Welcome to Encounter magazine, a conversation about psychology and the spirit.
Encounter is the faculty and students in the Masters in Counseling program at the Seminary of the Southwest talking about mental health, spirituality, healing, and the experience of preparing for a career in counseling.
At Southwest, we believe that psychology and theology are deeply connected, that mental and spiritual health are each integral components of human wholeness.
Encounter shows you what that commitment looks like in practice, how it affects our approach to counseling and education. You’ll also hear from our students and teachers and get a sense of what it’s like to study with us and be part of a community that combines spiritual practice with academic formation.
At Southwest, our commitment to mutuality and respect make for deeper discussions about what matters most and what gets in the way. We explore race and sexuality; politics, religion, and identity; anything that bears on what it means to be human. Encounter lets you eavesdrop on that conversation.
You’ll also see how people learn counseling here — the combination of projects and puzzles, role-play and experiments and fierce conversations that form our students.
And then there’s the practical matter of how you make the decision. Counseling is a way of being with people, an adventure of knowing yourself as you seek to understand others, a commitment to patience in a world that wants quick solutions, of doing human work in mechanical systems.
Counseling is a calling. Is it yours?
And how do you make graduate school work with your finances, your relationships, and the rest of your life? We’ll tackle these questions too.
Encounter is a personal introduction the counseling program at Southwest. If you’re considering a career in counseling, you need to see what’s happening here.
Take a look around at this link or schedule a campus visit on this page.
