There are many gems to be discovered in the summertime throughout New Mexico. The summer temperatures in lower elevation areas of New Mexico range from 80-100 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher elevation locations of NM reach the 70s in the peak of summer. These temperatures are perfect for shorts and tank tops with plenty of sunscreen!…
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New Mexico ranks in the top half of the most affordable states to live in and the state with the lowest average taxes paid per household. New Mexico doesn’t have a state sales tax. It has a statewide gross receipts tax, which is commonly passed on to the consumer by businesses just like a normal…
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I attended the NEI Certificate Program class “Integrating Brain, Body & Heart Intelligence” taught by Tim Burns, M.A. The course is one offered periodically in the Applied Interpersonal Neurobiology Certificate program here at Southwestern College.
The weekend course took a dive into the science of the brain and nervous system to enable us to better…
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I attended the Ecotherapy workshop “Exploring Kinship Relations Using Ecotherapy and Art Therapy” and so enjoyed being out on campus spending time walking through the gardens, meditating in the labyrinth, and sitting by the desert fountains. It was definitely food for the soul and, even better, to be able to make art as well was…
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Fall is here and as we approach holidays that acknowledge the thinning of the veil between worlds and honor our loved ones who have passed (Día de los Muertos, Halloween, Samhain, All Hallows Eve, etc.) I’d like to tell you a ghost story from my own life.
Years ago, I visited an Intuitive, planning to…
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In Art & Creativity, Southwestern College alumnus Anne Lebednik explores the value of integrating creativity and artmaking as a practice in our lives. Anne explains how we can approach this mindfully and why it is important to cultivate, especially now. This talk was filmed on June 14, 2020 for the Awakening Heart Community of Mindful…
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My heart has been heavy this past week as yet another African American man was brutally murdered by a white police officer. The brutality has once again sparked outrage, grief, shock and demand for change. The persistent legacy of institutionalized racism, combined with the lack of national leadership condemning such overtly racist acts, leaves…
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On April 6, President Ann Filemyr joined alumna MelindaJoy Pattison on her weekly radio talk show. Since graduating, she has established herself as a mental health advocate sharing news and information with her listeners on a regular basis. She is also in private practice. As one of our ‘second act’ alumni, she used her SWC…
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Sometimes when “life” happens it feels like you are running to catch up! That was the case when I studied Consciousness here at Southwestern College. When selecting a topic to study in the consciousness class I chose “veganism.” At the time, I was not vegan, but I decided to try and eat vegan during that…
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As part of our Wild Heart Gallery art show on “Anger and the Feminine Self” we are offering this somatic art directive to those interested in exploring their own anger further.
Supplies: Paper and Color Markers or Crayons or Paints or Magazines/Photos for Collage
Paper and pen for writing
Population: This can be…
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The other morning I came into contact with a report by Jonathan Cook from the Aljazeera international news station. His correspondence, Israeli textbook 'bad for Arabs, bad for Jews,' resonated with a recent discussion I had. Mr. Cook shared a piece on the war and conflict segment on Israeli’s ministry of education’s effect on Palestinian…
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Over the past weekend I was excited and joyous in being able to spend time with my extended family. Growing up with a diverse and multicultural background I had an unconventional childhood. At the age of 3 my parents divorced and I grew up separate from my father and brother. Over time both of my…
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As a second year Art therapy/Counselor in training, I have recently begun practicum. Practicum is the hands-on application of my accrued training from over the course of my graduate and undergraduate programs. At Southwestern College I have come to understand and appreciate the art of transforming consciousness through psycho-eco-socio-education. As an indigenous woman I have…
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Since beginning my apprenticeship as an art therapist/counselor in training here at SWC in 2014, I had my most challenging quarter in the spring of 2016. For the first two years I felt like I was doing a lot of personal transformation work in the safety of some of my cocoon-like classes. Since the beginning…
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Choosing the right graduate program is not an easy task. I am one of those people who did not make the best choice. I am writing this blog to offer some questions to ask when comparing programs in Counseling or in Art Therapy/Counseling.
I earned a MA in Counseling degree when I was in my…
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Welcome prospective students! Many of you are contacting us now with application and admissions questions.
Most applicants visit our campus to get a “feel” for the student body and our faculty and staff. Of course, there is also the advantage of spending a long weekend in Santa Fe enjoying the art and outdoors! Our visitors…
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Addiction of any kind is a difficult path and can wreck havoc on loved ones as well as the person caught in the trap of addiction. It can be heart wrenching to be caught up in the grief process of a person in the midst of their addiction. Besides the vicarious grief of watching a…
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One primary theme in Dan Millman’s book, Way of the Peaceful Warrior is that the “time is now and you are here.”
For me, this message means you should avoid allowing your mind to get caught in the past and causing the present to fade into the shadows. Instead, you need to make an effort…
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Loss has been part of life since the beginning of time. It happens in nature with the seasons, animals and natural disasters. With humanity’s evolution, especially in certain societies, loss was hushed and shelved away in some imaginary file cabinet called denial. Grief, death, loss and other “sad” words were not spoken. When there were…
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I think of grief as the normal and natural healing process from a loss. There are many forms of loss, including, loss of a pet, health, home, finances, dreams and hopes, motivation, Self, addiction, social status, time, and, of course, death of a loved one. Any time you experience loss you may undergo a grief…
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They say “you are what you eat” and I believe this. I believe that I consist of much of what I consume. I consume veggies…gratitude….beans….prayer…bread…self acceptance…chocolate….silence….tofu….turmoil…chips….friendships….rice…and more. I consume what is said on the TV news at night…what I read in books before I sleep…what is said in my office and in business meetings…what I…
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Don't these faces say it all!
Well I will get around to having my face in there too...but I wanted the pups to get a little press time all by themselves! The husky mix is called "Kioko" - it means "born with happiness" in Japanese and the brown one is "Suki" - also Japanese. They…
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Southwestern College: Change Agents From the Heart--Ted Wiard
I love our alum! The folks that graduate from SWC are change agents from the heart! They go out into the world and make a difference whether it is working in a big recovery center like the Betty Ford Clinic, doing art therapy with the CIA (oh…
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I took Family Art Therapy at SWC in the winter of 2012, and enjoyed reading the two texts on the topic. I suppose everyone has to swim in theory in these studies wherever they are, but I was relieved that we did experiential work in the classroom. Most importantly, I am glad we did art.
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Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM