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In a world dominated by screens and digital communication, Jill Robin Payne reveals how Bempathy®—her revolutionary approach to communication—can help us rebuild real human connections, improve mental health, and create stronger relationships in both business and life. In this episode of Sharkpreneur, Seth Greene speaks with Jill Robin Payne, MA, LPC-S, LCDC, Licensed Psychotherapist, Author, Speaker, Communication Coach, and Creator of Bempathy® about the urgent need to reconnect in a world increasingly dominated by digital communication, emphasizing the power of real human interaction for better mental health and business relationships. She also shares key insights from her book Bempathy®: Simplify Communication by Looking at the Third Side of the Coin, offering practical strategies to improve communication, foster deeper connections, and navigate today's social and professional landscapes with empathy. Key Takeaways: → How mental health struggles often stem from a lack of real human connection. → Why modern reliance on digital communication leads to poor emotional regulation. → Why four hours or more of screen time can harm children's development. → How small talk is a critical tool for building rapport and deeper relationships at work. → How successful communication starts with curiosity and a genuine desire to understand others. Jill Robin Payne, MA, LPC-S, LCDC, holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreational Therapy and a Master's Degree in Clinical/Counseling Psychology. She is a seasoned social psychotherapist and a former adjunct professor of behavior modification, holding dual licenses as a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, and is certified in EAGALA equine therapy. As a communication expert, Jill developed Bempathy®, a unique reciprocal communication approach that blends banter and empathy to foster authentic connections. A sought-after speaker and author, she shares insights on mental health and communication across national and local media platforms and is renowned for her transformative strategies that enhance relationship dynamics both personally and professionally. Connect With Jill: Jill Robin Payne Instagram TikTok X Facebook LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“We are the centre of our world, and that whatever we do, our world is going to reflect. So therefore, it my world, we need to look at our world and see how it is.” Jill Robin Payne Top Five Tips For Swiping Right On Connection In The Digital Age1. Find fun and have a win-win mindset.2. Timing and position are important in conversations.3. Be aware of speed and language differences.4. Recognize that you are always busy and prioritize self-care.5. Practice self-reflection using the "map of reflection" to understand how your inner state reflects in your relationships. TIME STAMP SUMMARY02:19 Day to day fun is importance06:41 Taking a step back to gain a better perspective on the situation.10:09 The importance of being authentic and genuine in interactions.12:42 Understanding how your inner state reflects in your relationships. Where to find Jill?Website https://jillrobinpayne.com/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-robin-payne/ Jill Robin Payne BioJill Robin Payne, MA, LPC-S, LCDC, holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreational Therapy and a master's degree in clinical/counselling psychology. She is a seasoned social psychotherapist and a former adjunct professor of behaviour modification, holding dual licenses as a Licensed Professional Counsellor Supervisor and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counsellor, and is certified in EAGALA equine therapy. As a communication expert, Jill developed Bempathy®, a unique reciprocal communication approach that blends banter and empathy to foster authentic connections. A sought-after speaker and author, she shares insights on mental health and communication across national and local media platforms and is renowned for her transformative strategies that enhance relationship dynamics both personally and professionally.
We are happy to be back with you for an episode focused on the use of the Eagala model with 12-Step recovery clients. Our guests are Jimmy Downes, Ellen Grant, LCSW, and Cassidy O'Brien, LCSW. Together, they have decades of experience working with this population, and they are here to tell us about their journey.Relatively Stable, LLCwww.eagala.org
In this episode we will get to know more about our new Acting Executive Director, Ashley Tarvis. Hear about her journey and vision for our organization. We will also be introducing a new podcast segment, Stories from Inside the Arena. For more information about trainings and other events and resources, please visit www.eagala.org.
Eagala Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, Psychotherapy Model for Special Needs Children, Trauma Recovery, Veterans and More. Join us for a Conversation and global look at this tremendous therapy with experts Ashley Tarvis (acting executive director), Tracie Holroyd (Trainer UK), and Connie Baldwin (Director of Military and Special Programs)
Welcome to season 2 of Inside the Arena! To kick off this new journey, we are privileged to hear from Dr. Natasha Filippides. She will be discussing the dynamic relationship between the ES and MH roles in Eagala model work. We are also joined by Ashley Tarvis as the new Acting Executive Director of Eagala and the new co-host of Inside the Arena. Visit Dr. Natasha's website by clicking the link below. https://drnatashafilippides.com/ Visit www.eagala.org for more information on upcoming trainings and how to become involved with the Eagala community.
Today's episode we discuss ways our listeners can be involved in the ongoing effort to support Eagala-model work through research. If you are affiliated with Eagala, then you can rest assured the methods you are trained to use are actively being validated by a committee of high-level professionals who are dedicated to this complex and interesting work. Christine Salas, PhD(c), ES, and Bobbi Woolwine, MSW, LCSW, EAP, join us to talk about their roles on the Research Committee and discuss ways that Eagala practitioners can be involved. To connect with the Research Committee, please email research@eagala.org Here is a link to the CNN story covering Bobbi's work that she mentions in the conversation. https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/10/health/equine-assisted-psychotherapy-mental-health-wellness-iyw/index.html
In this episode of The Healers Café, Manon Bolliger, FCAH, RBHT (facilitator and retired naturopath with 30+ years of practice) speaks with Melissa Jarzynski about the physiological benefits of equine-assisted therapy, such as improved nervous system function. For the transcript and full story go to: https://www.drmanonbolliger.com/melissa-jarzynski Highlights from today's episode include: Melissa Jarzynski 08:10 Well, so now that we know about the horses being able to read so much of the humans based off their sensory apparatus, right? So, a horse, just by smelling us from many, many feet away, will know your gender. Will know your mood. They can smell your mood through the hormones that we are secreting Manon Bolliger One of the things that I noticed, though, because I went to that to participate, to teach the humans the human part, and, yeah, if, let's say, if a human being had pain in their hip and they were, you know, straddling the saddle a certain way, it would impact the horse. Melissa Jarzynski When ever you are on the back of a horse, that horse is dancing with the rider, and so it's just like it takes two to tango if you have a lame horse, you know, let's take a look at your riding biomechanics. ABOUT MELISSA JARZYNSKI: Melissa Jean Jarzynski, MSPT, HPCS, ESMLH, excels in integrating physical therapy with equine-assisted practices, particularly emphasizing trauma-informed care. As the owner of Happy Trotters, Melissa Jean PT and Stable Friendships Foundation and with over 19 years of expertise, Melissa is a board-certified Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist and is certified with PATH Int. and EAGALA. Her pioneering spirit is most evident in her program, "Finding Peace in the Paddock™". This groundbreaking work focuses on the interplay between human and horse heart rates, revealing significant benefits for those dealing with trauma, stress, and chronic pain. Her research in this area, though preliminary, has already begun to illuminate the profound effects of equine-assisted therapy. It's not just about physical healing; Melissa's work highlights the deep emotional and psychological connections that can be fostered between humans and horses, offering a new dimension to trauma-informed care. This unique blend of therapy and equine interaction is a testament to her innovative approach in enhancing holistic well-being. Core purpose/passion: My core purpose/mission is to continue helping humans with the help of horses, but never at the expense of the horses. Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube ABOUT MANON BOLLIGER, FCAH, RBHT As a de-registered (2021) board-certified naturopathic physician & in practice since 1992, I've seen an average of 150 patients per week and have helped people ranging from rural farmers in Nova Scotia to stressed out CEOs in Toronto to tri-athletes here in Vancouver. My resolve to educate, empower and engage people to take charge of their own health is evident in my best-selling books: 'What Patients Don't Say if Doctors Don't Ask: The Mindful Patient-Doctor Relationship' and 'A Healer in Every Household: Simple Solutions for Stress'. I also teach BowenFirst™ Therapy through and hold transformational workshops to achieve these goals. So, when I share with you that LISTENING to Your body is a game changer in the healing process, I am speaking from expertise and direct experience". Manon's Mission: A Healer in Every Household! For more great information to go to her weekly blog: http://bowencollege.com/blog. For tips on health & healing go to: https://www.drmanonbolliger.com/tips Follow Manon on Social – Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Twitter | Linktr.ee | Rumble ABOUT THE HEALERS CAFÉ: Manon's show is the #1 show for medical practitioners and holistic healers to have heart to heart conversations about their day to day lives. Subscribe and review on your favourite platform: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Libsyn | iHeartRadio | Gaana | The Healers Cafe | Radio.com | Medioq | Remember to subscribe if you like our videos. Click the bell if you want to be one of the first people notified of a new release. * De-Registered, revoked & retired naturopathic physician after 30 years of practice in healthcare. Now resourceful & resolved to share with you all the tools to take care of your health & vitality!
Join us for an enlightening conversation on the use of Eagala with patients suffering from serious mental health issues. Our guests expertly discuss the ways the Eagala model has proven time and again to work hand-in-hand with other professionals, from daily caregivers to psychiatrists. Please visit www.eagala.org for more information on upcoming trainings and networking events.
Eagala offers a unique toolset when treating clients experiencing trauma. Today we will visit with Debra Farber and Holly Jedlicka about their perspectives on trauma work and the effectiveness of Eagala. You will also learn about the Man O' War project, an effort through Columbia University utilizing the Eagala-model approach to treat veterans suffering from PTSD. www.mowproject.org www.eagala.org
On this episode, Katherine and I will visit with Executive Director of PBJ Connections, Holly Jedlicka. Holly is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and runs a robust Eagala practice in Ohio. She will illuminate for us how an excellent Eagala program can be facilitated with or without owning a ranch. You can learn more about her work by visiting www.pbjconnections.org. As always, please visit www.eagala.org for the most updated information on trainings and other opportunities in the Eagala community.
On today's episode we will visit with three highly effective Eagala mentors. we will learn about the mentoring program, why it is important, and how certified Eagala practitioners can become involved. Please visit www.eagala.org or email trainings@eagala.org for more information about today's discussion.
Get to know your host and co-host better through this episode. Danny Ellison and Katherine Owen share a little about themselves and discuss the benefits to affiliating with Eagala, along with some personal reflections on what the model means to each of them personally. Visit www.eagala.org for more information about what you hear on this episode.
Samantha King is a Psychologist and clinic director at Psychology & Animal Assisted Wellbeing, a clinic where therapists work with a therapy dog providing animal-assisted interventions. She works with her dogs (Sonny, Oliver & Nala) to provide Animal Assisted Therapy for children, adolescents & adults (primarily Neurodivergent populations). Samantha has experience working with therapy dogs across various settings, including schools, community mental health and private practice since 2013. She has spoken as several conferences on AAT topics, including the 50th Australian Psychological Conference in October 2015 and the Australia & New Zealand Psychiatrists Conference in Hobart in 2016. She is also EAGALA trained (2018) and provides Equine Assisted Psychotherapy with her herd of 7 horses including five brumbies. Samantha is a qualified dog trainer (Certificate III in Dog Training & Behaviour - NDTF). Samantha is also experienced in offering Psychology in a farm-based setting, alongside her range of animals on her hobby farm (goats, chickens, cat & horses). Sam has a keen interest in the advocacy of Brumbies and their incorporation in to animal assisted services. Find Samantha's services at www.therapydog.com.au Thank you for listening! Find us online >> Panos @ www.npdogtraining.com >> Luke @ www.kizunacanine.com.au >> www.facebook.com/lifewithyourdogpodcast >> www.instagram.com/lifewithyourdogpodcast >> www.lifewithyourdogpodcast.com
Today's episode features interviews with Eagala trainers Randy and Patti Mandrell and practitioner Steve Eller. We will be discussing Eagala in the university classroom and how the model is being used to prepare students for a career path that includes EAP. You will also hear from our guests about their personal experience with Eagala and how it has been a consistent component of their daily practice for many years. For more information about Randy and Patti's facility in Lubbock, Texas, please visit www.refugeservices.org. You can learn more about how to become involved in Eagala by visiting www.eagala.org.
Trainers Tracie Holroyd and Mary Ann Brewer, along with Eagala Interim CEO Katherine Owen, join us today to discuss their "Why?" regarding using the Eagala model of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy in their work with clients. We will discuss some of the fundamentals of a good Eagala therapeutic team. We will also share about our non-human therapeutic partners, the horses! Please visit www.eagala.org for more information.
