What makes horses great partners in growth?
Step into the world of equine-assisted therapy, coaching, and learning with the founder of Stableminded.us, Lisa Pulliam. As a licensed associate professional counselor, coach, and seasoned equestrian, Lisa invites you to discover why horses are great partners in both personal and professional growth and development through a behind-the-scenes look at the practices that provide incredible learning opportunities for both the human and horse.Â
Lisa is passionate about integrating neuroscience and trauma-informed practices in the context of understanding the motives behind horse and human behaviors to gain insight and develop skills that improve overall wellness and performance.
Three Essential Principles when Partnering with Horses
She holds fast to these three principles for both horses and humans, regardless of context and purpose of interactions:
- learning happens best through connection that fosters a felt sense of security
- learning for one can not be at the expense of another
- learning slowly in safety is better than learning fast in fear
It is because these principles apply to both horses and humans that Lisa passionately declares that improving one's humanship (a.k.a, addressing mental health and relationship challenges) will inevitably impact horsemanship, and that applying science-based, connection-focused horsemanship will inevitably impact humanship.
Who is this for?
The Partnering with Horses workshops are great for:
- equestrians seeking to better understand how to develop trust and connection with a horse
- trainers looking to improve their ability to support their horses and students
- mental health professionals interested in improving their office-based skills, personal self-care, and exploring a new modality
- leaders and leadership teams desiring a new way of relating and leading
- athletic teams that need to learn how to connect in both physical and emotional ways on and off the field or court
- and the list goes on and on!
Workshop Registration
Join us on Wednesday, September 10, at 6:30 pm for a workshop hosted by the Susquehanna Equestrian Club at Concordia Stables, home of Stableminded. The workshop will begin promptly at 6:30 pm and will end by 8:00 pm EST. Please bring a chair and bug spray.
If you would like to know more about joining the Susquehanna Equestrian Club and participating in their potluck dinner prior to the workshop, please visit their Facebook Group.
Why horses?
What is it about horses that draws us in and teaches us so much?
Horses seek connection.
As herd animals, horses experience secure and insecure attachments as well as social dynamics as they learn to survive and thrive with each other as well as in relationships with us.Â
Horses respond to heart rate.
Because of this sensitivity, we can observe and learn how our behavior impacts them and vice versus, growing in co-regulation ability and empathy.Â
Horses respond to the environment.
Horses have a fully active brain and nervous system enabling them to respond to the environment and other living creatures for the sake of survival. They are not mirroring us. They are responding to us, providing us with valuable information to explore our patterns of interacting with others. When we discover these patterns, we can begin the growth process and develop new habits of being in this world.Â
Equine-Assisted Coaching Helps:
- Reduce Anxiety
- Increase Ability to Relax
- Uncover Core Fears
- Identify Frustration Tolerance
- Reveal Relationship Habits
- Expose Limiting Beliefs
- Tap in Courage and Confidence
- Find Your Voice
- Create Space for Healing
- Repair Broken Relationships
- Learn How to Make a Healthy Request
- Discover How to Connect with Others
- Develop the Skills to Work Well as a Family, Team, or Organization
Meet Lisa Pulliam
Elisa Pulliam, founder of Stableminded.us, is passionate about helping clients arise, stabilize, and thrive personally and professionally. As a licensed associate professional counselor, seasoned coach, and avid recreational equestrian, Lisa provides her clients with holistically focused, trauma-informed education, equipping, and encouragement necessary for healing and growth.
Lisa counts it a privilege to be married to her husband, Stephen, for nearly three decades. She is mama to four grown children, two son-in-laws, and a Gigi to her first grandson. Her life is made fuller by her beloved Golden Retriever and remarkable Kodiak Jack, her 2010 OTTB she adopted in 2022. Most of all, she gives God the glory for these good gifts and the opportunity to share the extravagant grace and love of Christ, her Savior, with those longing for an eternal hope and earthly transformation.Â
Ready to get started?
Connect with Lisa to begin the kind of growth process that will result in lasting change and impact.