base of graduate programs and certificates, we find ourselves excited to be adding even more offerings in the near future. Our Art Therapy program is one of the largest in the country, and the chair of that program, Deborah Schroder, has presented internationally and published a book on Art Therapy. The Grief, Loss and Trauma track of our Counseling program is chaired by Janet Schreiber, who is the former director of the Elizabeth Kubler-Ross Hospice Program at Northern NM Community College. Indeed, our program has been endorsed by Dr. Kubler-Ross. You can see that SWC is a strong, dynamic player in the world of Transpersonal academic training programs, and we are taking our presence in that world to a new level. 

SWC intentionally strives to connect the transformational/spiritual on the one hand and the professional/practical on the other. We are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and we monitor carefully to assure that our curriculum parallels the Counselor licensing requirements in New Mexico. We also keep abreast of the developments and trends in licensing all around the country. We feel it is ethically incumbent upon us to maintain this balance. We are very honored to be able to offer a unique curriculum, presented by an actively practicing (both clinically and spiritually) faculty to a unique group of learners, in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I hope you choose to join us.

About James Michael Nolan 

Dr. Nolan began his tenure at Southwestern College in June, 2006. He earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from The Ohio State University and has worked, published and presented in the area of College Mental Health while practicing actively and supervising scores of graduate students and professionals nationally over the past twenty years. Additionally, he has held a private practice and taught for a dozen universities, in both brick-and-mortar and distance-learning environments.  Recently Dr. Nolan was appointed to the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee by Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico. The committee advises the state and governor on issues relating to juvenile justice including mental and behavioral health, life skills development and education.