Writings from a Virginia Therapist who loves horses and helping.
Blog
EMDR Therapy vs. EMDR Intensives: What Is Best for Me?
So you've heard about EMDR. Maybe your therapist mentioned it, maybe you went down a late-night rabbit hole researching trauma treatments, or maybe a friend told you it changed their life. Either way, you're here — curious, maybe a little skeptical, and wondering what...
What a Bad Ride Can Teach You (If You Let It)
If you've been riding for any length of time, you already know this feeling: a great lesson ends and you float out of the barn on a cloud of pure joy. You replay the ride in your head for days. You feel capable, connected, maybe even a little invincible. It's one of...
From the Barn to the Therapy Room: How Horses Found Me First
People ask me all the time: How did you get started with horses? How did you know they could help people heal? And my honest answer is — I didn't choose horses. Horses chose me, quite literally, before I could even walk. Here's the story. I was somewhere around six...
How Horses Sense Anxiety & Can Help Us Overcome It
There's something about standing next to a horse that changes you. Maybe you've felt it—that quiet awareness in their presence, like they're reading something in you that even you haven't fully acknowledged yet. It turns out, they are. Horses have an extraordinary...
How Past Trauma Shapes Attachment (and Why You’re Not “Bad at Relationships”)
Most people don’t show up to therapy saying, “I’d like to discuss my attachment style.” They come in saying things like: “I don’t know why I shut down when people get close.” “I care deeply, but I panic when I feel distance.” “I keep repeating the same patterns, and I...
Why Time With a Horse Can Be Powerful for Mental Health (And How to Make the Most of It)
TL; DR Spending time with horses can significantly benefit mental health by fostering a sense of calm, connection, and safety. Horses, being highly sensitive animals, respond to our emotional states, helping individuals with anxiety, depression, and stress reconnect...