Take The Next Step to Wellness
IN STEP WITH HORSES
Individual & Family Counseling
Rediscover your unique strengths and build a balanced life in personalized sessions.
Military, Veterans & First Responders
We offer a wide range of programming for members of the military and first responders, free of charge.
Equine Encounters
Ever wanted to work with a horse? Or maybe you are curious as to how horses might help? We offer affordable one-day experiences for schools, organizations and families to come out and work with our horses.
“Let A Horse Whisper In Your Ear And Breathe On Your Heart. You Will Never Regret It.”
Groups for Kids & Teens
Mindfulness and learning activities to empower participants to make healthy connections and address challenges.
Custom Programs for Professionals
Additional support for your clients and insight to barriers that may hold them back through hands-on work with our horses, guided by equine professionals.
Riding Lessons
Lessons are 45-minute sessions with an experienced instructor plus time for grooming and caring for your horse before and after the ride.
Why Horses
Mirror our actions
Their ability to connect with people and mirror our actions and feelings makes them great therapeutic partners.
Open and honest feedback
Horses instinctively read our emotions and intentions and consistently react, giving open and honest feedback.
Responding to body language
As prey animals, horses are experts at reading and reacting to body language, other nonverbal cues and energy.
Unconditional acceptance
It makes them uniquely gifted at supporting people who have experienced emotional and physical pain.
Horses help us build healing connections with ourselves, others and the world around us.
What's Our Clients Say
Whether a client has years of experience working with horses or it is their first time stepping foot in a barn, the warm and welcoming nature of our horses allows them to feel comfortable and at home. For many clients, working with a horse in a session is the first time that they have worked closely with these majestic animals, and it can be life-changing! Horses make excellent therapy partners.
This was one of the best experiences I had in recovery. I learned how to control breathing and body language to help the horses feel at ease and listen – using those techniques and applying it to everyday life was very helpful.
A fresh approach to equine partnership regardless of age. Melissa is a fantastic instructor and very cognizant of a students goals and aspirations, while keeping us grounded and in a safe space with the horse.
In Step With Horses put me in step with my own self-discovery. The specialists and therapists have truly been there to guide me. I will forever be grateful that they came into my Life.
An amazing group of people with talent, compassion and horse sense…maybe a little, dog, chicken and goat sense too! The grounds are country farm and very calming. A great place to heal, obtain peace and regain confidence. Highly recommend.
Questions & Answers
We are driven by a single goal – to help people uncover their strengths, and re-balance their lives through a partnership with animals and nature. We are a trauma informed organization engaging participants in sensory-based and mind-body activities with the support of carefully selected therapy horses.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is one part of holistic health, which is an approach to life that considers multidimensional aspects of wellness. It encourages individuals to recognize the whole person: physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual.
Yes, please look at our Team page for detailed information.
Equine assisted services, like general psychotherapy, have many approaches. We can apply various evidence-based psychological interventions when working with horses. For example, many therapists are trained in cognitive behavioral therapy which teaches clients the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions. Equine assisted services can teach cognitive behavioral therapy techniques with the added benefit of experiencing the connection
between thoughts, feelings, and actions during an experience with the horses. This hands-on experience helps the client make connections more quickly and often with longer lasting effects. Our therapists are trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and several methods of trauma processing among others. Our equine specialists and therapists have background in various methods of equine
assisted psychotherapy and learning including EAGALA and the HERD institute models.
Because we like to tailor our services to fit the unique needs of our clients, we start with an assessment. Some of our providers accept insurance for psychotherapy services. We are happy to discuss pricing for all services with you. Financial assistance is available.
Yes, financial assistance is available.
Almost every horse has the potential to become a therapy horse. Their nature leads them to react in an open and genuine way. Some desensitization and training is needed to prepare the horse, but most of the work they naturally embrace.
Each horse has an unique personality. Sometimes we choose a horse we think will help a client move toward their goal. Other times the client or the horse makes the choice to engage. Clients are often a drawn to a particular horse, and sometimes the horse appears to ask “Do you want to work with me?”
