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What we do: I am an Equine-Assisted Learning coach and therapist. I use horses (from the ground) to help people learn how to learn, heal and grow to live a more authentic life.
I am the founder and CEO (Chief Empowerment Officer) of Spirit Mountain Healing Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in Gilbert, Arizona. I have always had a passion for horses and helping people. I have over 35 years experience working with horses and people to help them through life issues. Here at Spirit Mountain Healing Services, I get to combine my extensive education in teaching, life coaching, and relationship development, to help humans of all ages find answers and new ways to live life better through Equine-Assisted Learning and Therapy.
My education includes a bachelor of science in equine science, a minor in small business, and a master’s degree in counseling and psychology in equine-assisted mental health.
Spirit Mountain Healing Services is a Equine-Assisted Learning and Therapy 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, where my mission is to reconnect people with their true selves. And my purpose is to serve humanity by empowering growth and learning for a sustainable future through horses.
Equine-assisted learning is the process of utilizing horses reflective and mirroring abilities to unearth what is happening internally within each unique individual. Because horses are prey animals, horses are highly attuned and sensitive to energy and emotions, even more than dogs or other animals.
Horses have an innate ability to reflect your internal emotional state that allows you unique opportunities to learn more about yourselves in a safe and non-judgmental environment. No other therapy process shows you what issues are affecting you the most in the present moment. Through equine-assisted learning activities, you begin to learn where the major stressors are in your life. You then get to decided what actions to take to address and break down the barriers that are blocking you from living your best life possible. The act of working alongside large and powerful horses naturally begins to promote self-confidence, compassion and a new understanding of your emotions. From this new understanding, you learn how to manage your emotions in ways that are unique and effective for you in the present moment with my horses.
The equine-assisted learning sessions here at Spirit Mountain are all about learning how to reconnect with yourself through individually tailored ground-based activities with my horses. Because all the activities with my horses are done on the ground, there is no riding involved. Therefore, you do not need any horse experience in order to explore the endless new ways on how to make peace with yourself and with others.
When and why I chose to start my business: My own journey with horses is what has lead me to creating Spirit Mountain Healing Services. I was once anxious all the time and was constantly worried about “not being good enough.” Not being good enough in relationships, in my work and career, in my family’s eyes and in my own eyes as well. I started Spirit Mountain Healing Services in 2015, and I have helped more than 4100 clients in those nearly 10 years. My formal education also has been an integral part of my healing journey with my horses.
It was through my horses and my career as a professional horseback riding instructor and trainer that I learned how powerfully healing horses are because they live in the present moment and do not judge us. It was also through working with my own horses over the years that I learned first hand the amazing healing powers horses have. They have the ability to support us at any stage of our life journey as long as we are open and honest with ourselves they will be there for us. How cool is that?
What I like most about what I do: I love being able to work with people and horses and see how my horses help people feel more peace, calm, confident and connected to self after each session. I love the fact that I can work with people I know very little about and still be able to make life changing shifts in their lives from the first time I meet with them. The sessions are always different because I am working with horses and people in the present moment. We may discuss the past but we are working on things in the here and now. As I tell people, “I give my clients an experience rather than a piece of paper.” And the experience of healing with horses is like nothing else on this Earth.
What is something many people don’t know about you? I have a CDL and drove a semi-truck for nearly two years prior and during the pandemic to make ends meet because of the restrictions of being in person.
How did you get into your career? I have always had a passion for horses ever since I can remember. Anything and everything to do with horses. I got my bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and went onto become a professional horseback riding instructor and trainer for more than 30 years. My life changed due to a divorce and the economy, and I found myself struggling to make ends meet being an instructor and trainer, however I did not want to give up being with horses. A student of mine at the time was a school social worker, and we got talking about being able to help people learn how to heal and live more authentically by working with horses in Equine-Assisted Learning and Therapy. She invited me to a clinic near Tucson where I experienced firsthand EALT, and I was hooked. I knew this was my calling. So, I went back to school at the age of 38 as a divorced single mother to earn my master’s degree in counseling/psychology with concentration in equine-assisted mental health from Prescott College in Arizona. Since I graduated, I have been helping people in my own unique way by combining my professional and personal experience with horses along with my formal education, to create an amazing way of helping people learn how to grow and heal from life’s wounds.
What originally brought you to the Valley? What originally brought me to the Valley was my first husband’s job and family. I had visited the Valley when I was a teenager and fell in love with Arizona. I always wanted to live here in the Valley and so when my first husband got a job offer in Phoenix, it was a no brainer to pack up and leave Wisconsin for the Valley.
One thing I want my clients/neighbors to know about me: I love helping people learn how horses can help us overcome the challenges in our lives whether we are children or adults, we can all learn how to heal ourselves by working with horses. I love sharing my stories about my healing through horses with others and watching the clients I work with learn there is hope and help. I want my clients and neighbors to know there is a sustainable way to heal life’s traumas that is time and cost effective, and I am here to help people learn how to reconnect with their true selves by working with my herd of horses.
What I am thankful for: I am thankful for all the learning opportunities I have had as I have gone on this journey of becoming an equine-assisted learning coach and therapist. I am thankful for all the support I have received through the organizations Spirit Mountain Healing Services belongs to as well as the support of the community to spread the word about the healing powers of my horses.
People who inspired me (and how): The first person who comes to my mind is my mother. I lost her in December of 2017, and though it has been rough I know she has been with me every step of the way. When she was still alive she helped me through my graduate schooling by editing my papers and helping me develop activities I still use today with clients. My mother was a strong woman who always found a way to keep going despite obstacles and setbacks. I know she is the reason I wrote my book, “Looking Within: Coming Home to Yourself Through Equine Assisted Learning” and so many other accomplishments I have achieved. Spirit Mountain Healing Services was named for my mother as she is my “spirit” that has and still drives me to this day. And the “Mountain” because she loved the mountains, and she was my rock. Thank you, mom!
How are you involved in the local community? Through Spirit Mountain Healing Services, I belong to the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce as well and the Queen Creek Rotary Club. Through these organizations I can support other local businesses and share my resources to the community about how horses help us be better humans.
What advice would you give to people entering your field? The advice I would give people entering into my field of equine-assisted learning and therapy is learn as much as you can about how horses mirror humans to help reflect the blind spots of the human. I would encourage spending time with horses with professionals to learn about safety and how horses communicate with humans and each other. Learning about horses I believe is the key to being successful with clients while doing EALT. The other advice I would give is to have fun with clients and horses. Yes, sometimes the sessions are rough, but that is just part of the process. So be open to the process and just be in the moment. To me that is the best part. Just being in the moment with the clients and the horses.
