“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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Upon graduation at Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico and even during, I have worked at Treatment Centers, Psychiatric Hospitals, Mental health agencies, Clinical Director at Group home, Family therapist in New York high school system and Private Practice.
At present I am in private practice in Ponte Vedra Beach. Florida. I am listed…
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We are asked to look within ourselves in our first few classes here at SWC. This process varies from person to person. For me, it has been an incredible opportunity to work on some issues I had thought were already worked through. It only goes to prove the cyclical nature of self-exploration and personal growth.…
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The recent crop of counselors and art therapists from Southwestern College commenced on November 7, 2015 at the James A. Little Theater at the New Mexico School for the Deaf in Santa Fe. It was a beautiful ceremony unlike any other I have attended, and being a former college professor myself, I have seen quite…
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Abundance and Scarcity Consciousness. This could change your life. Seriously. …
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Graduate Student, Amy Gordon, shares a powerful experience of her first Dias de los Muertos event.…
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How to find Southwestern College graduates all over the country...…
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Students at Southwestern College show mastery of content in creative ways.…
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The World Dream
In the dream of the whole world
She notes
a pair of red-tailed hawks
a wedding of white deer
an uproar of ravens
a terror of coyotes
a pile of wives
a slumber of cellos
an apotheosis of poets
a maverick of boys
a hippo of…
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On Monday evenings there is an informal gathering of writers in the art studio building on the campus of SWC. Facilitated by Ann Filemyr, this group in dedicated to self exploration and expression through writing. The rules are simple: keep your hand moving, suspend judgment, and it is OK to write bad stuff. The exercises…
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Graduate student and Student Board Member of Southwestern College reflects deeply on what it means to be a man in this age, at Southwestern College/New Earth.......…
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It has officially been two months since I made Santa Fe my home, and the beauty I have been discovering over these past 60 days has been absolutely unreal. Moving here from Colorado, I was a little worried coming to a place that at first thought invokes mental images of cacti and dusty desert plains.…
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I’ve always been the type to give my time, energy and love to just about everything except for myself. I eat junk food, I can’t keep a sleep schedule to save my life, and I only exercise on accident. I was able to get by doing the bare minimum for myself and not thinking too…
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I have had the honor of watching the power of art therapy first hand, in my personal life recently. I asked my husband if he would mind if I shared this story, and he told me to go ahead, so I would like to share it with you. It is a true testament of how…
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It was during my second week at Southwestern College, the second meeting of Tuesday’s Psychology of Altruism class, that Ann Filemyr presented us with this lesson: “reduce shame, enhance love.” We talked about feelings of shame and the aching, overwhelming presence it can have in our daily lives. Shame that can continually haunt us whether…
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Graduate student, Amy Gordon, describes a fascinating first experience with Holotropic Breathwork. …
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This morning I was chatting with one of my lovely classmates about our first two weeks at Southwestern College. She said something that instantly resonated with me- “I feel like we’re at Hogwarts!”
Thinking more about this humorous comparison to Harry Potter, I began to see more and more striking parallels. We are summoned here by…
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I am sitting here outside The Cottage (the pottery studio) at SWC listening to the sounds all around me. Across the way are the sounds of earth movers as they feverishly work to complete the new Tierra Nueva Counseling Center next door, slated to open at the beginning of 2016. In the distance is the sound…
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A first-year student integrates the beauty of Santa Fe and her learning at Southwestern College.…
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How to Find a Good Therapist
Here are suggestions from the Academic Council of Southwestern College on how to find a good therapist:
Seek referrals from people you trust – ask your friends, social network, fellow students and colleagues who they have found to be helpful.
Just because a therapist is great for…
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Student Amy Gordon's reflections on the beginning of graduate school at Southwestern College...…
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Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM