Equine Assisted Healing

Are You Looking For A potent Approach To Transformation?

Are you having difficulties relating to yourself, other people, or even the Universe, but you don’t understand what the problem is? Do you feel like you’ve lost yourself—getting stuck in behavior and thought patterns that lead you nowhere—but don’t know how to break free?

Maybe a series of losses have shaken you to the core, and now, you have trouble moving past the lingering sadness and grief. Or it might be that low self-esteem and self-worth have caused you shame, embarrassment, and guilt for years, and all you long for is to feel good about yourself.

Maybe you feel confused about difficulties in your romantic relationship. Like many people, you might not know how to ask for the things you want and need, and that leaves you frustrated or worried about being rejected. Unable to figure out what’s happening, you may have lost all hope, believing that the situation won’t ever change. 

Have you tried counseling or other treatment methods before without finding real solutions or lasting change? Would you be willing to try an unconventional approach, like equine-assisted healing, if it could help you find clarity about what to do with your relationship? 

We All Feel the Pressures of Societal Expectations

When talking to family and friends, you’ll likely hear that everyone has to cope with something. Everybody is dealing with some level of stress and anxiety on a daily basis. Everyone experiences loss—large or small—in their lives. Everybody has relationship problems. And everyone goes through periods of dissatisfaction.

Just because everyone is going through something doesn’t mean you should disregard what you’re going through.

It’s a sacred initiation, if you let yourself lean into what would like to be healed.

Relational challenges can be an opportunity for growth. And no matter how painful things might be right now, the experience doesn’t have to be all negative. Despite being unhappy at times with our lives, relationships, or parts of who we are, these problems can encourage us to grow and fine-tune our lives.

The whole spectrum of emotions we feel when experiencing relational challenges is normal. But society allows us to show only a small segment of our feelings that are considered “socially acceptable.” If we’re too happy or too upset, it can result in judgment or shaming. So we tend to hide our “extreme” emotions or feel guilty for having them. But we’re human, and we’re not crazy for having those feelings. 

Have you ever noticed how society provokes a lot of comparisons? We’re led to believe that if we don’t follow certain expectations or norms—what to eat, how to dress, what to feel—we won’t be accepted. But constantly comparing our lives to others leaves us wanting; it tells us that we’re not good enough unless we fit in. And that ends up undermining our self-esteem and self-worth.

Fortunately, the right kind of guidance can help you work through your struggles, express your emotions, communicate your boundaries and accept yourself for who you are.

Equine-Assisted HEALING Is Uniquely Suited to Address relational Issues

This is a journey of self-discovery and healing that can help you gain a new perspective on the issues that are holding you back. To get the most out of transformation , you need an approach that is tailored to your unique personality, needs and goals.

One of my specialties, and a great passion, is equine-assisted healing that helps my clients in ways where traditional methods often fall short. I’ve found that, in our society, we often lack awareness of ourselves and others. By working with me and the horses—my “co-healers”—you can learn to slow down and recognize your own needs, as well as the needs of others. 

How does equine-assisted healing work? 

Horses are relational herd animals. Just like people, they have distinct ways of relating with one another and communicating what they want. They also have very clear boundaries—something you may be struggling to set in your own life. By working with horses and observing and discussing their behavior, you can learn to communicate through your body and create relationships with them. Not only will this help you recognize and express your own needs with greater clarity, it can also help you set boundaries—verbally and non-verbally—with people in your life, allowing you to have better relationships with yourself and others.

The first time you come in for a deep dive session, I’ll take you to meet the horses. Before we go out into the herd, we’ll take a few moments to discuss the focus of the session and practice mindfulness exercises―breathing deeply, relaxing, and becoming present.

Over the course of our first few sessions, I will take note of patterns of behavior or thinking that may be playing a role in your issues to help increase awareness of the root causes. Recognizing these patterns will allow you to take simple steps and make practical changes that address short-term needs while guiding you toward your long-term goals.

My clients come to me with a wide variety of issues, and I customize my approach for each person. I’m trained in Gestalt (meaning whole) therapy, so I see you as a whole, not through the narrow lens you may feel defines you. This tailored, holistic approach allows me to bring in a neutral perspective as I look at everything that is going on with you—mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

I’m also very integration-focused. While some spiritual guides tell clients what to do to “fix” their problems, I believe that just applying solutions misses part of the point of the healing journey. There’s a lot of growth and healing involved when you’re really aware and take an active role in integrating the work we do with your mind, body, and emotions. I don’t just want you to find relief right now: I want you to gain the skills and understanding you need to manage issues and continue growing long after our last session together. 

A lot of what happens in traditional talk therapy or coaching feels very mentally focused, but that’s only a small piece of who we are. Equine-assisted healing keeps you more present and engaged as a whole. The end goal is to help you become more aligned with who you really are—gaining greater understanding and awareness, developing appreciation for yourself, and learning to communicate honestly, openly, and clearly.

Perhaps you’re intrigued by the possibilities horse-assisted healing offers but you still have some concerns...

I’ve done therapy and coaching before, and it didn’t give me the results I was looking for.

I’ve heard that before (and experienced it myself). However, equine-assisted healing provides a unique setting and approach that works in a way other “traditional” approaches don’t.

We tend to match whatever energy field we’re surrounded by. So, if we’re surrounded by stress, we’ll feel stressed. If we’re in tranquil natural surroundings, it puts us into a more peaceful state. Just being around the horses helps shift our systems, keeping us more present and affecting how we feel and work through challenges. It’s a little bit magic and a little bit horses (and me, too!).

I love horses, but I’m scared of them.

Clearly, if you feel drawn to horses, there’s something in your heart and spirit that is already connecting with them. I encourage you to explore that. I’ve had a couple of clients who were afraid of horses, and we’ve still been able to work together. Even if you prefer to work outside the fence and just watch the horses, you can get the same powerful benefits from equine-assisted coaching. I will always do the work in a way and at a pace that works best for you.

I don’t know how to ride.

That’s alright—you won’t need to ride. Horse-assisted coaching is completely different from therapeutic horseback riding. Most of our work will be done on the ground; I normally don’t have clients ride the horses. If I ever do ask you to get on a horse, the choice would be yours, and you would have someone with you for support and guidance.

Bring Clarity and Awareness to Your Life

If you are ready to end your struggles, find clarity, and become aligned with who you truly are, I invite you to schedule your connection call.

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