My name is Ali, pronounced like "alley"—as in "alley cat." I'm 29, a mother of two girls (ages nine and seven), and a partner of eleven years. As I type, two of my three cats and both of my dogs are snuggled up with me in bed. I’m a homesteader, an educator, and a recent…
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On Tuesday, November 5th, I sat in front of my TV in Texas, watching states in my country turn blue or red in unison with much of the nation and many worldwide. How thrilling it is to feel as one in a moment of international tension—to know that billions of eyes are watching and paying…
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Networking: A Key Part of Marketing
While a strong online presence is crucial, some of the most valuable client referrals came from networking with other professionals. In private practice, building relationships with other therapists, healthcare providers, and community organizations can significantly expand your reach. Here are a few ways I approached networking:
Email Referral…
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Marketing often feels like a daunting word for many in the helping professions. When I started my private practice, I was focused on creating a safe, welcoming space for my clients—but I quickly realized that without effective marketing, the people I wanted to help might never find me. Over time, I learned that marketing is…
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Over winter break, I had a moment to pause and reflect on my journey as an online master’s student at Southwestern College (SWC) while talking to my family about how things have been going. Sharing that I’m thriving in my program and feeling proud of my accomplishments was a validating moment. Pursuing a degree in…
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Dr. Enid LaGesse, founding faculty member in the Visionary Practice & Regenerative Leadership (VPRL) PhD program at Southwestern College (SWC), sits down with VPRL Founder and Director, Dr. Ann Filemyr, to discuss the program in its third year. She shares insights on the impact of the SWC transformational learning model on both students and faculty.…
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Sometimes an opportunity appears and without even knowing all the details a big YES from the heart arises. This is what happened when I first became aware of the Visionary Practice and Regenerative Leadership (VPRL) PhD program at Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Although I had researched various PhD programs on and off…
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As a Faculty Mentor in the transdisciplinary Visionary Practice and Regenerative Leadership (VPRL) PhD program at Southwestern College, I bring the experience of 20 years in higher education in mostly traditional settings. I intentionally chose a transdisciplinary doctoral program myself. I bring both lenses - traditional and transdisciplinary – to my work in VPRL. I…
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In the Visionary Practice & Regenerative Leadership PhD Program at Southwestern College, we understand the natural world and more-than-human beings are partners in our learning. Of course, nature is not simply an external construct, human beings are nature, embedded in natural systems and cycles, and are themselves expressions of Earth systems. Through our doctoral program…
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Doctoral student and artist Jamie Moon shares her journey and what influenced her to collect and make sand-painted stones and gift them to the Visionary Practice & Regenerative Leadership doctoral program faculty and her fellow doctoral students. Enjoy her unique story in her words and images.
Growing up in Tennessee, in a very traditional gift-giving…
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The Visionary Practice & Regenerative Leadership PhD Program at Southwestern College in Santa Fe begins with an initial on-ground residency, Residency I: Seeking. The purpose is to provide an orientation to the program and to introduce students to unique approaches to transformational and experiential learning. These new ways of learning, doing, and being invite our…
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Image by Ben Noel, Creature of the Week
This year we had nineteen students presenting their Capstone B projects and their art pieces that demonstrate the culmination of their learning in the SWC art therapy and counseling program. The students were asked to choose between either a group art process or a creative self-inquiry where…
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The Capstone Story
This year’s summer Capstone A was an entirely virtual experience since all of our students were distance learners for this term. The idea “germinated” very quickly as this group was a close cohort; they decided upon a virtual garden where they would create symbols for each other and themselves and then work…
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In the following quotes from their self-reflections, doctoral students entering in Fall 2024 share their experiences of finding community with each other and the faculty of the Visionary Practice and Regenerative Leadership PhD Program at Southwestern College.
Genell Howel: "Within my cohort and faculty, I found a group of like-minded individuals whose ultimate aim is…
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A small passenger van's tires slowly bite into the dusty desert road, leading into a ranch off of the main scenic road, appropriately called Ghost Ranch. We are about 65 miles northwest of Santa Fe, and the nearest community of Abiquiu is about 14 miles down the road. Cohort #3 doctoral students are happy…
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In September 2024 the Visionary Practice and Regenerative Leadership PhD Program held its annual Fall Residency welcoming its third cohort. A hallmark of the program and all graduate programs at Southwestern College is experiential and transformational learning. Here we share a brief photo-essay on one of the residency activities, walking the labyrinth at Ghost…
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Returning to My Roots: Embracing the Mission of Transforming Consciousness Through Education
As I stepped back onto the familiar campus of Southwestern, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. It felt like just yesterday that I was a new graduate student in the Art Therapy and Counseling program, soaking up knowledge and expanding my horizons.…
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At Southwestern College in Santa Fe, we co-designed a unique transdisciplinary doctoral program, the PhD in Visionary Practice & Regenerative Leadership, and launched it in 2022. The purpose is to prepare regenerative visionary leaders who are inspired to articulate the emergent story of cooperation, compassion, connection, and capacity. We bring together faculty and doctoral students…
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In History of Art Therapy: Founders and Foundations, we start each class with an art directive. This is a wonderful way to explore the history of the field of art therapy while also learning about the founding mothers and fathers. This Tissue Paper Collage art directive was inspired by Edith Wallace and Jung's "active imagination".
…
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The Winter Solstice starts the winter season on December 21, 2023.
The Earth is at its furthest point from the sun, resulting in the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere. Astronomically, the Winter Solstice marks the start of longer days and shortening nights. Around the world, many cultures celebrate the Winter Solstice…
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Graduation Address:
Jennifer Albright Knash, DAT, Chair of Art Therapy, Graduation Address, November 2023
Featured Photo of Virginia Padilla Vigil, Katherine Ninos and Jennifer Albright Knash
More on: Jennifer Albright Knash, DAT, ATRL-BC, LPC/AODA, CCTP
Jennifer Albright Knash is the Chair of the Art Therapy/Counseling program at Southwestern College. She currently works with…
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Albuquerque is 64 miles Southwest of Santa Fe and has many fun things to check out this holiday season! Take the Rail Runner or drive down i25 and explore the Duke City.
Go to Big Jim’s Winter of Enchantment event at the southeast corner of Coors and Montaño near Sprouts and Bosque School: 4140…
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Before attending Southwestern College, self-care was a weekend activity or something to do after all my priorities were completed. It was a luxury to have time for self care.
My first class at Southwestern was Psychology of Altruism: Fundamentals of Helping Relationships. This course explored the balance of service and self-care. It wasn’t until then…
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I am a new student in the Visionary Practice and Regenerative Leadership Ph.D. In late August and early September I had the privilege to participate in my first residency. It is titled "Seeking" and it kicks off the PhD program and allows us to connect with each other, the faculty, and the program overall. This…
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Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM