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Valerie Valentine, MA, LPAT, LPCC

I graduated from SWC in 2005 with my Master’s degree inÌýArt Therapy/Counseling.ÌýThe education I received was truly transformational and I am foreverÌýgrateful for the depth of what I learned and experienced.

In 2005, I completed my internship with an organization called here in Santa Fe.Ìý This organization brings creativity for peace to young women from Israel and Palestine all the way around the world to meet each other on neutral ground to explore peace. The work is difficult, rich and powerful. After graduation I continued to work for this organization for five years and created a truly integrated and clinical foundation for their art department. During this time I earned my ATR and LPAT. We facilitated conflict resolution; trauma resolution; multi-cultural awareness and respect; individual truth expression and witness; partnership trust building; and group cohesion with focus on collaborative goal accomplishment and leadership training. This was truly astounding work for me and I feel honored to have had the opportunity through art therapy to serve in this way, given the context of the generational, and in fact, macro-cosmic conflict these young women were born into.

After that experience, I worked some in a private practice, taught some courses at SWC and also at Naropa in Boulder, CO, led some art therapy groups in various settings including an inpatient eating disorder program, made some art, and created some art therapy products (available on my ). Next, I focused on completing my credentials and earned my LPCC license from the State of NM.

In 2010, I began working full-time at a residential care facility for the treatment of trauma and addictions, in SantaÌýFe.Ìý I was a primary therapist and a core group leader specializing inÌýcomplex trauma resolution. I was able to complete my training withÌýthe International Institute for Trauma and Addiction Professionals andÌýearn my Certified Sex Addiction Therapist credentials in 2013.

A year ago, I realized that the intensity of the extraordinary traumaÌýwork I was doing at LHC was accumulating and that I needed to create aÌýless stressful case load.Ìý I finally experienced what SWC tries toÌýprepare us for by emphasizingÌýself-care and decided I had to make someÌýchanges. I currently still lead the art therapy groups at LHC and IÌýLOVE this work, being in a studio with others exploring internalÌýtruths and making them visible and concrete. It is the best job inÌýthe world in my opinion.ÌýI also see individual clients at two days a weekÌýin an out-patient setting.Ìý And this is very fulfilling for me.

I was recently elected as President of the

and look forward to helping expand community involvement

with art therapy as part of this role.Ìý I sincerely believe that we

are all healthier when we are supported in our creativity.

I continue to make art as part of my own self-care and to expand myÌýideas about how to bring art therapy principles to a larger awareness.ÌýI feel blessed to be part of a career field that I feel soÌýpassionately about. I have been able to make a good living and haveÌýbeen personally fulfilled by my work. In my opinion, it doesn’t getÌýany better than that. The foundation of this accomplishment was myÌýeducation at SouthwesternÌýCollege and I am forever grateful for that.Ìý

Val

connect with Val on LinkedIn

91µÎµÎ the Moderator