Anyone in the Equine Assisted World had heard of the legendary EAGALA program - perhaps the first organization to really bring the field out of the realm of purely therapeutic or adaptive raiding and into the realm of the neuro-psychiatric, at least on a level outside certain isolated mental health institutions.What many in the Equine Assisted fields may not know is that EAGALA was the brainchild of Lynn Thomas, a mental health professional who didn't know much about horses but who from a very young age, through being drafted into a series of outward bound programs for at risk youth, some of which had horses,observed the radically positive effect that nature, movement and horses, even when one didn't ride them, had on people.Here on Equine Assisted World Lynn recounts the fascinating story of how these early insights morphed into the EAGALA program and how that grew exponentially into the giant we know today. But then, as all innovators do - she pivots - creating two new programs that are no less fascinating . Arenas For Change - a new cutting edge approach to well being for the equine practitioners themselves, addressing the burnout that so often goes with the demands of this field. And Horses For Mental Health, which - get this - helps therapeutic equine programs tell their story and get both recognition and more crucially, funding.This podcast is also time sensitive, as if writing this, on December 15th 2023, Horses For Mental Health is calling for submissions from programs in need of having their stories told. If your program could use a helping hand, and whose doesn't, then perhaps you should listen all the way to the end..Contact Lynnhttps://horsesformentalhealth.orghttps://arenasforchange.comFind our other shows and programs:https://rupertisaacson.com
Chris Nichols has been working with and rescuing horses for close to 25 years. She is formerly EAGALA certified as a horse specialist and has been H.I.G.H. (Horse Inspired Growth and Healing) and H.I.P. (Horse Inspired Psychotherapy) since 2017. Chris is a founding board member and current President and Executive Director of The Medicine Horse Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue of horses that have suffered abuse, abandonment, neglect or are at risk of falling into the slaughter pipeline. In addition to the rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming of these animals, The Medicine Horse Project partners these horses with people seeking hope, healing and inspiration through their H.I.G.H. and Resiliency Through Horsemanship programs.The Medicine Horse Project operates on Chris and her Husband, Morgan's 80 acre off grid ranch in rural northern Nevada.https://www.facebook.com/medicinehorserescuewww.medicinehorseproject.orginfo@medicinehorseproject.orghttps://www.instagram.com/themedicinehorseproject/Music by Justin TammingaMusic provided by Justin Tamminga
This was my first interview with 3 people at once! It was also my first two hour interview, so we are sharing it in two parts. In part one, you will get to meet and learn a bit about all three of our guests, and in part two we take the conversation deeper.Here is a bit more about each of our guests and how you can find them:GUEST 1: Lynn Thomas, LCSW, Co-founder/CEO of Arenas for Change (ARCH) and Co-founder/President of Horses for Mental Health. Lynn has been in the industry of incorporating horses for mental health for over 25 years. She cofounded Eagala and developed the Eagala Model of training, and is now involved in a new professional learning community called Arenas for Change (ARCH) which focuses on facilitation skillsets to increase the impact and emotional safety of sessions incorporating horses, animals and nature through a story mindset. She co-founded Horses for Mental Health (which you can find more out about in Part 2).Websites: www.arenasforchange.com and www.horsesformentalhealth.orgGUEST 2: Ulla Frederiksen, MA, LLP ~ Psychologist, facilitator, collaborator & artist. Ulla is a psychologist, group facilitator, and artist. Her private practice, the Sundance Center, specializes in client centered, solution oriented and trauma-informed therapy for Highly Sensitive People. In 2020 Ulla co-founded a non-profit, Red Horse Center with her husband Fred Bueltmann (which you can find out more about in part 2 of this 2 part episode). Ulla also co-creates content for Arenas for Change - ARCH, an online learning community of people incorporating horses, nature and dogs in therapy, coaching and professional development. She has facilitated with horses since 2002 and has trained facilitators internationally since 2010.Ulla: (269) 226-2400www.sundancecenter.netGUEST 3: Fred Bueltmann is a horseperson, author, and independent consultant on company culture. Fred's “Horse and Human Collaboration” philosophy is born from more than twenty years of learning from horses and inviting them to co-facilitate equine-assisted organizational development. His career included executive posts at New Holland Brewing Company, Bell's Brewing Company, and as past president of the Michigan Brewers Guild. He has presented at TEDx with, “The Community of Collaboration”. He has authored two books, “A Rising Tide – Stories from the Michigan Brewers Guild,” and “The Beervangelist's Guide to the Galaxy – A philosophy of food & drink.” Fred is a musician, as well, as an instructor at Schoolcraft College's Brewing and Distilling program.I am VERY passionate about the subject matter covered in this two part episode. Horses have been a significant part of my own healing, and health journey. The fact that organizations like this exist to bring more and more people in to the space of working with animals to promote their spiritual, emotional, mental and physical well being makes my heart happy. This can be a tough time of year for many. Please know that you are not alone, and there are many resources, teachers and animals available to support you through whatever you are going through. I encourage you to reach out. Here is how you can connect with me:catcaldwellmyers@gmail.com@catcaldwellmyersHorses, Mountains & Dogs Facebook PageHorses, Mountains & Dogs Virtual Ranch Group on FbJust says "buy the book on Amazon!"Support the showUpcoming events:The 2024 Adventure Paradox Digital Course HOLIDAY PRESALEConnect with me here:www.catcaldwellmyers.com@catcaldwellmyersThe Adventure Paradox Podcast Page (Fb)
Blogger and author Cheryl L. Eriksen has a master's degree in social work (MSW) and is a former equine assisted therapy facilitator. She also authored two training manuals for Eagala model equine assisted therapy facilitators. While earning her MSW from Western Michigan University, Cheryl took a special interest in the effects of trauma on...
Welcome to Start By Listening! We are excited to have you on this journey with us toward healing and transformation. Start By Listening is a podcast about sexual harm, trauma and advocacy. Season Three - Hodge Podge - We are taking SBL to the community and speaking with various groups and people on the traumas they encounter in their part of the community and asking how they may want their organization to address trauma survivors in the future. This season, we will be delivering exceptional conversations and creative ideas while creating a safe space for connection and thoughtful experiences. We are going beyond sexual harm and really asking, "What does trauma look like and what does this experience look like for the Western Kentucky communities we serve?" We will be talking with various community members, and delving into difficult conversations where trauma intersects our communities and people. Season Three finds us growing and changing how we do our work. Our goal is to drop 2-3 podcasts per month on Fridays and you will find most of our episodes on YouTube as well! Yes, New Beginnings has a YouTube channel.In this episode, New Beginnings podcasters Jennifer, The Friendly Therapist, and Shelby, Victim Advocate have a very authentic conversation with Misty and Rick Baker - The Bridges Program in Owensboro, Ky. Misty and Rick utilize the Eagala Model which uses horses as a central theme of connection and safety to provide psychotherapy for clients. They work with soldiers at Ft. Campbell and local clients in Daviess County Kentucky, Eagala is a different kind of horse therapy, as there is no riding the horse, rather all of the work is done together in connection on the ground, side by side. For this episode, we had a magnificent experience with Misty and Rick, along with Patsy and Banjo - two of their horses who are new to their herd. It has been said that when you look into the eys of an elephant, whale or a horse, you are looking into a soul....and this is very true. The ability for a horse to see you as you are in this exact moment, and reflect back to you what you are experiencing emotionally, physically and spiritually...well is that not pure embodiment and connection with a soul? Eagala removes the forest landscape, and allows you to see the individual trees....those trees that created the story of YOU and your lived experience....your story of who you were, who you are in this moment and who you are becoming. Welcome to a new world experience...with old world restorative practices that create resilience within your nervous system and allow safety and connection to occur with a horse, nature and humans.Rick Baker - From an early age I've had a love of horses. As a child I rode a lot, my mother was an accomplished horse woman and my grandfather made sure we had a variety of horses to ride, starting with my first pony…Snowball. Fast forward a few years, as life happens, horses took a back seat to making a living and raising my family. I was fortunate enough to get horses back into my life about 12 years ago. I Bought my first horse, an Appaloosa mare named Lil Bit then added my Quarter Horse mare Cheyenne, who was born on the farm where my wife worked, and this past summer a life long dream to own an American Mustang came true, her name is Shadow. I was able to retire in Jan of 2019 and work full-time with my wife, Misty Baker in her Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program, The Bridges Program. I serve on the team as an Equine Specialist, utilizing the Eagala model but my primary role is facilitating in a more direct hands on horsemanship intervention. Misty Baker - I was born loving horses, it is my Mother's legacy, and I cannot remember a time in my life that I did not love horses. I spent 9 years working in the field of therapeutic riding and was introduced to the Eagala model in 2007. I started the Bridges Program in 2008, offering Eagala model Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, and added Circle MR Horsemanship in 2019, offering a more directive hands on therapeutic horsemanship intervention and Life Coaching. I spent 16 years assisting victims of violent crime through the crime victim advocacy office, and the last 30 years working in the field of drug and alcohol dependency prevention through victim impact meetings. I have 15 equine, 3 miniature horses, 1 miniature donkey and 11 full size horses of varying breeds and backgrounds, and 7 spoiled dogs. You can reach Misty and Rick on their Facebook page or website (listed below) or you can call her at 270-231-3618 or 270-302-9383.The Bridges Program - https://thebridgesprogram.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/The-Bridges-Program-1047160011962829/Eagala Model of Therapy - https://www.eagala.org/indexA very special thank you to Patsy, Banjo, Cheyenne, Annie, Lakota, Chessie, Indy and Dirty Harry - your energy and presence were just what we needed......YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS EPISODE. Remember to subscribe to our Podcast - Start By Listening - found on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer and more!Also subscribe to our New Beginnings YouTube channel!! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxT9OQkPpCPSAgcUhhqUkmQToday's YouTube Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkaY7uc21P0Start By Listening will drop on Fridays, 2-3x monthly, bringing you an interesting and intriguing look into the work we do, while educating about trauma and healing. If you would like to reach out and contact Jennifer or Shelby, please email at SBL@nbowensboro.org. Finally, a few shout outs. If you liked our jingle jingle, hop on over to www.uriahwilde.com and talk with Seth Hedges. He created the beautiful music for our podcast. Thank you SETH! Another special thank you to Rodney Newton, he helped us learn how to put this Podcast together and create a beautiful thing. Thank you RODNEY!!!To find local resources for sexual abuse please visit www.RAINN.org or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673, 24/7/365
Meet EAGALA, Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association! In this episode, Amy Blossom, CEO of EAGALA and Brenda Hunter, Member Support Director talk about who EAGALA is and how their method of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is so impactful. Learn what this organization has to offer professionals and how to get certified! www.eagala.org
I spoke to Lynn Thomas on Sept 13, 2022. We have a wonderful talk about intuition, nature, healing, mental health and understanding how things don't always land the way we expect them too and yet usually end up being even better than were thought it could be. Lynn Thomas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, receiving her Master's of Social Work from the University of Utah in 1995. She first developed a program integrating horses as a primary treatment component while serving as Executive Director of Aspen Ranch, a residential boarding school for troubled adolescents.In 1999, Lynn co-founded Eagala, the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, providing training and certification in the Eagala Model of incorporating horses in psychotherapy. In the 21 years she served as its CEO, Lynn built Eagala into a leading organization in the area of horses for mental health.Lynn co-founded and presently serves as CEO of Arenas for Change (ARCH), an organization focused on a values-based community learning and supporting one another in facilitation concepts that increase emotional safety and deepen client stories bringing healing and change in mental health and overall well-being. Thanks to the work over the years of Lynn and her team, involving horses in psychotherapy sessions has gone from a little-known approach to a widely accepted and credible mental health option, backed by research.With Lynn's experience, vision, and passion for the impact horses have on well-being, she co-founded Horses for Mental Health (HMH) in 2021 to build momentum, expand the movement, and uplift programs worldwide to impact and strengthen global mental health through horses.Support the show
If you joined us last week, you'll know we started a great conversation with two experts in the field of equine therapy and training, Alia Shahi and Becky Nibecker. This week we continue the conversation, learn more about their experiences, and explore how working with horses can be a gift to students, teachers, leaders, and to all of us who embrace this experience. Alia works for a non-profit organization called Reins of H.O.P.E. as an EAGALA certified Equine Specialist, assisting in providing equine assisted psychotherapy to at-risk youth and military personnel. She is currently pursuing licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and recently graduated with a master's degree in counseling psychology. Horses have been Alia's passion since she was a child. They have taught her some of the greatest life lessons she has learned thus far: how to show up as a partner, that leadership has nothing to do with dominance, and the importance of present-centered connection. Today, the wisdom and knowledge they pass on to her continues to inform her as a single parent, an equine specialist, a mental health clinician, and as a human. Becky was first introduced to Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) upon starting her 25th year as an educator. She was fascinated to learn that horses are motivated by pressure and learn by the release of that pressure. That year, as a middle school principal, her opening faculty meeting included a video of a horse at liberty with a human. She encouraged the faculty to dance with their students in this same manner; to see their presentation of the subject matter as the pressure, and to allow time at the end of each class period for reflection, the release that teaches. In a world that is full of information, deadlines and the need to prove and produce, this dance is often interrupted and we lose the ability to self-regulate and set healthy boundaries. Becky believes we need to create margins in our life to pause, reflect and release tension. If you missed Part 1 last week, you can find it on your favorite podcast app, or at https://www.respectcircles.com/34-how-a-horse-can-improve-your-mental-health-part-1/. This conversation really was an invitation for us to get out of our heads and comfort zones in order to try something new, and who would have imagined that we could discover so much about ourselves through horses? We've learned that horses have the intuition to teach us what we may not be able to see. If you are willing to step into the arena with these fascinating animals, you'll experience incredible growth. As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message. You can also reach us by email, respectcircles@gmail.com, on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you! Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends! In this episode you'll hear: The big realizations that Alia made about bringing equine therapy into the parenting arena [1:42] Becky's thoughts on the how work with horses could be applied as an educator of children [6:03] How she allowed the horse to be a powerful partner in overcoming internal chatter that she was having [8:02] Ways to provide safety and security of the horse, and why this is so important to do [10:13] What horses can teach us about all of our relationships [13:01] The feedback that these animals can provide us, and how the horses were able to help Becky share more about her own faith with others [15:26] A story that demonstrates how horse work can be applied to leadership development [17:55] What their organization is doing to give everyone greater access to their horses [23:49] The similarities that Becky sees between the work they do with horses and what we do here at Respect Circles [26:50] Our biggest takeaways from this conversation with Alia and Becky, and what we plan to do with this knew knowledge [31:02] Links & Resources: Reins of Hope Website, Instagram & Facebook Alia's Thesis, Parenting Through Horsemanship: A Relationship-Based Approach to Children https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X8leBjvGeQYdYDyFp7Sm1PhKU4cJotqv/view?usp=sharing NBC News Article, Black horse trainers offer horseback riding as therapy BBC News Article, The black cowboys of Chicago's South Side Time Magazine, The True Story of the Black Cowboys of Philadelphia Depicted in Concrete Cowboy 34: How A Horse Can Improve Your Mental Health (Part 1) 33: The Path to Stronger Relationships - Getting Clear on Your Emotions 32: Wholeheartedness - Living Life From a Place of Courage 20: How to Become an Emotionally Intelligent Leader 7: Becoming A Deliberate Listener
If you've ever felt the need to improve your physical or mental health, or you're looking for a personal or professional development opportunity, we bet you've never thought of looking for help in a horse barn! Yet, the growing field of equine therapy is showing us that spending time with animals can be extremely beneficial to our well-being. In the first part of this special 2-part series, we welcome our expert guests, Alia Shahi and Becky Nibecker, as they each share the experiences and wisdom that they've gained from their fascinating work with horses. Alia works for a non-profit organization called Reins of H.O.P.E. as an EAGALA certified Equine Specialist, assisting in providing equine assisted psychotherapy to at-risk youth and military personnel. She is currently pursuing licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and recently graduated with a master's degree in counseling psychology. Horses have been Alia's passion since she was a child. They have taught her some of the greatest life lessons she has learned thus far: how to show up as a partner, that leadership has nothing to do with dominance, and the importance of present-centered connection. Today, the wisdom and knowledge they pass on to her continues to inform her as a single parent, an equine specialist, a mental health clinician, and as a human. Becky Nibecker was first introduced to Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) upon starting her 25th year as an educator. She was fascinated to learn that horses are motivated by pressure and learn by the release of that pressure. That year, as a middle school principal, her opening faculty meeting included a video of a horse at liberty with a human. She encouraged the faculty to dance with their students in this same manner; to see their presentation of the subject matter as the pressure, and to allow time at the end of each class period for reflection, the release that teaches. In a world that is full of information, deadlines and the need to prove and produce, this dance is often interrupted and we lose the ability to self-regulate and set healthy boundaries. Becky believes we need to create margins in our life to pause, reflect and release tension. There is such a richness in the messages that both Alia and Becky share in this conversation about their work, and we appreciate their openness to be vulnerable and transparent as they each speak their truth. We hope that you will return next week for Part 2, as they reveal more about the incredible powers that horses possess and the transformations that they have experienced themselves and witnessed in the clients that they serve. As always, we love to hear your feedback. If you have a question or topic that you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, please go to https://www.respectcircles.com/voicemail/ to leave us a message. You can also reach us by email, respectcircles@gmail.com, on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/, or by visiting our website at www.respectcircles.com too. We look forward to hearing from you! Thanks so much for listening. We'd love to have you subscribe to the podcast, leave us a rating and review, and share with your friends! In this episode you'll hear: What equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning is all about, and what led them to this field of work [7:15] The biggest impact that the horses have had on Becky [8:20] Why there is power in pausing to reflect, both for children and adults [9:30] Why the work that she does means so much to Alia [12:12] The story of the horse, Tank, that changed everything for her [17:02] What Becky thinks makes the connection between horses and humans so special [21:13] How horses have the ability to help anyone who is willing to step into that world find their authentic self [24:00] Links & Resources: Reins of Hope Website, Instagram & Facebook Alia's Thesis, Parenting Through Horsemanship: A Relationship-Based Approach to Children https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X8leBjvGeQYdYDyFp7Sm1PhKU4cJotqv/view?usp=sharing NBC News Article, Black horse trainers offer horseback riding as therapy BBC News Article, The black cowboys of Chicago's South Side Time Magazine, The True Story of the Black Cowboys of Philadelphia Depicted in Concrete Cowboy 33: The Path to Stronger Relationships - Getting Clear on Your Emotions 32: Wholeheartedness - Living Life From a Place of Courage
Trauma profoundly impacts an individual's daily life and causes significant dysregulation in their nervous system, especially in times of distress. 70% of adults in the United States have experienced some form of trauma, which amounts to over 220 million individuals suffering from the effects of a traumatic event. With such a substantial amount of people having suffered from a traumatic event in their life, trauma and its' effects have a profound impact on couples and families. Because of the complexity of trauma and the multitude of ways it impacts individuals, it often goes untreated, leading to significant disruptions in the lives of the suffering individual and their relationship.In this episode, Tarah and EJ interview Shara LPC, MSC, NCC, EAGALA, Clinical Director of Sabino Recovery. Sabino Recovery is a trauma-focused residential treatment center in Tucson, AZ. The three take a broad look at trauma, how it presents in life, and various treatments. They explore a wide range of treatment modalities that have proven to be effective in treating trauma-related disorders. They also discuss residential treatment and how this level of care can help individuals, couples and families heal from trauma's profound effects.Episode Transcriptionhttps://www.sabinorecovery.com/https://www.eagala.org/indexhttps://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ArticleSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/he-said-she-said/donations
You may have heard about how sex + orgasms affect mental health, but what about when mental health affects sex? Depression affects so many people not only in the US, but globally. Especially since the start of the pandemic, we've seen the sexual health of individuals + couples alike struggling because of it. Sex therapist Nicoletta Heidegger is here to talk to us about the complications of depression + sexual desire, what medications could be doing to contribute, + how you can empower your own sexual + sensual pleasure to help. In this episode you'll hear: How does depression affect desire for sex in different people? What are symptoms of depression + how do they can manifest in life? Tips to support yourself or your partner in sex while experiencing symptoms of depression What medications for depression impact the libido + which ones do not Post Coital Dysphoria --the experience of sadness, anxiety, anger, depression after sex + what to do about it Treatments for depression + sex + what working with a sex therapist on these challenges looks like Struggles around sexual initiation + tips for having an effective conversation to support How sensual practices can be powerful strategies for improving your sex life. LINKS FROM THE SHOW www.yonipleasurepalace.com code: DRCAT for 10% off any order THE SKINNY ON OUR SEXY GUEST Nicoletta von Heidegger is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Sexologist (#110256) practicing in Los Angeles. Nicoletta received her BA in Psychology from Stanford University, her MA in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, and her MEd in Human Sexuality from Widener University. Nicoletta is currently pursuing her PhD in Human Sexuality from Widener. In addition to seeing clients in private practice, Nicoletta also works as an EAGALA-certified equine assisted psychotherapist at Stand in Balance. Nicoletta believes in embodied practice and is certified in levels I and II of The Trauma Resiliency Model. When not working with clients, Nicoletta creates and hosts the growing hit podcast Sluts & Scholars and teaches educational seminars and classes to help others learn about sexual and mental health. In her self-care time, Nicoletta enjoys nature, biking, horse riding, her pit mix dog Stevie, and playing the drums in her band. You can find out more about Nicolettat at nicolettavheidegger.com WANT MORE? Start your journey to coming back home to your body + developing a sensual relationship. Grab my FREE Sensual Sundays Guide full of all my favorite products + Sunday ritual to reconnect with your pleasure once again. If you're desiring a deeper dive into the lifestyle of sensual pleasure, come join me for a 14 day initiation into Sensual Awakening. Learn the foundations of activating your pleasure senses, creating luxury without expense, + cultivating a lovership with your body, again. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/eatplaysex/message
Using Horses for HealingThe therapeutic use of horses dates all the way back to 1600 BC. They increase a person's confidence, teach responsibility, amongst so many other countless benefits.On this episode of Calm, Cool and Connected, we are joined by Marie Hancock. Marie is the owner and director of Colorado Equine Specialist, and she is the Lead Equine Specialist Certified in the Eagala model.Key Takeaways from Liz's chat with Marie:• Learn about Marie's background and how she got into equine therapy• Find out why horses specifically are so great for therapy• Hear more about the process of equine therapy: how intake works, and how sessions go • Learn about the Eagala model• Find out how horses individual life experiences effect each sessionAll of this and more, on this episode of Calm, Cool and Connected.Connect with Marie on Instagram - @Colorado_EquineTherapy Follow Marie on Facebook - @ColoradoESWatch Marie on Tiktok - @Colorado_EquineTherapyFind more information on Marie and Colorado Equine Specialist: www.ColoradoEquineTherapy.orgFind out more information about Alexa: www.evolvecounselingaz.comConnect with Alexa on Instagram: @alexabaileycounselingFor more information on Dr. Elizabeth Fedrick, visit her website: evolvecounselingaz.comConnect with Dr. Fedrick on Instagram: @drelizabethfedrickHave a question you'd like answered on the show? Leave us a voicemail here: https://www.speakpipe.com/CalmCoolConnectedFor more great Calm, Cool and Connected content, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, and all the popular podcasting platforms. (RSS) https://3cstvshow.buzzsprout.comAlready subscribed? Please take a moment to rate and review the podcast so that we can reach as many people that need the help as we can: https://3cstvshow.buzzsprout.com DISCLAIMER: THE CONSULTATIONS OR INTERACTIONS OFFERED ARE NOT MENTAL HEALTH THERAPY. THE CONSULTATION IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT STRUCTURED IN A WAY TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING/PSYCHOTHERAPY/THERAPY/ DIAGNOSING OF ANY KIND. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT CALM COOL AND CONNECTED IS NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION AS YOUR TREATING MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR, PHYSICIAN, ATTORNEY, LEGAL COUNSEL, EMPLOYER, MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. We offer no guarantees or promise of results from event nor assume liability for any information provided.
Today Mary is talking to Joe Slattery. Joe is an Experienced Addiction counsellor and coordinator of the NorthStar Family Support Project, a community based project in Limerick , Joe is a specialist in-dealing with issues of substance abuse with adolescents and their families. Joe is the Irish network coordinator and advanced certified in the EAGALA model of Equine Assisted Counselling and CEO of JS Equine Assisted Therapies. Joe is a public speaker/educator in the area of drug abuse and disadvantage and the important role horses can play in supporting people to heal from emotional and physical distress. He is TEDx talk is well worth a watch- Joe shares his own experience of growing up in a socially deprived area of Ireland and how horses helped him cope in that environment.Contact Joe at https://jsequinetherapies.ie/Watch Joe's Tedx talk herehttps://www.ted.com/talks/joe_slattery_how_horses_can_help_us_to_find_the_answers_from_withinWatch Joe on the Tommy Tiernan Show on the RTE playerCheck out the Eagle method on You Tubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/EAGALAVideosRecommended bookTransforming Therapy Through Horses (Eagala method)By:Lynn Thomas, Mark Little and Brenda DammannThis episode is sponsored by Martin BunzlCheck out Martin's new book Thinking While Walking - Reflections while walking the Pacific Crest Trail https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-while-Walking-Reflections-Pacific/dp/0578882221
Julie is the founder of Horses & Heroes Inc. and a Certified Equine Specialist through EAGALA and a Designated Military Provider. At a young age Julie rescued a severely traumatized horse. The experience of his rehabilitation together with her compassion for those who serve, sparked the mission to create Horses & Heroes. Horses & Heroes was incorporated on Oct 13, 2014 and is one of more than 600 certified EAGALA programs worldwide. Back in 2019 Horses & Heroes was granted the Military Designation which is an achievement in showing their dedication, education and experience to serve those who serve. Julie graduated with honors with a BA Human Relations Management degree from Mid America Nazarene University, is a former owner of Fitness Together, a personal training franchise, manager of several veterinary hospitals and personal training staff, and spent fourteen years as a military spouse. Mother of four; two of her three daughters also served in the United States Marine Corps, and her youngest son received a full scholarship from the Air Force ROTC to attend KU's Aeronautic Engineering School fall 2021. Certifications: EAGALA Certified Practitioner 2014-Present EAGALA Certified Military Provider 2020- Present Certified Heart Math Coach – 2020 Present Certified QPR Suicide Prevention Trainer – 2019-Present Former ISSA Certified Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Coach and Exercise Therapist www.horsesandheroes.org Facebook @horses&heroes --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Julie is the founder of Horses & Heroes Inc. and a Certified Equine Specialist through EAGALA and a Designated Military Provider. At a young age Julie rescued a severely traumatized horse. The experience of his rehabilitation together with her compassion for those who serve, sparked the mission to create Horses & Heroes. Horses & Heroes was incorporated on Oct 13, 2014 and is one of more than 600 certified EAGALA programs worldwide. Back in 2019 Horses & Heroes was granted the Military Designation which is an achievement in showing their dedication, education and experience to serve those who serve. Julie graduated with honors with a BA Human Relations Management degree from Mid America Nazarene University, is a former owner of Fitness Together, a personal training franchise, manager of several veterinary hospitals and personal training staff, and spent fourteen years as a military spouse. Mother of four; two of her three daughters also served in the United States Marine Corps, and her youngest son received a full scholarship from the Air Force ROTC to attend KU's Aeronautic Engineering School fall 2021. Certifications: EAGALA Certified Practitioner 2014-Present EAGALA Certified Military Provider 2020- Present Certified Heart Math Coach – 2020 Present Certified QPR Suicide Prevention Trainer – 2019-Present Former ISSA Certified Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Coach and Exercise Therapist www.horsesandheroes.org Facebook @horses&heroes --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
This week's episode is a lively discussion about the benefits of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) between Alyssa and Jeanne Mahoney, LPC. Jeanne is the executive director of Equine Assisted Therapy of New Jersey. Tune in to hear Jeanne share how horses have helped her heal from trauma and have even saved her life. Jeanne talks about the ways in which horses bring so much comfort and healing into our lives, especially for those of us who have a history of trauma. Support the Podcast Learn More About Equine Assisted Therapy of NJ Transcript: Alyssa Scolari: [00:00:23] Welcome back everybody to another episode of the Light After Trauma podcast, a podcast by trauma survivors for trauma survivors. I am your host, Alyssa Scolari and we have here with us today. Jeanne Mahoney. This is going to be a good episode. I know I say that all the time, but we have just had some incredible guests on. So, Jeanne has a unique skillset as she has promoted health and healing across the lifespan of all ages and types of people in many different settings. As an RN, educator, and therapist. She is a lifelong horse woman who is living her dream of being able to share with others the healing power of horses and began practicing equine assisted psychotherapy in 2006 using the EAGALA model. Jeanne has been a PATH instructor for over 15 years. She has many fortes and specializes in working with people dealing with addictions, family and couples therapy, grief and loss, veterans, and women's issues. Hi Jeanne. Thank you for being here today. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:01:55] Oh, I'm so excited to be here. Alyssa Scolari: [00:01:57] This is one of my favorite topics because I believe so much in the healing power of horses. So I honestly, I'm honored to have you here today and very thankful for the work that you do. So. You started out as an RN. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:02:20] I did. Alyssa Scolari: [00:02:21] Okay. So can you talk a little bit about the path that led you to equine therapy? Jeanne Mahoney: [00:02:29] Yes, I can. So, where to begin? Alyssa Scolari: [00:02:36] It's a loaded question. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:02:37] It really is. I have a few stories I am going to tell you about that. I did have a lot of trauma in my life. So in childhood, I had a very traumatic childhood. By the time I was eight years old and I started rocking back and forth, like banging back and forth, and banging my feet and crying in my sleep as a young child. And I was always obsessed with horses. My mother and father didn't know what to do with me back then. I am 63 years old. So back then there wasn't many therapists. Kind of weird. So, my mother had a schizophrenia sister who was in and out of Ancora (state hospital) . So she was terrified something was wrong with me. Here I am rocking back and forth back on my feet, crying, all that. So she convinced my dad to get me a horse. When she got me the horse, the rocking stopped, the banging the feet kind of persisted, but not as much. And I stopped crying in my sleep. So right then and there, that was proof that the horses were actually helping me. So they grounded me at a very young age. Alyssa Scolari: [00:03:43] That makes me want to just cry because I have a not similar, but somewhat on the same lines. I first discovered horses and I was obsessed with horses when I was maybe around like, six years old, just begged like, can we get a pony? Can we get a pony? Which I think every six-year-old right. What six year old doesn't want a pony. But when I was around like eight or nine years, old. My best friend at the time, her mom rode horses and I started riding with them at the farm that they go to. And then I started taking lessons and then I started to compete. And that was also around the time where I started to develop really bad symptoms, obsessive compulsive disorder. So at that time I was washing my hands all the time. I was rubbing my skin raw and when I started riding horses, all of that stuff went away. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:04:49] Yeah, it's amazing. Alyssa Scolari: [00:04:51] So yeah, I learned that a very, you know, a young age, just like you, the healing power of horses. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:04:57] So I got very excited about that and being the therapist in the making. I didn't know that, but now looking back, I can see it. I invited all of my girlfriends in school who said they liked horses to come help me at this farm. So it was like the comradery, the connection, the healing power of the barn just came alive. It was just awesome. So yeah, I got it early on how you can bring people and horses together and it makes for a very great environment. Alyssa Scolari: [00:05:27] A beautiful, beautiful environment for you. You didn't immediately jump into equine assisted therapy. You became an RN first. Were you a school nurse? Jeanne Mahoney: [00:05:42] Yeah,I was. I did a lot of different types of nursing from the ICU to the ER to school nursing. And then I worked at a detox because of my trauma. By the time I was 24 years old, I had a significant addiction and didn't know what to do. And I had gone down some pretty dark roads and then I was driving down the road one day. Another story here, driving down the road one day on a very busy road. And it was all the farms disappeared around where I lived. I came up from like Cherry Hill/Ashland area. So all the farms started disappearing and I'm driving down this road, thinking about suicide and darting across from me, a horse. Like on this busy street. So I was like, Holy crap. So I pulled over, I got out and I said, he's gonna get hit. He's going to get hit. And I ran down and I followed him and I'm running and I was in shape and I was young girl. So I was running, even though I was pretty damn sick. Cause I think I was just coming off of a run. And we landed up in this clearing and I just commenced to tell this horse, everything in my life, sobbing and weeping, you know, and I was just telling him everything that was going wrong in my life right now. And I said to him, you need to go home and I need to get you home or you're going to die. And I turned around and he followed me. So right then I was just like, Oh my God. And I did. Yeah, it was amazing. And I did get him back to his owner, but the reality is, every time when I'd had these horrible situations, a horse showed up, like how coincidental is that? I don't think so. Alyssa Scolari: [00:07:26] Right. No, not at all. That horse saved your life and that horse saved your life that day. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:07:32] And then I landed up finding the 12 Steps. And so I landed up in recovery at 24 and ever since, so I'm 39 years clean and sober. Alyssa Scolari: [00:07:42] Wow. Good for you. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:07:44] Yeah. And that was like, you know, the horses just really gave me the motivation and the grounding that I needed to survive. And then of course I learned a lot about trauma and a lot about helping people because when I got clean, There was one NA meeting a week in New Jersey That was it. Alyssa Scolari: [00:08:05] In all of New Jersey, right? Jeanne Mahoney: [00:08:07] All of New Jersey, there was no basic texts. There was nothing. So I got to be able to be in the ground on all of that making. So I was involved in all of that, bring it to fruition, the basic text and all the meetings. And so my life took off in a great direction. So, I landed up working as a nurse and doing lots of things. And then I landed up working in a drug and alcohol detox, and I had a traumatic event again, in my thirties. It might've been forties actually. And I landed up back in therapy and the therapist asks that I joined a women's group. So I joined a women's group and at the women's group. I was training at that time, a horse, I had gotten a farm by then and all, and I was training a horse that had a lot of trauma. So I would come into process my training of the horse with these women. And they would be on the edge of their seat waiting for my stories. I was really just being honest and saying, you know, cause I was doing a lot of internal work via the horse at the time she was very traumatized. So they would be like: "Oh my God, that reminds me of my husband." "Oh, that reminds me of my sister." And they were like relating all this. And I was like, really? Wow. Alyssa Scolari: [00:09:21] So, the way the horse was behaving. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:09:23] Yes, yes. Alyssa Scolari: [00:09:25] Wow. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:09:26] So then I was working at the drug and alcohol rehab and I went to the clinical director and I said, I want to bring my horses here. And she said, really, we'd love you to bring your horses here. She said, but you know, maybe you'll want to get a certification or something. I don't know. So I went and got EAGALA certified. Alyssa Scolari: [00:09:41] Seabrook. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:09:41] Yes. Yes. Yeah. Alyssa Scolari: [00:09:43] Wow. That is an incredible story. So it's almost like forces have been there for you in this healing way, your whole life. And then it just led you, right? Every step you took led you right to the place where you are now. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:10:00] Yeah. So we went in and millions of people pass through my arena. It seemed. Probably 20,000. I don't know a lot. At... Alyssa Scolari: [00:10:09] Oh God. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:10:11] ...Seabrook house and it just started growing and just started seeing how the interaction, and this is the first time people have not been next to a horse. If you think about it, like were partners we were partners through war We were partners through discovering new lands I mean it's been us and the horse We may have this unspoken Agreement that we're going to work together So when people would come into the arena who never touched a horse in their lifetime they always displayed to me They absolutely did display to me a generational knowing they've been here before now obviously they haven't but in their DNA and I've had people weeping next to horses I've had heroin addicts hiding in the corner and a horse go over and just stand with them Just to them and the guy or the girl would reach out and then they would open up. They would just open up. It was just amazing. I've really been a privileged person to see many miracles. Alyssa Scolari: [00:11:12] It really is the most miraculous thing. And I love what you say about how it's almost just like wired in our DNA and how horses really have been with mankind womankind forever. It has always been human and horse, so it feels so natural when you're standing next to a horse and people that haven't done it. It may sound silly until you are standing next to that horse face-to-face or when that horse is looking at you, which I learned this about horses recently, right? They can't see you if you're standing directly in front of them. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:11:50] Well, it depends on how close you are to their face. Alyssa Scolari: [00:11:52] If you're very close, right. They can't see you. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:11:55] Well, you'd have to be like right there where they can't see you. They have a blind spot right here, but they can see you. They just have a blind spot right in front. Alyssa Scolari: [00:12:03] They have a blind spot. There's something about their eyes that it's just like, they know. So this past summer, obviously this last year of quarantine has been some of the most depressing times I think most of us have ever experienced and very isolating. My cousin owns a horse, my cousin competes and over the summertime, we went down to the farm and I got a chance to ride her horse. And I ended up, he didn't really throw me off, but it was my fault. I wasn't sitting on him correctly. So he kinda got like irritated with me and like shimmied me off and I like fell off. And it was in that moment that I felt like we've never understood each other more. Like I knew what he said to me, which was: you're not sitting on me right. And he gently shook me off. He didn't throw me off. He was just kind of like, Hey, this doesn't feel right. Like something's not right. So I'm just going to get you off of me. And I felt like we spoke with one another. It was such a surreal experience. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:13:21] Yeah. And so, you know, when I use it in trauma, like years ago, when I started when I was six, there wasn't words for this stuff, there wasn't, there was a basic theory, but it is evolved in the past five to 10 years. It has really evolved like now, like I use polyvagal theory. It's amazing. And I've got a established trauma treatment with the horses. Alyssa Scolari: [00:13:46] When you say you use polyvagal theory with equine assisted therapy, can you talk (more about that) ? Jeanne Mahoney: [00:13:51] Absolutely. So, first of all, the process that you go through, you know, treating someone with the horses is the first thing that we do is we establish emotional safety and physical safety. So the horses are in the arena and they're loose. They're not on anything. I have an indoor arena and an outdoor arena or the pasture and they're loose. So they have choice. And the person has choice too. So we established the choice, the trust, the collaboration, the empowerment with the horse and the human first. And that is nothing on their heads. It's just them interacting with them. We talk about the fight, flight, freeze, play dead symptoms that come up or reactions that come up in horses. And in people too, and we teach them how to co-regulate with the horses. Either they're borrowing from my regulation, the horses regulation, whatever, we are all co-regulating together. So there's a little bit of mindfulness in there and being able to really just come down, just be present to each other after we build that and maybe even widen their window of tolerance, because some people are very afraid when they come, but we use that too. Feel that. Where are you comfortable? Where are you uncomfortable? Can you step into the uncomfortable section for a bit? You can move back to the comfortable section. So we are able to go back and forth in and out of these. And then we do go into the second phase is trauma processing. So we create the traumatic event. If that's where we're going. By using psychodrama techniques basically. Do a little bit of EMDR. A little bit of family systems. Gestalt. All of that is used in the arena with the clients and the horses. From that, the third phase is reintegration and reconnection. Integration really and reconnection. And then we look for the future. What do you want in the future? What do you need to take with you to the future? What new awarenesses did you develop and new tools did you get here at equine assisted therapy that you can use in your everyday life? It is absolute flow. It's not just. It's powerful. The biggest challenge I have is slowing people down because they want to go. And as you know, as a therapist, you've got to slow people down sometimes. Alyssa Scolari: [00:16:22] Yes, because if you go too fast, then you're liable to crash and burn. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:16:27] Absolutely. So I have to slow them down. I have to first resource, as we say, building those resources that I can call upon. If they land up in the transformational process and the trauma process, if they land up in there, I need to be able to ground them. The horses do a lot of it. The horses see it. And the horses will ground them as well. It's amazing to work with them because you'll see a horse go over and absolutely ground somebody when they're going, when they're escalating and they can see when they're incongruent, when their insides don't match their outsides. Because as you know, well, maybe you don't know, I'd like you to know, is that the horses live in a herd. And they have this extra perception of energy so they can feel energy for...probably some of them can feel for a couple of miles out. I know they can. So, I'm five miles out and you know, they can feel it. I know where their edges are and aware they're feeling it. And if I have somebody come in, who disassociates right in front of me and the horses react. They can see this depending on the disassociation and the degree of emotional regulation. You see it. It's amazing. Alyssa Scolari: [00:17:40] It is amazing. They pick up on energy and they pick up on...it's more than just your affect. It's more than just the way you're standing. It's like you said, if your insides don't match your outsides, they 1000%, know. I mean, I've had a horse who, because of how nervous I was just wouldn't let me get on them. He was just like, no, you're not ready for this. And he was right. And it took hours of us just walking together. We just walked. Left, right, forward. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:18:11] Yeah, which really, if you think about it, he was actually stimulating both sides of your brain. You could say that's a little EMDR-ish. Alyssa Scolari: [00:18:18] He was, he was, and I sat in my car after, and I just cried because I had never felt so understood and almost protected by this animal who was just like, You're not ready to do this. You are not ready to get on this horse. You're not ready to get on me. We're not there yet. So let's slow down. So when you'd say,the horses will tell you and the horses do communicate, I a thousand percent believe that. I witnessed it. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:18:46] Yeah, it's very powerful. The way the polyvagal theory, there's lots of other things, but the way that works, is that social engagement piece, that often gets messed up. That can actually, you can build upon that with the horses and people will let horses in a little quicker than they will other people sometimes. And so sometimes that can be a really nice bridge, really nice bridge. And then the fight or flight sometimes when they see that horse react in fight or flight, oh, that can bring so much to them, to somebody who is traumatized, they can identify. They're like so identified and you know, there's some certain times in trauma when you can't fight or flight, you're trapped and there's no way out. And so then you go and you shut down and you go into the freezer, the play dead and horses will do that in front of you too. So it's just like this big giant mirror for trauma survivors. It's just amazing. It's really interesting because a lot of people into horses I've had trauma. They gravitate towards the horses. Alyssa Scolari: [00:19:54] Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. That makes a lot of sense. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:19:59] And then when you think about, I've been influenced by Bessel van der Kolk with The Body Keeps Score and lately just some beautiful things coming out in the world and getting somebody back into their body. So like in trauma,you're out of your body, you like it out there. You really don't want to come back in. Alyssa Scolari: [00:20:17] Right? You want to leave your body? Yeah. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:20:21] I'll have clients come in and they're really interested in all kinds of ethereal kind of things like crystals. And I love all that stuff. Don't get me wrong. But the reality of it is let's come back in for a little bit let's... Alyssa Scolari: [00:20:33] RIght. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:20:33] ...and the horses will bring them back in, in a way that they're willing to go to. A lot of people will do things for the sake of the horse rather than do it for the sake of themselves. And then they'll feel their bodies and they'll feel how it is and you can go back out of it anytime they want. Alyssa Scolari: [00:20:53] Right. Right. So basically what you're saying is first they do it for the horse, but then it becomes more about being in their bodies. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:21:03] And if it feels good if we can create a scenario where it actually feels good, they'll go there again. the horse. That's the hope. Alyssa Scolari: [00:21:15] Now for what therapy looks like in a session, are you in the arena the whole time? In and out of the arena? Like what does that look like? Jeanne Mahoney: [00:21:25] I really, wow. I follow my client and so I really let it unfold. I'm comfortable enough with the work to allow that to happen. So I might have the horses already in the arena loose. We might go out and pick a couple of horses. Depending on the weather and the day. Sometimes I'll do a check in, I have an office in the barn, so if there's a need that we need to be in there, we'll be in there. And I do use the EMDR. I have a light in the barn and I do lots of different things, but we'll start wherever the client is. Sometimes I'll take a walk with a client on the edges of the farm. Sometimes they need a walk. And then we'll go do a horse activity. So it just depends on where they're coming from and what's going on and what is the focus of treatment today. So I have to make those quick decisions in the moment. There's times when I, after I've built tons of relationship and lots of deposits in the bank account, I will make a withdrawal and I will gently encourage, sometimes the horses will do it for me. Cause they see it. So it's a very intuitive kind of thing. Alyssa Scolari: [00:22:41] Yeah, very individualized. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:22:44] Although I do groups and we certainly do do groups and I love doing groups, but Alyssa Scolari: [00:22:50] You don't love doing groups or you do. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:22:52] I do. I love doing groups. Absolutely love it. Cause there's,horses, like I said, you can go too fast. So if your ego is not ready, it can reveal too much. So if there's another person there, they can hide behind that person. And it's a little safer. So you get a rest, if you will, so you can figure it out. Alyssa Scolari: [00:23:16] It feels safer. Yeah. It feels safer in a group. Now, when it comes to helping with trauma, horses definitely helped with the co-regulation piece. What other ways do you see horses helping with trauma? Jeanne Mahoney: [00:23:36] I'll give you a story or example, if you will. (I'll) protect the names. So I had this person who came in and a lot of trauma as a child. So mom and dad: drug addicts, alcoholics. So beautiful young woman now in her mid thirties, forties raising a family of her own, but still carrying this heavy trauma. So there was one trauma incident that she set up. So we have things in the arena, poles and cones and barrels. And there was a car incident where she was in the car and she was left in the car in the pouring rain. While dad went into cop. So there was this abandonment feeling. We recreated that abandonment feeling right in the arena. She was in that moment. She was in that moment. She described to me what this was, what that was, this is the steering wheel. He went in, you know, like she was able to describe everything. And then we named the horses. It was three horses with something that she needed. Something that she needed to get through this that she didn't have. And so she was able to name them three things that she needed, and she was able to bring the horses through. Now that was so powerful for her because she was able to resolve some things she got in her body. She was able to resolve some things that actually lifted that from her. You know, and then she still remembers it, but it doesn't sting as much. It's very similar to doing EMDR, but we actually cleared out a lot of that trauma track from doing these activities. And she did some other things like some writing and some things like that. But the reality of it is it's very, that's why I say it's psychodrama in many ways. It's in the, doing in the action where you're there and I'm saying, what do you need? What do you need? Let me give it to you. Alyssa Scolari: [00:25:28] She's able to like recreate the scenario, but this time she's able to give herself exactly what she needs. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:25:39] And the big girl can help the little girl, Alyssa Scolari: [00:25:42] She can help her inner child. Yeah. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:25:45] And things like that. Like that's one way, I mean, there is so many different scenarios, but just to give you a little visual of what it could be like, and that's in the processing part. Alyssa Scolari: [00:25:56] Right. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:25:56] It's just like EMDR. It has problems. So that's the processing part. It's not all of it. Yeah. That's just part of it. Alyssa Scolari: [00:26:04] Right. It's so layered and it's so much more than what people think it is, which is why I'm also really happy to have you on to be able to explain, well, what is this. No, it's not just, you look at a horse and you give it a pat and say, great, I'm healed now. It's so much different than that. It's so much more complex than that. Another way that stands out to me, that horses help heal trauma is by making us feel seen. I really feel that when I'm around horses, they see me. And I think so many of us who have survived trauma just have felt unseen throughout our lives. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:26:48] Absolutely. Or and sometimes want to be unseen. Yeah. Alyssa Scolari: [00:26:53] Can't hide from a horse, Jeanne Mahoney: [00:26:55] No, they come and find you. They do. Sometimes they do. I had this one horse, honest to God, I'm not kidding: Grief. I call her my grief horse and I will be working a group of people and someone will have just experienced a loss and this horse will go in and check in with them. Like she'll pick them out of the group and then go away and then go on and check in and I'll go over to the person. I'll say, "Hey, how are you doing like lost anybody or anything lately?" "Oh yeah. My wife just died a month ago" and I'd be like, huh? I mean, she, Alyssa Scolari: [00:27:28] You're like, yep. That makes sense. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:27:30] Yeah. Yeah. Cause she's trying to get them congruent. She's trying to, you know, she's trying, cause they look at everything as a herd and they're trying to make their herd okay. So it's remarkable. Alyssa Scolari: [00:27:41] It's so remarkable. Oh my goodness. Now, are you the, I see you're the executive director of it's called Equine Assisted Therapy of New Jersey (https://www.equineassistedtherapyofnj.org/) . Jeanne Mahoney: [00:27:53] Correct. Yeah. Alyssa Scolari: [00:27:55] You founded the entire, okay. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:27:59] Yeah, we've gone down many, many roads with it, but yeah. Yeah, I did. I did (found) it. And I also, I had an LLC for a little bit with another lady and actually she took that on and went on her way with it as well. So yeah, it's been a lifelong journey. I have a farm where the nonprofit is on with the indoor arena and I live on it and it is in Salem County. So it's in a Mannington actually. It's right outside of Woodstown New Jersey. So it's Mannington New Jersey. It's like 12 minutes from the Delaware Memorial bridge to give you an idea about where we're at. Alyssa Scolari: [00:28:35] Okay. Now I'm curious, how did COVID affect this? Jeanne Mahoney: [00:28:41] I got busier. Like I down when COVID came, I shut everything down. It was a time for me to really revamp everything. So we had some things going on here, like Therapeutic Riding, things like that. And I actually did away with that. That wasn't my heart anyway. It wasn't working out very well. There's a lot of people that do therapeutic riding around and we do not do that. Alyssa Scolari: [00:29:06] Yes, there's a difference between Therapeutic Riding and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:29:12] We turned our barn into a professional kind of barn. I do have an occupational therapist and she also does some things. And I also have a veteran mentorship program with a vet that works here. Alyssa Scolari: [00:29:24] Wow. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:29:26] So we've kind of just redid some things. We kept the social distancing, the masks, the temperature checks and all of that. While we did things, it was a little bit easier because you're outside. So you can keep that six foot distance and things like that. But there were times when we shut down entirely. Yeah, so we just kind of rode the wave. And I was doing tele-health for a while, just as an LPC, you know, just as a Licensed Professional Counselor, but always thinking we'll open up soon. And so we've been very busy lately. I'm struggling, keeping up, but in a fun way now, because the weather's getting nicer and the colder weather you do it, but it's not as fun. Alyssa Scolari: [00:30:04] It's not as fun. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:30:08] Doing some workshops Saturdays once a month and, and seeing clients during the week. And yeah, it's been going well and going to build a little bit more up to, you know, I'm getting invigorated by the nice weather. Alyssa Scolari: [00:30:23] Yes. Everything that you're saying just sounds so. The whole conversation just feels so invigorating: your passion for it and your love for it is very, very palpable. And it's exciting. And it's exciting that you just keep building and you're just creating this very, very like healing environment for clients. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:30:45] I really just got to do that. I retired from the VA in 2019. So I've been, that's when my building really started. I mean, I've been doing it all along. I've always had like three jobs, four jobs, but now I have this job, so it's really doing so much better than it used to because I'm able to just do this so I can give it my energy and my passion, but it has been a lifelong project. Alyssa Scolari: [00:31:12] A lifelong project. Yes. Well, you are doing incredible things and if people want to find you, they can go right to your website, which is https://www.equineassistedtherapyofnj.org/. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:31:27] Yup. Alyssa Scolari: [00:31:30] Okay. And I will definitely link that in the show notes for people. Thank you so much for your time today. I really appreciate it. Jeanne Mahoney: [00:31:39] Thank you. Very excited. Thanks. Alyssa Scolari: [00:49:01] Thanks for listening everyone. For more information, please head over to lightaftertrauma.com or you can also follow us on social media. On Instagram. We are at @lightaftertrauma and on Twitter. It is @lightafterpod. And if you're on Facebook, please be sure to join our Facebook group. It is a private community where trauma survivors are able to connect and chat with one another. That Facebook group is called light after traumas. So just look us up on Facebook and be sure to join. Lastly, please head over to patreon.com/lightaftertrauma to support our show, we are asking for $5 a month, which is the equivalent to a cup of coffee at Starbucks. So please head on over again. That's patrion.com/lightaftertrauma. Thank you. And we appreciate your support. (music)
Why Your Authenticity Is Needed In The World Now More Than Ever Interview with Sandra Dee Robinson True authenticity as a leader takes courage, but only initially. Once achieved the results show an exponential increase. Decision-making is more clear. For those who feel a higher calling ( not only clergy) remembering the authentic self provides an ROI that sometimes cannot even be measured. Peace of mind and a stronger sense of self in your Design can magnetize others to you and your purpose. There are three things that create the environment for this to happen: Your CORE, your actions, and your language. Let's take a look at what the alignment of these can create in the world that you experience. Sandra Dee Robinson's mission is to help move people from where they are, to where they are Designed to be. She is a known television actress (former soap opera star), author, international speaker, TV and radio host, and a trusted advisor to gifted leaders and influencers who feel pulled to create an impact in the world. Sandra Dee founded Charisma on Camera Performance Coaching in 2010 and Horsepowered Consulting featuring her exclusive equine-assisted coaching retreats, in 2018. She is master certified in NLP, Hypnosis, Speaker Stage mastery as well as trained in Natural Lifemanship, EAGALA, and is a Certified Success and Soul Business Coach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I spoke with Angela Geddes on Oct 2, 2020 about her life with horses and how she uses intuition in her work as a coach co facilitating with her horses on her land to bring about authentic change in her clients. Angela also speaks about her corporate life before starting her own business and how her health and her daughters lead her to finally listen to her own intuition and take the leap to start her own business. BioAngela Geddes, the sole proprietor of Soul on Fire Coaching and Equine Guided Wellness Center provides a unique experience in her “Coaching from the Barn” model where clients are supported in their own soul connection while being coached in partnership with her herd of horses. Clients are invited to connect in mind, body and spirit through the wisdom of horses and nature. Soul on Fire was established in July 2015 following a variety of life transitions experienced by Angela – a resignation from a long-term corporate career, the sudden loss of her father and niece and a desire to be more present in all areas of life placing physical and emotional health as a top priority while recovering from a burnout. It was born out of a desire to thrive and truly live with a Soul on Fire in order to demonstrate the life that is possible for her two daughters and to be a parent that was present “when her children got off the bus” for the first time ever. Soul on Fire allowed Angela to put her passion for people and lifelong love for horses into an offering like no other where clients experience exceptional transformation.While Soul on Fire Coaching and Equine Guided Wellness Center has evolved over the last five years, the vision remains the same – soul connection and helping clients discover what sets their soul on fire and unfold what is required to transition forward. The services offered by Soul on Fire includes life and/or leadership coaching, reflexology, Indian head massage, guided meditations in nature and/or with the horses, guided nature walks, and business consulting primarily in the field of strategic Human Resources.Angela’s credentials include being a horse owner of 25 years +, a 30 year corporate career with experience in Finance and Human Resources, a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Human Resources achieved through the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh Scotland, Certified Co-Active Coach studied through Coach Training Institute (CTI) and a number of equine facilitated learning approaches including the Horse Medicine Leadership Academy (equine guided coach facilitation), Natural Lifemanship (a trauma informed equine program) and EAGALA (mental health and equine specialist approach). When Angela is not supporting her clients to ignite that fire within, you will find her somewhere on the farm with her husband and daughters and cows, the horses or her dogs and you may just find her slugging a log over her shoulder clearing land to make room for more horse and client experiences. There is never a dull moment with a Soul on Fire!You can find Angela at www.angelageddes.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/soulonfirepc.
Anyone who has struggled with addiction of any kind, specifically sexual addiction, knows what shame feels like. On this episode of The Faithful & True Podcast, Dr. Greg Miller and Randy Evert are joined by Dr. Rick Underwood to unpack how Faithful & True's Men of Valor Workshops reduces shames in the lives of those who participate. Rev. Rick Underwood, Ph.D., NCC, LPC/MHSP is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Mental Health Service Provider, Director of the Center for Pastoral Health at Trevecca Nazarene University, and Director of Journey Counseling Center at Trevecca Community Church. Rick and his wife, Donna are EAGALA certified in Equine Therapy. Rick is an ordained minister in the Church of the Nazarene. Rick has private practices in Brentwood and Nolensville, TN. He serves families and individuals, specializing in clergy families, adolescents, men’s issues, and compulsive sexual behaviors. Rick and Donna live in Nolensville, TN and have three adult children, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law and six grandchildren. Rick enjoys spending time with his family and working with his horses.
Interview with Michailia Massong at Hearts of Freedom Horsemanship. Michailia is an EAGALA Equine Specialist, Equine Assisted Therapies Director, Riding Instructor and Horse Trainer. She was Rodeo Queen of Alaska in 2017. Join us for a discussion on equine therapy and how concepts of trauma and empathy are reflected in horse training and riding instruction. Chapters:IntroductionEAGALANo Force Horse TrainingReading Your StudentTeaching EmpathyGoals for the FutureTrauma-Informed HorsemanshipHow to Identify a Shut-Down HorseHow to Let Your Horse Say NoConclusion
Sandra Dee Robinson is a known television actress (Soap opera star), author, international speaker, TV and radio host. Sandra Dee founded Charisma on Camera Performance Coaching in 2010 and her equine-assisted coaching program, Charismatic Cowgirl in 2017. She is master certified in NLP, Hypnosis, Stage mastery as well as trained in Natural Lifemanship, EAGALA and is a Certified Success and Soul Business Coach. Her mission is to help move people from where they are, to where they are Designed to be. Visit her website Sandra Dee Robinson
Sandra Dee Robinson is a known television actress (Soap opera star), author, international speaker, TV and radio host Sandra Dee founded Charisma on Camera Performance Coaching in 2010 and her equine-assisted coaching program, Charismatic Cowgirl in 2018. She is master certified in NLP, Hypnosis, Stage mastery as well as trained in Natural Lifemanship, EAGALA and is a Certified Success and Soul Business Coach. Her mission is to help move people from where they are, to where they are Designed to be. To find out more about Sandra please visit her website here: sandradeerobinson.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Josh welcomes Nina Wallace to the Theater! • Nina is a counselor in the Nashville area. She’s EMDR certified, solution-focused, and specializes in cognitive behavioral, Rogerian and trauma-focused therapy treatments. She has a background in suicide prevention and crisis care and an extensive background with horses. She’s an EAGALA certified equine assisted therapist. If you’d like to see Nina as a client, you can check out her website at www.hillviewfarmsouth.com. Also, check out her social media on all major platforms at @hillviewfarmsouth. • Time Codes! Get to know Nina - 02:28 Movie Talk - 15:07 What have you learned from your clients? - 01:08:39 What’s something you do to take care of yourself? - 01:14:55 The Wrap Up - 01:19:51 • If you live in Tennessee and are interested in seeing Josh as a client, you can find him at www.mountsperocounseling.com. • Find Therapist Theater at: email: therapisttheater@gmail.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/therapistTHTR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapisttheater Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TherapyTheater Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkh8_YV0CHyhbkYDfCzOMiA • If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping people who are searching for mental health tools to find the show. • • • • • • • • • Music from https://filmmusic.io “Screensaver” by Kevin Macleod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) • Music from https://filmmusic.io “Scheming Weasel (faster version)” by Kevin Macleod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Horses. Kristin talks about them a lot. We needed a refresher, however, on the details of how horses actually help human beings with their mental health, especially trauma. Andy Kaufmann joins in the discussion to also pinpoint how non-riding therapeutic work with horses can help everyone. He is one of the founders of Checkpoint One which is non-profit that helps veterans and other first responders with trauma, PTSD, mental illness, and mental wellbeing. www.checkpointone.orgwww.stepstoneconnect.com
This show is for our heroes and their families who are on the front lines: Our First Responders. The services that our armed forces and first responders provide to all Americans are too numerous to mention. The sacrifices their families make are equally as important. The honor of being able to provide these services and activities is the least we can do for all of them. Join veteran Andy Kaufmann and horse whisperer Kristin Anna of Checkpoint One as they discuss what their organization does and working with these incredible animals helps first responders with their mental well being!www.checkpointone.org
The horsemanship world is an interesting place. People who believe that force, anger, these are just dumb animals, etc. will argue forever and write off anyone that practices compassion, empathy, partnership, leadership. This will go on as it has until the end of time. When you bring horses into a therapeutic environment all of the "take control over your horse" practices go right out the window. That will never work when it comes to utilizing horses with people that struggle with their mental health. Guess who struggles with their mental health at some point in their lives? EVERYONE. You'd think and, maybe, hope that all of the strides we see from working in partnership with these amazing animals would trickle into the world of horses outside the counseling realm. Tune to to this show, hold back that need to write off what our guest does successfully without anger, without treats, and without those tired old fashioned ways of managing horses. Listen. Be open. Have an experience of letting a horse choose. It just might empower you to choose what you truly want in your own life! Mia Lykke Nielsen starts where others quit. She never gives up. She calls a horse a horse and a spade a spade. She reads horses just like people become absorbed by the twists and turns in their books. She’s walked with them for years – through scorched wilderness and slippery mountain slopes. She sleeps in the barn with them when they are sick. Offers the kinship of a herd when they are lonely. Takes care of their hooves when the blacksmith gives up. Makes a horse feel so safe that it will stand still while the dentist removes a broken tooth.With 300 wild Californian horses as her instructors, Mia has developed a unique knowledge of horses and horse behaviour. In just one month, Mia tamed and trained five wild mustangs to become calm and trusting domestic horses.Added to this are Mia’s many years of work and experience in classic dressage and academic training in equine anatomy and biomechanics.Horse owners from all over the Nordic countries send their horses to Mia. Young horses, show jumping horses, dressage horses, riding horses, wild horses, dangerous horses, misunderstood horses, problem horses and abandoned horses. They all end up in Mia’s care.www.whenhorseschoose.com
Finally we have the right host at the right time for our network podcast The Animal Effect. Join Kristin and Prairie Conlon as they discuss animals and mental health. Get to know the host of your new favorite podcast!Prairie is a licensed mental health therapist who utilizes animal assisted interventions in all walks of her mental health practice. She has a master’s degree in professional counseling and a postgraduate degree in military behavioral health counseling. She is certified as an equine assisted psychotherapist and has presented at national conferences on her techniques for providing equine therapy for military members and their families, with special emphasis on transitioning from the military back to civilian life. Prairie is a certified Accelerated Resolution Therapist and helps train future trauma therapist in this modality. She consults for several non-profits for veteran and first responder trauma work to include the Lone Survivor Foundation and Horses that Heal. Prairie is a passionate supporter of emotional support animals as a means of finding hope and healing. She is the Clinical Director of Therapetic and consults for CertaPet, one of the largest emotional support animal companies in the nation. Prairie was recently featured on Military Makeover and in The Guardian documentary Creature Comforts for her work as the founder and developer of Emotional Support Animal Assisted Therapy (ESAAT) to further enhance the effectiveness of emotional support animals, and has developed techniques to decrease anxiety and panic attacks, depressive symptoms, and sleep difficulty.www.theanimaleffect.com
Join guest Prairie Conlon and host Kristin Walker as they discuss how horses and dogs are used as adjunctive therapy for kids on the autism spectrum. About Prairie Conlon: My ApproachI believe that you are ultimately the expert on you. Let me act as a motivational guide through your struggles and together we can reach your goals. I believe in holistic treatment plans that involve working in several areas of your life to approach the issue comprehensively and thoroughly. I have both professional and personal experience in working with military service members and their families. I have extensive knowledge in animal-assisted therapy and believe strongly in emotional support animals as well as other forms of alternative treatments to include yoga, meditation, essential oils and homeopathic medicine, exercise, and mindfulness training. The best part, we provide all services online so no driving to sessions or taking time away from work of family! We can do this when you want and where you want!My StoryI’m a mother, a wife, and a working professional. I know first hand what struggling to be a success in all those areas looks like. I’ve discovered that the only thing that is constant is change and we must continue with the times in order to find our way. Let me walk beside you in your journey. I am a clinically trained therapist offering distance counseling in the states of North Carolina, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. Together we can work to address and resolve problems that impair ability to function well, such as anxiety and depression, as well as helping people achieve their goals by creating motivation for change and developing and implementing a plan. www.theanimaleffect.com
Join avid horseman and our cohost of Mental Health Business, David Ballenberger, with Kristin Walker as they discuss the role of horses in a mental health counseling practice. David Ballenberger is the CEO of an electronic healthcare records company for behavioral health, NextStep Solutions. He is also a masters level social worker that has been working in the mental health profession for over 30 years. www.nextstepsolutionsinc.com
Elise Gaston Chand welcomes Kristen DeMarco, an equine specialist and mental health advocate to Because of Horses podcast. Kristen is the executive director of Gateway HorseWorks and has combined a lifetime of equestrian experience with her background in psychology to help humans partner with horses in new and innovative ways. She is passionate about helping individuals, teams, families and corporate groups improve their quality of life through guided interactions with horses. Kristen studied communication arts and psychology at Villanova University in Philadelphia before working in the fashion industry. In 2011, she became a certified equine specialist through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA). Kristen combined her expertise in corporate communication, psychology and equine behavior to create team experiences involving horses to promote positive change within organizations. In 2012, Kristen founded WorkHorse, a company which supports the organizational needs of corporate teams, school districts and other groups, to offer this programming to a wider audience. In the summer of 2015, she founded Gateway HorseWorks, a Philadelphia based non-profit dedicated to offering equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) to children, adults and families. Their mission is to offer transformative EAP services to assist in the recovery from mental illness, trauma and grief. The organization seeks to be a leader in the field of education and EAP services and is committed to the wellness of the mind, body and spirit of its clients as well as environmental sustainability. Gateway HorseWorks values the promotion of self-discovery, growth and learning by establishing an environment based on integrity, trust, teamwork and communication. Under Kristen’s direction, the organization strives to be a leader in the field of EAP and is partnering with West Chester University to conduct cutting-edge research related to its use. Topics of Discussion: [:25] About today’s episode. [1:05] Kristen explains how, in her work, horses become metaphors for exploring relationships and what you face outside of the arena. [2:40] How Kristen found inspiration in a small pony she was rehabbing after her marriage ended in divorce. [6:16] Kristen speaks about her other organization, WorkHorse, and explains how horses factor into helping corporate teams build their interpersonal, leadership, and disruptive innovation skillsets. [8:16] Is it a benefit or a detriment for team members who are already familiar with horses to participate in the team-building exercises that WorkHorse provides? [11:53] Kristen highlights some of the outcomes she has observed in her Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) approach through her nonprofit, Gateway Horseworks. [16:26] The differences between traditional therapy and EAP. [22:02] Kristen speaks about their community program, Stable Pathways, a trauma-informed equine-assisted psychotherapy pilot program specifically designed for women in the Chester County Women’s Reentry Assessment & Programming Initiative (WRAP) to address anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. [32:55] What kinds of horses does Kristen have in her programs? What are their personalities like? [38:52] The diverse range of jobs horses can fill, far beyond riding. [42:18] The science of being around horses and how it has a profound impact on humans! [44:51] About Kristen’s passion for educating the mental health community about EAP with a particular focus on underserved populations, and the kinds of responses she garners with her work. [47:20] About next week’s episode of Because of Horses. [49:14] Kristen’s thoughts on keeping the conversation going about EAP and mental health. [52:57] Where to learn more and follow Kristen online. Know Someone Inspirational, Whose Life Has Been Forever Changed Because of Horses? Because of Horses would love to get to share their story! To recommend someone please send an email to elise@becauseofhorses.com. Mentioned in this Episode: Gateway HorseWorks EAGALA WorkHorse Stable Pathways (Community Program on Gateway HorseWorks) EquestFile (Use coupon code: BOH10 to receive a 10% discount for two months off your subscription) GGTFooting.com/BOHP Next week’s episode of Because of Horses Gateway HorseWorks’ Instagram Gateway HorseWorks’ Facebook Gateway HorseWorks’ Twitter Like what you hear? Because of Horses would love to hear your feedback! Please email elise@becauseofhorses.com to send Because of Horses your thoughts. To Support the Podcast: Donate on Paypal to help keep Because of Horses running — all amounts are welcome! Subscribe: RSS Feed, iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn, Stitcher, and Player FM
From trauma survivors, to those with psychiatric diagnoses, to individuals seeking personal growth and development, many people find powerful healing and renewed hope through equine assisted therapy. But how, exactly, does interacting with horses impact our psychological state? Psychotherapist Kate Lambie and equine specialist Janada Halbison-Gibbs join me to address this question and discuss the profound emotional growth and healing EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) therapy affords. Learn how horse therapy creates space for introspection—often helping clients process and resolve deeply repressed issues—while providing clarity in the present and inspiration for the future!
Equine therapy is a treatment modality that can be used for a wide array of client populations and issues in counseling. Equines are horses, and if I didn't do an episode about equines, I wouldn't be able to call myself a true Texan! I am so excited to release this interview because I learned so much about the healing power of horses in counseling/therapy. My guest, Janet Nicholas, gives us details on how to become an equine therapist (not to be confused with hippotherapy) and why horses are so healing in this capacity. I hope you enjoy this content as much as I do! Must have info about my guest: Janet Nicholas is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor from South Texas. She has been working in the mental health field for 20 years. Her personal and professional experiences have led her to engage in her current passion of equine therapy. She has her own practice where she sees clients in a traditional office, but also does some of her favorite work out in her "grassy office" with her equine therapy associates (her horses). She went to the University of Houston, St.Edward's University, and then received her Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from Sam Houston State University. Visit her websites: www.trails-less-traveled.com or www.janetnicholas.com Mentioned in the episode: Equine therapy information... EAGALA: https://www.eagala.org/ E3A: https://www.facebook.com/E3Assoc PATH: https://www.pathintl.org/ "Adventures in Awareness; Learning With the Help of Horses" by Barbara Rector ----more---- Any questions? You can send them to hello@throughtheeyesofatherapist.org! REMEMBER TO FOLLOW TTEOAT PODCAST ON INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, AND FACEBOOK. *Recommendations, discussion, and disclosures are for informational/entertainment purposes only. You should never substitute consultations/information from your own mental health/medical professionals with information from this podcast.*
The Equine Assisted Growth And Learning Association (EAGALA) incorporates horses to address mental health and personal development needs. “Non-verbal is 90% of all communication, and that’s what the horses respond to.” The horse may become an aspect of a person’s personality, reflected back to them. Lynn/EAGALA provide a space for that person to interact with the horse and in turn the lessons learned from the experience translate into better relationships with others and more enjoyment in life within themselves.
Lynn Thomas, LCSW is Eagala’s founder and CEO. Under her leadership, Eagala advanced the first professionalized standards for equine-assisted psychotherapy, developing Eagala’s certification program into the industry’s global standard. Her efforts developing the Eagala Model, while spearheading operations both domestically and abroad, have augmented Eagala’s global presence. Lynn Thomas received her Master’s of Social Work from the University of Utah and has over 16 years’ experience working with adolescents, families, individuals, and groups in various settings including youth corrections, wilderness and ranch programs, private practice, and mental health agencies. Lynn served as Executive Director for the Aspen Achievement Academy, a wilderness therapy program.
How Children Are Like Horses (And Why You Should Care) If you have been listening to Therapy Chat podcast lately, you know that I have been talking about using equine assisted psychotherapy and education methods to get in touch with our emotional experiences. In Episode 55 I described my own experience of making a deep soul connection in a barn when I spent a Saturday morning at an equine learning workshop with four other women and two horses. That changed me and I am still feeling it, weeks later. I can’t wait to do more – and I will in a couple weeks when I trek to the Hudson Valley for a beautiful Equine Retreat for Therapists and Healers offered by my friends and colleagues Rebecca Wong and Marisa Goudy. Then in Episode 56 I interviewed Charlotte Hiler Easley, an LCSW and Equine Specialist in Lexington, Kentucky who developed a model called Equine Assisted Survivors of Trauma Therapy that is being used with survivors of sexual assault to experientially teach safety in our bodies, to see what it feels like to set and hold boundaries, and to take care of ourselves in relationship – as well as allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and risk trusting another who may hurt us. This experiential work with survivors of trauma sounds very powerful to me, as someone who has worked for years with trauma survivors; and as someone who has recently had a life-changing experience with horses. In hearing about Charlotte’s work and after my own experience I realized there are some similarities between children and horses which are very relevant to the therapy work I do with my clients. It might seem like a strange connection, but stay with me. I’m going to tell you about three ways that children are like horses and why you should care. As I explained in episode 55 and the blog post that went with it – this information comes from the EAGALA website - equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning works for these reasons: “Because horses are prey animals, they rely on non-verbal cues to stay alive. Their lives depend on accurately reading these cues.” Horses learn from their interactions with us whether or not we are safe, which lets them know if they are safe. Children do the same thing. They read our body language more than our words. “Like humans, horses are social creatures who live in herds.”We humans are wired for connection, as Brené Brown frequently says. It goes back to attachment. Children need protection and care from the adults they depend on for survival. When a baby is born that child is completely helpless and dependent upon their caregivers for protection. Safety to a newborn baby means being given food, sheltered from the elements and being held and soothed. Physical safety is being protected from harm; emotional safety is “will you be there when I need you? Do you care about what I need?” “Horses know when what we are saying and doing don't match what we are feeling and sensing, even though we might not know. They reflect back to us what we are feeling and sensing, or the incongruence between our feelings, sensations, words and actions, even (especially) when it's outside of our conscious awareness." Children also notice incongruence between our words and our non-verbal cues. Children know when a parent says they are not mad but they really are. They know when a parent is crying, but says nothing is wrong, that it isn’t true. Why do they pay attention to this? It’s part of how they make sure they are safe. If their primary caregiver isn’t okay, then they aren’t okay, because who will take care of them if something happens to the primary caregiver? Okay, so I’ve made my case for children being like horses in three ways, but why should you care? Well, you should care if you are a parent because it’s important to understand what your children need in order to thrive. (Click here to listen to Episode 21 on raising well-adjusted children). And you should care even if you aren’t a parent because you were once a child! Yeah, but that was in the past, right? Not so fast! Attachment affects us throughout the lifespan. It shows up in our peer relationships, intimate partner relationships, in our interactions with our coworkers, supervisors and supervisees and it affects how we feel about ourselves in general. The attachment that develops between a child and their primary caregiver begins immediately at birth. It continues to develop, with the most intense period of attachment development happening between birth and age 3. As I mentioned, children depend upon the attachment with their primary caregivers for survival. However, attachment repair can happen throughout the lifespan, so even if there was a disruption to secure attachment between the child and the primary caregiver, in most cases it is not too late to change this. In the worst cases of child neglect, in which children are deprived of touch and verbal interaction with their primary caregivers, brain development can be severely impacted. Studies have found a connection between severe child neglect and reduced brain size and changes to structures of the brain using brain scans for side-by-side comparison. You can learn more about this at Dr. Bruce Perry’s Child Trauma Academy, which is found at www.childtrauma.org. In Episode 46 of Therapy Chat I talked with Julie Hanks about how assertiveness is influenced by attachment. In future episodes you’re going to hear a lot more about attachment and trauma. Our next episode will kick off the series on attachment and trauma with an interview with Amy Sugeno, LCSW. Amy is in private practice in Texas, where she specializes in helping people who have experienced childhood trauma, including adoption. Later in the series you’ll hear from Stuart Fensterheim, LCSW; Rebecca Wong, LCSW-R; Brittainy Wagner, LPC; Katie K. May, NCC; David Emerson of the Trauma Center at JRI; David Shannahoff-Khalsa of the UCSD Center for Integrative Medicine; Robert Cox, PLPC and many others. I hope you’ll enjoy this series on a subject which I personally find fascinating. The more I learn, the more I realize the way we show up in our lives is all about attachment. I can’t wait to share these episodes with you over the coming months. Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat today! I hope you have heard something useful. I’d love to hear your feedback! What do you like, what do you not like? Is there a topic you would like to hear discussed on Therapy Chat? Get in touch with me! Visit http://therapychatpodcast.com and leave a message for me using the green button you’ll see there. And please visit iTunes to leave a rating and review and subscribe to receive all the latest episodes of Therapy Chat! You can find all episodes on the website, and Therapy Chat is also on iHeartRadio, Google Play, Stitcher and YouTube.
Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In today’s episode, as a follow up to Episode 55 about falling in love in a barn, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Charlotte Hiler Easley, LCSW. Charlotte is a psychotherapist in private practice who specializes in working with survivors of trauma using equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP). Charlotte discusses her work using Equine Assisted Survivors of Trauma Therapy, a method she developed in collaboration with a rape crisis center when she was in grad school. Charlotte talks about how horses are able to read our body language and react to our emotional experience. She explains what equine assisted psychotherapy is – hint: you don’t have to touch a saddle. She describes how survivors of trauma working with horses are able to learn and practice new ways of being in relationship; setting boundaries; making a mind-body connection; feeling what safety feels like – because the work is all experiential. Finally, Charlotte shares about her work helping therapists create practices using equine assisted psychotherapy, and describes an upcoming retreat she is offering for trauma therapists. This episode is a must for therapists and anyone who has experienced trauma. Charlotte shares so much knowledge! Thanks for listening to Therapy Chat. Please get in touch and let host Laura Reagan know what you thought of this episode! Resources mentioned in this episode: EAGALA: http://www.eagala.org/about PATH: http://www.pathintl.org/ Charlotte’s website: https://charlotteeasley.com/ Charlotte’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/charlottehilereasleyLCSW/?fref=ts Central Kentucky Riding for Hope’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CKyRH/ Visit Therapy Chat website at Http://therapychatpodcast.com and send host Laura Reagan a voice message letting her know what you think of Therapy Chat! Did you like this episode? Did you dislike it? Let her know! Thank you for listening!
I found my heart and soul connection in a barn. I had a new experience which was a game-changer for me. I've been saying for at least 10 years that I want to take horseback riding lessons. I talked about it on an episode of Therapy Chat earlier this year, vowing that I would make it happen. I've ridden a horse maybe 5 times in my whole life, all between the ages of 10-13 years old. For a time I was obsessed with them, as many children are. I grew up in the city but close enough to rural areas that there was one horse farm many of us knew to visit. Recently as I've learned more about equine-assisted therapy and the benefits of spending times with horses, I've become determined to increase the amount of time I spend with horses. I'm now 44 years old and my body has changed quite a bit since I was 13. I think it's safe to say that my heart hasn't changed much, if at all, though, as I learned through this experience. Before I tell you what happened, let me give you some information from Equine Assisted Growth And Learning Association, also known as EAGALA. From their website, www.eagala.org: How Does Equine-Assisted Learning and Growth Work? Horses are bigger and stronger than us. They are powerful creatures, and being around them can feel intimidating, which creates an opportunity to get up close and personal with our fears. Like humans, horses are social creatures who live in herds. They have a social hierarchy in terms of how they relate to one another in the herd. Working on how we relate to horses is a way to work on how we relate to other humans and ourselves. Because horses are prey animals, they rely on non-verbal cues to stay alive. Their lives depend on accurately reading these cues. Humans are predators. Yet for some reason horses are willing to interact with us anyway, if we let them know we are safe. Horses know when what we are saying and doing don't match what we are feeling and sensing, even though we might not know. They reflect back to us what we are feeling and sensing, or the incongruence between our feelings, sensations, words and actions, even (especially) when it's outside of our conscious awareness. The Shadow...Again? Horses can bring our Shadow to our awareness. Yes, the Shadow again. As a wise person told me, once the Shadow is out in the light you can't ignore it anymore. I am finding this to be true again and again. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out these episodes of Therapy Chat podcast: Episode 53; Episode 38 with Renee Beck, LMFT; Episode 40 with Lourdes Viado, MFT, PhD; Episode 42 with Keri Nola. So this is what happened. I went to a workshop on learning with horses. I gathered in a barn with a group of two other women, the instructor and the horse trainer. I really didn't know what to expect, because I haven't done anything like this before, although I have heard about it from fellow therapists. The whole experience was on the ground, not on the horses. We were introduced to two horses, a darker colored one and a lighter colored one. I felt super vulnerable and nervous. I wanted to know what to do and not to do, and how, and what was going to happen. I told myself to sit with the discomfort, knowing that this is where growth happens. Part of me wanted to relax, be in the moment, let go and see what happened. Part of me wanted to know, to check whether or not I was doing it right, if I was okay, to understand, to know why. These parts of myself battled for that entire two hour period. When we walked up to each horse I had lots of thoughts. I wondered how to touch the horse, if it was okay to touch him, and whether he would hurt me. I was acutely aware of how large and heavy he was, and that he could kick me, bite me or step on me if he felt like it. Then, I went a little deeper into my emotions. I suspected that he didn't like me. I felt self-conscious about being uncomfortable and worried who could tell. I was pretty sure he could tell, though he didn't say anything. I felt his soft, velvety coat and tangled mane. I noticed that he was beautiful and he looked like he had been through some things. I decided maybe he wasn't judging me as harshly as I was judging myself. This all happened in a span of maybe 2 minutes. Feeling a little softer toward myself, I approached the other horse. One of the other women was standing with the horse, and I felt protective toward her time with him. I held my hand out to him, wondering if he was okay with me petting his nose. He gently nuzzled my hand. I didn't know if this was what they always do, or if he liked my touch. I awkwardly stood there for a few seconds, continuing to let him smell my hand and nuzzle it. Then something surprising happened. He tilted his head toward me and sort of snuggled up to my neck. I don't even know what to call it. Immediately, tears sprang to my eyes. I felt seen and understood, probably better understood by the horse than I was understanding myself, at least in that moment. I had the strange experience of a felt sense - when you just know something that is coming from within. Your inner wisdom, your soul, your wisest self, whatever you want to call it, it tells you something from within yourself. It's more than just a thought. The felt sense told me "he knows I'm sad." One of the reasons it was weird is because I hadn't known I was sad until that moment. I felt apologetic toward the other woman standing there, because the horse was giving me more attention, and because I was fighting back tears, which is pretty uncomfortable any time, but especially in front of a stranger. At the same time, I was incredibly grateful to the horse. As Brené Brown says, "Vulnerability is courage." All of that happened in the first 30 minutes of this experience. After that we alternated between activities with the horses and seated in chairs. But more strange things happened. During the time we were seated in our chairs as a group, the horses were free to roam this indoor space. We were talking and I was continuing my struggle between the parts of myself that wanted to avoid the discomfort of this new experience and the parts that were trying to be open and let it unfold. I'll point out that while this experience was new, that struggle is not. In fact, it is quite familiar, if I'm honest. I practice mindfulness by checking in with myself many times throughout a given day. I notice what I am thinking, what I am feeling, what my body is holding. I frequently ask myself what I need, or what my body wants me to know. There is always an answer, if I listen. What I often notice is this struggle to know, to have the answers. It is something that pops up when I am in situations where I feel unsure. It is an attempt to avoid discomfort. I don't do it consciously, it is a defense that I'm sure developed quite early. I know I was always praised for being smart. This quality is one that I never doubted I had, and I received much attention, love and acceptance around being smart when I was a child. I felt very uncomfortable quite a lot of the time during childhood, so this defense (it's called intellectualization) served me very well back then and it has helped me many times since. But it does get in the way. I'm grateful for my intelligence, yet I need to ask the part of myself that wants to know to step aside quite frequently so I can stay in the moment. It's okay to be curious, as long it doesn't take me away from the current moment. The Most Powerful Moment So now I'll get back to the most powerful part of the experience in the barn. After the horse snuggled up against me, while we were sitting in the chairs as a group, the horses moved around the barn. Slowly they moved toward us. Eventually, both horses came to stand behind me. While we talked, one by one they slowly crept forward until both horses were standing with their heads over me. I wish I had a picture, because to the others in the group I must have looked funny with one horse's head coming over one shoulder and the other horses's head coming over my other shoulder. They kind of crossed their heads in front of me. It was so strange, with a result that I couldn't see the other group participants. The group leader noted that the horses could have stood anywhere they wanted, and for some reason they chose to stand over me that way. They remained that way until we stood to do another activity, and then when we returned to sitting, they did it again, just as gradually as the first time. I can't really say what happened, other than the horses knew I needed something. But that can't be all because I'm sure the other group members were having their own emotional experiences in their seats. Yet the horses gravitated to me. I think the leader was suggesting that they knew I needed either comfort, protection or something. She didn't come right out and say it (I think she wanted me to figure it out myself). All I know is I was in love with these horses. I felt like they got me. I felt like we had a connection. I am laughing as I write these words, but I really mean it, and I still feel that way, even though more than 24 hours have passed. In fact, I've had more experiences of self discovery (what I like to call shifts) since doing that. I am eager to do more work with horses and see what happens. It was truly a magical experience. Why Am I Sharing This? You might be wondering why I'm sharing this. There are a few reasons. First, I want to document this magical experience for myself. Also, I want people to know that spending time with horses can be incredibly powerful, almost unbelievably so. Some things you just have to experience for yourself, and I hope this article will encourage some of you who are reading to try Equine Assisted Learning and Growth. Lastly, I'm sharing this because it's important as a therapist that I live the way I encourage my clients to do. I've been on a journey of personal growth - intentionally only for the past two years, but probably for my whole life. I believe we never stop growing and learning (unless we refuse to try), and that we must continue pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones, because that is where growth happens. I can't take my clients anywhere that I haven't been. The more I allow myself to be vulnerable and expose myself to new experiences allowing me a deeper connection with myself, the more capable I become of walking alongside my clients as they are on that journey. I have seen this to be true, and I know as my connection with myself deepens my skill as a therapist will deepen as well. Next week I'm taking time to venture deeply inward as I spend time with an intuitive coach in California to reflect on the direction of my business in the year ahead and do more Shadow work (gulp!). This will also be a reunion with some beautiful souls who live across the country and I am so honored that I will be spending time with them there. More is ahead, as I head to the beautiful Hudson Valley of New York in November for a retreat with horses and fellow therapists and other healers. I can't freakin' wait. Honestly, I have been bitten by the horse bug now and I can't wait for my next opportunity to spend time among these amazing creatures. And yes, I am still planning to take horseback riding lessons. It will happen! I'm currently exploring various locations to learn with horses in a different way. That will be a new arena (literally!) for me. I know what Brené Brown means when she talks about Daring Greatly. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out her book by that name. So that is the story of how I found my heart and soul connection, with two horses and with myself in a barn. I hope it somehow inspired you to get more connected with yourself. Let me know in the comments! If you're interested in walking together on your journey of personal growth, and you live near Baltimore, Maryland, get in touch with me. You can also follow my musings on social media. You'll find me on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram andFacebook. And don't forget my podcast, Therapy Chat. Wholeheartedly, Laura Reagan, LCSW-C In Mind Body Spirit, Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Holistic Health, Wellness Tags equine assisted therapy, magic,Mindfulness, mind body connection, Mind Body Spirit, parts work, Psychotherapy, counseling, walking my talk, felt sense,inner wisdom, soul connection, self compassion, relationships, trust, connection
Welcome! My guest today is Charlotte Hiler Easely who is a licensed clinical social worker of Charlotte Hiler Easely LLC. She is trained in EMDR, certified in equine assisted psychotherapies through PATH, Int. and EAGALA and located in Lexington, KY. Charlotte offers a variety of workshops for women and one of them she mentions in our conversation is called “Gracefully Letting Go”. This workshop is for Moms who have children that are graduating and preparing to leave the nest. She talks about how mom’s are asked “how do I do this with grace and manage all the emotions?” Working with horses is an experiential approach. I have done this work in the past and I worked with an equine specialist. I found this approach to be helpful and create positive changes for the families I worked with. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did with Charlotte. Her work with mothers and using horses can create deeper connections and improve confidence levels. In this episode you will learn: *Why horses are used and how they can help women/mothers gain better self-awareness, improve communication skills and set healthy boundaries. *Horses are large and powerful. This creates a natural opportunity for some to overcome fear and develop confidence. Working alongside a horse, in spite of those fears, creates confidence and provides wonderful insight when dealing with other intimidating and challenging situations in life. *Horses are social animals, with defined roles within their herds. *Horses are non-judgmental and non-critical. *Charlotte shared that during a session she will check in with the woman on what their horse is doing. She will comment on observing the horse’s behavior, ask the woman to reflect back what she thinks the horse is doing and how it applies to the woman’s life. *Because horses can read and respond to the nonverbal messages we are always sending, they begin to act in ways that feel familiar to other relationships or dynamics in our lives. *The horse’s prey-nature and intense sensitivity to subtle changes in their environment and to changes in humans (we are predatory creatures) make them perfect partners to teach us a wide range of life and coping skills. They are reflectors of our true selves because their very survival depends on reading us right. *They provide us with information about non-verbal communication, emotions, and changes in our awareness. Observing horse reactions to our actions and behavior helps further self-awareness. Charlotte gives examples of how a herd of horses are used during the workshop and applying that to the mother’s family where her teen daughter is leaving. Horses can help parents learn to observe behaviors, explore how that behavior impacts the horse herd and begin to relate it back on how it may affect their other children. “How is that like your teenager who is leaving the herd while the rest of you are staying with the herd?” *This work is done on the ground and there is no riding. You do not need horse experience. Horses can help women be vulnerable in a new way and not be in control at all times. Working with horses can help the women take off their masks and for their hearts to begin to open allowing them to feel what they may have been afraid to feel. *Horses help us practice being in the moment and being present. Becoming more aware of our surroundings, your body, keeping yourself safe and practice new ways of being. It also helps different parts of the brain begin to light up and change due to activation of being mindful. Charlotte shared when we are more mindful of our behaviors this can help create deeper connections in our children. “If we look at how do we approach a horse in his space and then how do we approach our daughters space in a way that we can share with her information that we think is valuable. It is about your body postures not your words.” If you liked this episode I invite you to subscribe on iTunes to receive the weekly updates. This podcast is also available on Stitcher and Google Play. Charlotte’s information: http://lexingtonwomenstherapy.com/ Facebook: charlottehilereasleyLCSW Pintrest: cheeasleylcsw Resources: www.EAGALA.org (Can find local providers on the site) www.pathintl.org Gratitude Journal-write down what you are grateful for and what is working in your life. Book Recommendations: Chris Irwin: Horses Don’t Lie (for those thinking of going into this work or understand horse behavior more) Townsend and Cloud book series on Boundaries Brene Brown: Gift of Imperfection Kirstin Neff: Self-compassion Linda Graham LMFT: Bouncing Back
Christianna Capra (CC) is co-founder & Director of Equine Services with Spring Reins of Life 501c3 (Horses, Humans & Healing). Started in 2012 Spring Reins of Life, almost right away began working with the Men's PTSD Unit at Lyons VA Hospital. In 2015 that expanded to include the Women's and the Domiciliary PTSD Units. CC and Spring Reins of Life have been in four books and numerous print articles. Also featured in the media such as PIX11 News, Verizon Fios, and more. CC has over 40 years of horse experience handling (exercising) riding and competitive showing. Working with horses at liberty is a very freeing experience. Capra spent 25 years in NYC with a background in publicity, she now resides at the farm/facility where the horses live and the work happens. Operation Horse, EAP/L for combat veterans suffering with PTSD/TBI. Veteran suicide is an out of control epidemic today. There are over 5,000 recorded deaths in Iraq & Afghanistan, yet over 128,000 suicides on US soil. At Spring Reins of Life in New Jersey we are working to be part of the solution. NJ had a high population of veterans, also has more horses per square mile than most states. PTS is an internal injury and trauma robs you of present moment, peace, trust, resiliency. At Operation Horse we do not ride, nor do we teach horsemanship - both of which have immense qualities. We are more focused on the interaction with horses who are "at liberty" (loose and able to express themselves freely). It is impossible to not become fully present when there are 1000 lb + creatures moving around you. Especially if you do not have experience being around horses. Horses are prey/flight animals and you will not get close to a loose horse unless they trust you. Veterans with moderate/severe PTS have lost all trust (even with themselves), so establishing trust with a horse can become a very large metaphor. Horses read body language and energy with acute precision and once this is understood - veterans are able to begin exploring their own set of coping skills. We do not "talk about it", words are not necessary. At the end of each session we do ask for ONE word to describe that days events. Over 300 times we have heard words like: Peaceful, Calm, Relaxing, Awesome, Laughter, Thank-you, Inspiring, etc. Spring Reins of Life is an EAGALA Model certified program - EAGALA is the Equine Assisted Growth & Learning Association and is present in all 50 states and over 50 countries worldwide. Spring Reins of Life was founded in 2012, in 2014 we were the first (and currently the only) program in the state of NJ to earn and retain the "Military Services Provider" certificate. Currently we see veterans (OIF, OEF and Vietnam) from Lyons VA Hospital - and we could be doing more. Funding is an issue. With over 23 suicides per day, the VA needs to step up and release some of the millions of dollars set aside for mental health crisis and put it into modalities that are showing results. There is not evidence based research on EAP/L however if the VA put money into it there would be in no time. Because horses heal, and in the case of the veteran population they can and will save lives! Spring Reins of Life also has programming created for veterans families and supports called "Coming HOME", and while we have requests, we have no funding in that area. Must admit it is rather frustrating to be a volunteer run organization so that we can allocate more than 85% of funding dollar towards services...and then there are places such as Wounded Warriors who Exec Director makes $2M a year and maybe 20% of millions of dollars in funding gets to the veterans themselves. But regardless, we keep pushing and fighting for, the avenues to keep this service going and to ultimately expand it. Really does take a village! http://veteranpodcast.com/053
Amanda Pratt, has been involved with horses for most of her life. She started her journey into therapeutic riding and equine assisted learning nearly five years ago by volunteering at a therapeutic riding centre in Orangeville. Once she'd been volunteering for a while, Amanda decided to pursue her Equine Specialist certification through EAGALA allowing her to be a certified team member in Equine Assisted Learning and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy sessions. After volunteering at the centre for three and a half years, she progressed to working at the centre full-time as an assistant instructor and fundraising coordinator. Listen to Amanda as she describes the many benefits of Therapeutic Riding.
On today's show June 10, 2011, we will be speaking with Lynn Thomas, co-founder and Executive Director of EAGALA (equine assisted growth and learning association). Horse therapy, according to a growing number of mental health professionals, can be significantly more productive than talk therapy. Lynn will discuss various problems that equine therapy will address, and why horses are a primary treatment component. Eagala works with victims of trauma, terrorism, and natural disasters. Also with veterans returning with war related trauma and stress. This will be a fascinating show, be sure to tune in. Keri lives surrounded by natural beauty in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and her playful spirit provides a clear channel of communication with the animal world. She is founder of the company Sacred Kinship www. sacredkinship.com and works as an Interspecies Life Awareness Coach, bridging the gap between the animal and human worlds to facilitate deep personal growth. She is trained through the Institute of Integrated Sciences, in the HUNA™ program (Humans Understanding Nature and Animals) which is based on the philosophy that all life is connected and cannot be separated. She has also been mentored by some of the world’s leading figures in animal consciousness and a variety of energy healing modalities such as Body Talk, Colour Therapy, Meridian System, Iridology and more.
Join Co-hosts Gabriella Castillo and Christianna Capra for a discussion on the BLM Wild Horse Roundups and Horse Slaughter Legislation. Our guests this month are Simone Netherlands (www.respect4horses.com) who is a advocate for horses and their well-being. Also joining us is Rob Pliskin, an EAGALA practitioner and a BLM Volunteer "horse gentler" who can clearly see that the BLM is not playing fair when it comes to the massive increase in Wild Horse Roundups this past year. Well over 100,000 of our American Horses (wild and domestic) are currently exported to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered for their meat and sold as a delicacy overseas. In 2010 the European Union (EU) is instating new rules relating to the food safety of horse meat for human consumption. They have established that horse meat contains unhealthy amounts of carcinogenic drugs that horses receive very commonly (such as the painkiller bute). People don’t have horse problems. Oh no. Horses have people problems. And our wild horses have people problems too, with the govt that is supposed to protect them. We can ask important data based questions about this. Like, why did the BLM take away over 19 million acres of wild horse areas and let even more cows and sheep back on some of them, but no horses? Or, why did our BLM management team have to kill 79 wild horses and cause 39 mares to abort their foals in the recent Calico Complex roundup, and pay a contractor over 697 thousand dollars of YOUR money to help them do it? JOIN US, Sunday, May 16th to find out more - and how you can be a voice to stop the insanity!
It's all about the healing power of horses on this week's Stable Scoop. We are joined by Amy Blossom, Director of the Chicago based EAGALA program – Reins of Change and Dr. Jenn of the Happily Ever After Ranch. How can horses help change the lives of those that need it? Listen in and see....Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87421)
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