Equine-assisted therapy in Powhatan, VA
Some things are easier to work out with a horse
Therapy on the ground, at the farm, with a licensed counselor and a horse who will tell you the truth.
So you have tried talking
Maybe talk therapy did not get you anywhere. Maybe not doing therapy did not work either. Maybe some days getting up and going to work is the only decision you have room for, and sitting in a chair explaining yourself sounds exhausting.
Here, the change does not come from talking. It comes from doing something alongside another living creature and noticing what happens.
Horses are giant biofeedback machines
Horses are prey animals. Their survival depends on reading what is going on around them, and that includes you. They pick up tension you did not know you were carrying, and they respond to it right away.
A horse's reaction is always honest. It does not care what you do for a living or how well you usually hide things. That makes it very hard to argue with, and surprisingly easy to learn from.
What a session looks like
Everything happens on the ground. There is no riding, and you do not need to know anything about horses.
- Meeting the horses and introducing yourself, however feels right to you.
- Grooming or simply standing with a horse and noticing what comes up.
- Asking a horse to walk with you, step over a pole, or go through a gate.
- Building something in the arena that stands for what is going on in your life, and seeing what the horse makes of it.
You are never asked to reveal more than you want to. The attention is on the horse, which takes a lot of pressure off you.
You build something that feels frightening, and the horse walks straight through it without a second look."Maybe I do not have to be afraid of this either."That is often where things start to move.
Two ways to work with the horses
Equine-assisted psychotherapy
Open-ended and personal. Few instructions, lots of room to explore. For individuals working on anxiety, depression, trauma, or self-worth. It can stand alone or sit alongside regular sessions or an EMDR intensive.
Equine-assisted learning
More structured, with clear tasks and goals. Good for teams, classes, and groups working on communication, relationships, and confidence.
Who you will be working with
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and EAGALA Certified in equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning. I have been around horses my whole life, and the farm is my own. You will be in good hands, and so will the horses.
The details
- Where
- Gray Horse Farm, 2766 Ballsville Road, Powhatan, VA 23139.
- Who
- Adults. Groups and teams by arrangement.
- Fees
- Private pay. Ask about current rates on your call.
Come and spend some time with a horse
Start with a free 15-minute call. We can talk about whether this is a good fit and what a first visit would look like.