Happenings

Southwestern College

Southwestern College is a consciousness-centered graduate school in Santa Fe, New Mexico offering online/distance and on the ground programs including MA Transformational Teaching, Learning and Leadership, MA in Counseling, MA in Art Therapy/Counseling , MA in Art Therapy for Clinical Professionals, and MA Consciousness in Action, as well as a PhD in Visionary Practice and Regenerative Leadership.

We also offer specialty certificates for ongoing professional development. Our innovative curriculum integrates personal growth, consciousness, and holistic professional training in experiential classrooms. Our faculty members are reflective practitioners and respected agents of change in their communities. Together, we facilitate a transformational process of self-reflection and increased awareness preparing our students for meaningful and sustainable careers.

SWC’s Unique Program

Transformational Teaching, Learning, and Leadership

In this program, students are called to use their inner wisdom as a compass and channel their passion and creativity to reimagine and reinvigorate their practice. – Virginia Padilla-Vigil, PhD, Founding Program Director

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Featured Blog Posts

Join Us! Help Shape the Future at SWC’s Community Data Walk

"Southwestern College has been an amazing part of my journey. This education endeavor as an art therapist has been a series of miracles for me. I've seen such a shift in myself. It's been a beautiful experience."

Crystal Hoffman, Graduate

"I'm honored to be applying myself in a clinical environment and my experience at Southwestern enabled me to not only work as an art therapist but to facilitate mindfulness groups. A dream within a dream job I had not even fathomed."

Anna Mills, Graduate

"My experience at Southwestern has been truly transformational. From the lessons learned in Consciousness class to my light figure project and vision quest. The impact on me and on my soul has been absolutely profound."

Stephanie Albury. Graduate 2012

"I'm thankful for everyone at Southwestern College...The deeper sense of myself has been seen, heard, honored and found. I'm so grateful to be able to share it with other people."

Cynthia Alexis, Graduate

"I chose to go back to school for my 50th birthday. Little did I know I would be re-birthed... This is sacred work for me. May the work that we do be of service and benefit to all."

Eliza Buck, Graduate

"This is the place that empowered me to do things the way that I do them, the way I'm good at doing them. I've come to surmise that to be an art therapist; to me means being an artist at therapy so the therapy is the art. The creative engagement with another, with each other, that is the art. "

Renee Borsberry, from Art Therapy Capstone Presentation

"The New Earth Institute of Southwestern College offers an array of educational and transformational opportunities to the community. It has been a rich and rewarding experience, enabling the college to grow and expand our mission of transforming consciousness through education. True education engages and awakens all parts of one’s being, allowing for the integration of mind, body and spirit. It cultivates reverence for life and nurtures us in the journey of the soul.”

Katherine Ninos, Vice President

"It has been an extremely amazing journey; the past two years. There has been a lot of pain, a lot of joy and a lot of learning. I think the thing I've learned the most about this experience is trusting the process."

Denise Moore, Graduate

"I feel so much gratitude for being part of this caring, supporting, reflective, soulful community."

Linnea Knoespel, Graduate

CrystalHoffmanGraduate
AnnaMillsGraduate
StephanieAlburyGraduate2012
CynthiaAlexisGraduate
ElizaBuckGraduate
ReneeBorsberryfromArtTherapyCapstonePresentation
KatherineNinosVicePresident
DeniseMooreGraduate
LinneaKnoespelGraduate

The Transformation & Healing Conference will take place on August 7, 8, and 9, 2026.

Join Us! Help Shape the Future at SWC’s Community Data Walk

Join Us! Help Shape the Future at SWC’s Community Data Walk

The Transformation & Healing Conference will take place on August 7, 8, and 9, 2026.

Join Us! Help Shape the Future at SWC’s Community Data Walk

Join Us! Help Shape the Future at SWC’s Community Data Walk

"I'm thankful for everyone at Southwestern College...The deeper sense of myself has been seen, heard, honored and found. I'm so grateful to be able to share it with other people."

The Transformation & Healing Conference will take place on August 7, 8, and 9, 2026.

Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing in it.

"My experience at Southwestern has been truly transformational, from the lessons learned in Consciousness class to my light figure project and vision quest. The impact on me and on my soul has been absolutely profound."