Our equine-assisted therapy approach for the treatment of anxiety, ADHD, trauma, grief/loss, life transitions, and burnout provides an opportunity for not only healing but also developing resiliency and improving overall well-being.
Healing with Horses
Our equine-assisted therapy programs, including our retreats and intensives, are not based on riding but rather connecting with a horse on the ground. We simplify the neuropsychology principles that explain the brain-body-relationship dynamic in the context of relationships -- for both humans and horses -- to help you gain an understanding of your mindset and habits as you navigate through life outside of the round pen.
Through learning to build a connection with a horse by practicing science-based horsemanship, you will heal as well as grow, developing a healthier version of your humanship that will enhance your life both personally and professionally!
You can show up knowing nothing about horses and we'll teach you everything you need to know . . . and more. Actually, the less knowledge you have (and even a bit of fear) can make this a truly life-growth experience!
Partnering with Horses to Accelerate the Healing
Equine-assisted therapy is not just about being with the horses because "it feels good" or "feels different" from traditional therapy in an office or virtual session.
Equine-assisted therapy simply moves the therapy office outside to a round pen, pasture, or barn setting where the therapeutic process is supported by learning experiences with a horse.Â
Simply put, an equine-assisted therapy session is like a learning lab experience where you get to explore your thoughts, emotions, and bodily reactions while also developing skills for improving emotional regulation, developing confidence, and experiencing authentic connection. Partnering with horses in therapy is not designed to replace traditional therapy but rather to enhance it.
Equine-Assisted Therapy is a Life Skill Building Experience
- uncover your mindset and beliefs about how you show up as well as others
- discover how your body responds when you feel ignored, rejected, or pursued
- develop skills to reduce anxiety, frustration, and unpleasant emotions
- cultivate your confidence and voice
- experience a different encounter with the idea of pressure
- learn about your window of tolerance
- become of aware of your breathing and heart rate
- learn how to positively impact your nervous system
- navigate through emotions productively
- Identify negative belief patterns and shift into positive outcomes
- gain confidence and courage
- work through conflict and misunderstandings
- improve communication skills
The equine-assisted therapy process is fluid yet structured and collaborative. The beginning of treatment starts with getting to know your therapist and how to be safe around horses. Once a growth pathway is clarified, each session will present a new opportunity to learn new skills and practice those previously acquired.
Growth is limitless. Healing is timeless.Â
If you are ready to find out for yourself, let's get started!
Why horses?
What is it about partnering with horses in a coaching, learning, or therapy session so powerful?
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 and Therapy 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
Let's Connect!
Let's connect and chat about your needs! Complete the form below or book a consultation session!
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The A.R.I.S.E. Method, devised by Lisa Pulliam, is utilized as a way to guide clients not only in a session with a horse but also to seamlessly support life outside of the round pen.
Meet Lisa Pulliam
Since 2011, I've helped women experience transformation through providing biblically-based coaching, training, and curriculum, including numerous books, through my ministry, More to Be.
In 2018, I embarked on a dream to integrate horses into my work and became certified with the Natural Lifemanship Institute. In turn, that inspired the decision to pursue a Master's in Clinical Counseling with a Trauma Concentration and simultaneously train in EMDR.
In 2024, with a degree in hand, I began the journey of pursuing professional licensure, while continuing to develop Stableminded into a multifaceted counseling, coaching, and consulting practice.
I consider it a privilege to be a trauma-informed counselor, coach, consultant, and educator, passionate about helping others determine their best next steps toward stabilizing and thriving personally and professionally.
When I'm not at the stables loving on Kodiak Jack, my 2010 Off-the-Track Thoroughbred I rescued in July of 2022, I can be found savoring time with my husband of 29 years, all-grown-up children, two son-in-laws, a beloved grandson, and being entertained by my "wild-child" of a Golden Retriever.
FAQs
Equine-assisted psychotherapy, also known as counseling or therapy, provides a unique way to heal and grow through being supported by a therapist while being guided in interactions with a horse in a safe environment, whether that is the round pen, arena, pasture, or barn.
Horses provide this biofeedback experience because of the way their brain-body-heart is designed for survival -- in a similar manner to humans. As herd animals, horses rely on their senses and one another for protection. By entering into an experience with a horse, we can explore what we bring into not only that relationship but also our life "outside of the round pen."
As a result, we learn about ourselves and the needs of others in a fresh new way, while cultivating skills to improve mental health and overall well-being.Â
Natural Lifemanship principles utilized in equine-assisted counseling, coaching, and learning sessions are built upon the concepts of healthy attachment and building attuned, connected relationships. The principles applied between the horse-and-human relationship equally apply to our human-to-human relationships.
Neuroscience research demonstrates that our brains can change through new and healthy experiences. In our sessions, we explore the cultivation of new thinking patterns (neuropathways) to move toward healing, growth, and transformation.
The way to change old patterns that no longer serve us is to practice something new. The learning is accomplished in our sessions, utilizing principles we put into practice in all of our relationships. The goal is to learn how to have connected and attuned relationships, which leads to healthy development, contributes to healing at any age, and enhances well-being.
Although most people believe that trauma needs to be a big life event, anything that causes you to experience fear of harm can result in a traumatic experience and hinder the way you see yourself, others, God (if faith is part of your life), and your place in this world. For example, all these events can be categorized as trauma:
- intrauterine and birth trauma
- abuse and neglect
- domestic violence
- grief and loss
- car accident
- flooding and fires
- natural disaster
- divorce
- family separation
- combat
- detainment/deportation
- incarceration/imprisonment
- homelessness
- poverty
- community violence and civil unrest
- sudden changes in relationships
- sudden and unexpected moves
- individuals eager to gain self-awareness and heal
- mothers ready to discover a new way to relate to their children
- families seeking to cultivate new ways of connecting and communicating
- couples longing for a deeper understanding of each other
- young adults looking for the courage to embrace their college and career endeavors
- leaders and teams ready to find unity in their vision and discover how to work together more effectively
You don't need any horse experience at all. Actually, the less you know about horses, the more remarkable your experience can be because you'll show up teachable and without any preconceived notions about what to do. This is all unmounted work. If you would like riding lessons, we can put you in touch with a fabulous instructor at the farm.
You'll want to wear closed-toe shoes and comfortable clothing that you don't mind getting muddy.
Ready to get started?
Connect with Lisa to begin the kind of growth process that will result in lasting change and impact.