Hello! My name is Beth Lykins, and I am a current student at SWC. I am starting my final quarter of my first year in the Art Therapy and Counseling program, and I wanted to share a student’s perspective of life at SWC. I am attending part-time, so I generally take two courses per term.…
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In my last blog, I talked about the intersection of dharma (our sacred duty in this lifetime) and flourishing at midlife.
The issue that typically arises from someone exploring dharma at midlife is fear. Fear that they’ll have to throw away most everything they’ve created and worked for in order to follow their dharma. Sometimes,…
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Lee Cartwright, M.A.
I have a private practice that focuses on helping people resolve the biological/energetic basis of trauma.
I feel deeply honored to do the work I do. I am also blessed to be a presenter in the Trauma, Grief & Renewal certificate program and at the College's Annual Transformation and Healing Conference. Although all of the modalities…
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I'd been exploring the intersection of Stephen Cope's book The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling, and Martin E. P. Seligman's book Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being in relation to a blog series when this photo quote by Brené Brown came across my Facebook feed.
I think she hit…
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Southwestern College is really defined by the extraordinary individuals who work there–the staff, instructors, and the board members. In an effort to give you a more intimate sense of our school, we are launching the “Who’s Who at Southwestern College” series so that you will get to know these extraordinary people who change lives.
So…
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How Quitting School Was the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me
Charmayne Kilcup, Ph.D.
At the young age of 23, I was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and sure I wanted to be a therapist. I had just graduated college and knew that furthering my studies was the next step in my career. I had fallen in…
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An MA in Counseling is the fastest and most economical track to becoming a Psychotherapist/Counselor...…
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Life evolves.
My 3rd and 4th Acts have taken place here at Southwestern College - first in Admissions and now as Director of Student Services. My 1st act was also in higher education – as a Residence Hall Director, Director of Student Support Services, and then as a Doctoral student. I advised, taught, managed, and…
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If you have been told that you are a good listener, or you are the one your friends come to who have problems, keep reading....…
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Looking for a Therapist?
I was looking for a therapist. (And I have heard my story from countless others…)
I looked on my insurance company’s page, “Looking for a Therapist", or something like that. There’s very little information, maybe a photo (too often from 10 years and 30 pounds ago), and a long checklist of…
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Missed Part 1 or Part 2?
Part 3 - The Way Through: Relying on Intuition and Faith
In The Great Work of Your Life, Stephen Cope describes the way he has come to see intuition at work as we navigate decisions at midlife. He describes an 8-step process that is co-creative; it includes both our…
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Missed Part 1?
Part 2 - The Terrain: Navigating the Transition
Midlife is a time of transition; a time when we are asked to put our mind in service to our heart. It's a time to serve ourselves and the world by embracing what is ours to do, and stepping onto our dharma path. This…
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Part 1 - Living Your Dharma
As spirituality goes mainstream, there is much talk about “living your dharma”. But what does that really mean?
René Guénon, in Introduction to the Study of Hindu Doctrines defines dharma as “the essential nature of a being, comprising the sum of its particular qualities or characteristics, and determining, by virtue…
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Graduate Student, Amy Gordon, discusses the content of an important cultural event in Santa Fe, New Mexico. …
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For the past 8 years I have worked at county community health agencies in Oregon providing therapy, case management, forensic program oversight and clinical supervision to chronically mentally ill populations (and the teams that serve them) in three different counties. I am currently a Program Manager for a Community Supports Team, and in the next…
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Graduate student, Amy Gordon, describes her love of a course in Applied Interpersonal Neurobiology at Southwestern College's New Earth Institute.. …
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Southwestern College requires its students to be engaged in personal therapy, and that is a good thing. …
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Arianna Gray, MA, LPC
One of the greatest gifts of my education at Southwestern College was being taught to pay attention to my own body and feelings when I’m in session with a client and to TRUST that information as a diagnostic and treatment approach tool. I meet so many people who trained at other…
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“Who’s Who at Southwestern College”
Southwestern College is really defined by the extraordinary individuals who work there--the staff, instructors, and the board members. In an effort to give you a more intimate sense of our school, we are launching the “Who’s Who at Southwestern College” series so that you will get to know these extraordinary…
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Marika Richards Dillon talks about the professional adventures her degree from Southwestern College has afforded her...…
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Valerie Valentine has created a rich, rewarding and successful career with the skills she learned at Southwestern College. …
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Lisa Ramirez, M.A., LCDC
Women’s Behavioral Health Coordinator, DSHS
I graduated from the Art Therapy/Counseling program at Southwestern College in 2005. My career thus far has been primarily focused on advocating for women and their families affected by substance use disorders. My interest in working with women can be traced to early childhood experiences with gender…
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Growing up in Switzerland, I developed a passion for Circus Arts and Clowns. When I moved to NYC, I was introduced to the Big Apple Circus and became a board member for 11 years. I clowned around with the professional Clown Care Unit of the Big Apple Circus and also met Patch Adams with whom…
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Cynthia Fulreader
Beginning while I was still a student, and since graduating from Southwestern College in 1995, I have been blessed with many wonderful work opportunities in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM.
In addition to maintaining a thriving part-time private practice, I have held the following positions: Family Therapist with New Vistas Early Childhood…
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Graduate student, Amy Gordon, shares some of her favorite Southwestern College looks.…
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“Movement Like Breathing” by Diane Chavez, MA, LMHC
November 15, 2015
My doctor told me the other day that I have Secondary Progressive. “You have permanent damage in your spinal cord.” Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks the protective covering surrounding the nerves of the central nervous system.
…
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Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM