Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)

Horses have been used for therapeutic purposes since the time of the ancient Greeks. The Greek physician Hippocrates, known as the "Father of Medicine," wrote about the therapeutic potential of horseback riding. Equine-assisted psychotherapy incorporates horses into the therapeutic process. People engage in activities such as grooming, feeding, and leading a horse while being supervised by a mental health professional.

With my team of rescue horses I aim to allow clients to engage with and enjoy horses in varying levels, from sitting and watching them from afar to brushing and walking them with consent. The focus is on relationship and trust building.

Horses are HEALING! Come experience the transformative power of horses through our equine therapy program. With gentle, guided therapy, our horses provide a safe, non-judgmental space for individuals to connect, heal, and rediscover their inner strength. Whether you're seeking personal growth, or emotional healing, our program helps foster deep connections that promote lasting change. Our horses offer a unique opportunity to overcome challenges, build confidence, and embrace the healing process.

I've co-facilitated equine assisted psychotherapy sessions since 2010 as an equine professional and since 2023 as a clinician. I've received training from organizations including PATH International, EAGALA, Natural Lifemanship, and OK Corral. The equine assisted sessions lend an organically somatic and experiential lens to sessions that is immediate and relational. Especially for clients who would rather move and do than sit and talk, it can be a highly effective way to get "unstuck."

I utilize trauma focused equine assisted psychotherapy in conjunction with other modalities with my clients.

Equine Assisted Life Coaching holds a variety of opportunities in connecting with your inner child, your inner playfulness and innocence, increasing your own self awareness, and learning to enhance your communication in relationships. Equine is a great therapeutic activity for those who have low self esteem, have relationship issues, have difficulty communicating how they are feeling, have been engaging in substance use, or are interested in connecting to animals and nature as a coping skill.

EAP is an experiential approach to therapy. Rather than talking about what has happened, we use expressive tools and activities to recreate or reenact emotional experiences. As you build a relationship with a horse, your patterns of interactions with others surface so we can see where you need to heal your relationship with yourself and with others. People learn to have healthy boundaries, connect to their bodies and emotions, and have connected relationships!

In partnership with Serenity Oaks Equine Sanctuary, I bring client out to meet their new best fur friend. Through different exercises and skills, clients make incredible gains in finding calm and connection after a history of trauma and anxiety. All sessions are on the ground (no riding, sorry!) to support growth and connection. While I only schedule visits at the farm one day per week, clients beg to come for multiple sessions per week.

I provide a somatic based approach to EAP. Horses can be powerful healing facilitators for clients. They are able to reflect back emotions to the people engaged with them whether the people are aware of their own emotions or not. This provides a great way to be able to externalize and work through various struggles in life. Horses are great with helping set boundaries, building self-awareness, developing healthy communication styles, and so much more.

I am an independent contractor at a local equine assisted therapy facility. If you think equine assisted therapy would be a good option for you, please do not hesitate to ask me about it!