It is hard to believe that people who claim to understand psychology could treat other human beings so badly. I left the school after my visit and cried. The women at the school we're so rude and mean. All I wanted was some information, and they felt that being abusive was justified. If you are a sensitive person like me, all I can say is: STAY AWAY FROM SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE. The people working there are ego maniacs that don't hesitate to treat other people badly. read more

Bring in more conversation about class and economic issues in the learning program. Provide breakfast or lunch a few days a week on campus. read more

They could do a better job in supporting their students with more resources, social and community events other than online. They may be doing this. Will they apologize to past students (especially during the pandemic, or forget ) who missed out on important experiences? They paid a lot of money for graduate school and more. It is surprising to see teachers who are already established in the field, promoting their brands and co-workers via social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram, and others, as these applications are designed to capture info. For the most part, informed consent for data doesn't exist on these platforms. It can come off as offensive when students see these promotions streaming the cost. Student's are already on budgets, or trying to pay for school on top of loans. Students can see this and question consciousness. Please be respectful, mindful, and think critically. There are learning opportunities. Let the focus be on students learning - so they are prepared to be a helper, and be successful just like faculty at SWC. read more

Wow, the unfortunate experiences below do not align with my time at SWC at all. While it is true you will be presented with less mainstream psychological development theories and opportunities to explore the role of spirituality in Counseling, you are free to take what you need from it all and dismiss what doesn't resonate with you. It is important to remain open to differing perspectives so we can understand how potential clients may have become who they are, and to look at ourselves differently. Like any grad program, you could be exposed to schools of thought that may be unfamiliar to you, but I am beyond grateful for this, for I have grown in ways I would not have been able to predict through my exposure to modern and ancient ways of relating to Self and others. I think it's vital to make sure the program you choose is a good fit for you, and I recommend visiting the school and asking lots of questions of staff and students before you make the decision to attend any immersive, experiential program. read more

This school is certainly unique. I have been on campus for 18 months. The students, faculty, and staff are some of the most caring and dedicated individuals I have ever encountered. If I were looking for a therapist, I would consider a Southwestern Alumni before anyone else. The education process here is the definition of experiential. Colleges around the world talk about experiential and participation focused learning. Southwestern actually gets the job done. read more

Yes, this school is quite unique. And the 5 Star Review written here is by one of the school's director's. If you scroll to read all of the reviews, you can get a broader perspective than just the top tier. (Update 1/2017: there were an additional four, 1 star reviews of this school, which are no longer here on Yelp. ? Also, since this posting, I have received private messages about a former student of this school becoming suicidal, as well as from a lawyer of a former student). Before considering this school, keep in mind that their philosophic approach/belief system is extremely specific and does not work for all. They claim to be a non-denominational spiritual mystery school of sorts. Most of the teachers act like gurus as unquestionable authority - is very cult-like in many respects. If students naturally challenge or question unusual ideas of adult development aggressively demanded of them through sometimes grueling psycho-spiritual processes, then students are down-graded and told that their ideas/feelings are mere projections and will likely be scapegoated. Students of any age of adult development are often asked to abandon their existing spiritual paths, beliefs, and are not regarded for former clinical and life experiences. If you truly value freedom in learning, relying upon your own intuition, may be an introvert, are a truly reflective questioning learner, value a healthy ego structure, would like a solid clinical training, already have a spiritual or religious path, are not inclined to like being demanded to spill your guts for a grade in large chaotic new-age, or neo-shamanic group encounters, dislike being infantilized....or if you are not inclined to being psychologically/spiritually broken down in order to fit into a pre-determined process....then seriously re-consider attending here. If you learn best from non-dominating, healthy authority figures then this may not be the program for you. Though there may be a few very good teachers at times on staff, clinical training is often not up to par with universities here. Faculty's understanding of trauma, body awareness, and other leading edge clinical approaches is limited or just not emphasized. Graduate school trainings in mental health will be challenging, not perfect- each program will have their issues and limitations. Having space to question or set boundaries without being ostracized, head or power-tripped is a healthy part of adult graduate school learning, as a part of developing an empowered clinical voice. Unfortunately Southwestern College does not acknowledge their own issues yet are convinced they can always be perfectly all knowing transcendent clear guides somehow beyond human experience, and therefore somehow do not carry their own projections. Southwestern's staff have no interest in truly hearing honest feedback from students and any harms they or their seemingly well-intentioned philosophy may cause. Be discerning about which school you choose and wish to spend a lot of invested time, emotional energy and money at. No one grad school can deliver every type of training orientation in one package. Perhaps choose a good solid foundational clinical training, then take additional specialized trainings as a post-grad as there are so many to choose from these days. Ask a lot of real questions of many former SWC students, various clinicians in Santa Fe, and from the school beforehand and get satisfactory answers. If you're seeking to learn transpersonal counseling or AT, there are many more skillful, grounded, simpler, intelligent and overall respectful avenues than attending Southwestern College. Take good care of your body, heart, mind. If you are exploring a grounded spiritual path, or solid graduate training, be discerning and at the very least look to authentic, skillful teachings from the start. read more

SWC has offered Master's Degrees in COunseling and Art Therapy since 1979 and has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1996. It is spiritually based, though non-denominational. The faculty tend to be active practitioners, and the classes experiential. They focus a lot on "Consciousness" and the self awareness of the student/therapist. This is very different from most universities and makes for a more intensive, deep sea dive learning experience. In the past 5 years they built a new building, got re-accredited and are now at their highest ever enrollment, so it seems like their unique way of training is something the world is looking for. It IS very different from mainstream graduate institutions... read more