Making the World a Better Place For All of Us
About Me
Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to serving children, the military, emergency services personnel, and families. I have encountered countless individuals and families whose traditional measures have been unsuccessful, unavailable, or have come with an attached stigma delaying or preventing individuals from accessing the services they need when it matters most.
I have learned to embody Gestalt as a way of living my life, and remain committed to helping individuals live a more authentic life filled with compassion for themselves and others. I have witnessed and experienced firsthand, the limited therapeutic modalities, across the globe, that are unable to meet people where they need them, without limitations or red tape. I have a strong understanding of family dynamics, transitions, and the impact of nurturing and compassionate communication.
Creating safe, positive, honest, and empowering environments, has become my dedicated focus. I have combined my lifelong passion for horses with a desire to create more meaningful connections within families. My specialty is working with people who seek joy and freedom in their life and parents who want deeper communication with their child(ren).
I am passionate about nurturing healthy family development and providing freedom for the mind, body, and spirit. I have experienced and witnessed that through one’s anguish, their purpose and freedom can be discovered.
Meet The Herd
Lily
From her striking stance to the roll of her neck, Lily Anna exudes strength and determination. A 14-year-old, 16 hand Red Dunn Quarter Horse, lead mare. She came to us at the age of 8, from a family in western North Dakota. Her earlier history is unknown, but Lily has been clear in her communication that trust does not come easily, and protecting herself and others is her duty. Do not mistake her love for independence or distant social niceties as a weakness. Lily is an astute observer who tells it like it is. She is the one who will guide you in leadership and demonstrate what it means to have boundaries. Lily is a protector and opens her heart to those who are honest, present, and most vulnerable. With her armored energy, Lily will hold you up in your weakest moments, shielding you from the unknown and unexpected. She will stand with you, exposed, invisibly wrapping you with her healing blanket of empowerment and fortitude. Whether you are feeling weak and defeated or need a “kick in the ass”, Lily will be there.
Rosie “A Whole Lot of Rosey”
With dainty feet and distinguished markings, Rosie, AKA Rosie Bolt, is sure to catch your eye when she deftly prances by! She is a one of a kind, 5-year-old Palomino Paint, who enjoys the hands of a nurturing touch. As she gets to know you, Rosie will lower her guard and connect on a deep emotional level. With the tickling of her whiskers, conversing without words, she will teach you how to listen. Rosie is quick on her feet and will guardedly show her courage in new or challenging situations. She will test you on your boundaries and teach you the importance of their respect. Comforted in reassurance, Rosie is likely to be found a short distance away from Lily Anna or within an arm’s length from a trusted human. From the very first day she was weaned from her mother, Rosie has been a loyal member of our herd. She has a unique and powerful pathway in connecting with humans to raise their awareness and energy vibrations. She has a proven history in pantomiming what she wants or is empowered to communicate, often relating to what is not working within one’s physical body.
Rosie carries a symbolic lightning bolt marking on her neck; serving as an invitation for all to stand-heart to heart-with their pain and in the face of uncertainty, to face the lightning strikes in our lives that have held us back from living a life with purpose, passion, and joy. Rosie is guaranteed to show up with curiosity, love, and empathy. Get ready to nuzzle a muzzle and feel the healing shift a 1200lb animal that can breathe into your life.
Tizzi
A 4-year-old Clydesdale/Quarter Horse cross, standing over 17 hands, Tizzi comes to us from a Native American traditional horse breeder. She has been with us since weaning, leaving behind her close relationship with her father, who passed on his striking build, soft eyes, and compassionate heart. She maintains the innocence of her youth and is the baby of the herd. With her inquisitive personality, Tizzi has an inquiring mind and eager to be the first one to investigate something new. Tizzi is as bright as the sparkle in her eyes and she is unafraid to let you know when your truth is out of line. Unmissable with her stature, eye contact, and the thunder of her hooves, Tizzi freely frolics, playfully, spreading her joy and having fun. One of Tizzi’s greatest gifts is her ability to capture you with her love and create a safe space to explore. She will envelop clients in her heart, nudging and drawing them in with the gentle pull of her head. Inspiring dreams with clarity and grace, Tizzi is sure to show up. She is our chakra balancing princess, who without hesitation, is ready to work! Tizzi is our most forgiving horse who will hold your deepest secrets with a covenant not to be broken.
Kai
A 17hh Bay Hanoverian Warmblood, came to the family from California in March of 2018. As a (then) 12-year-old he had a late start in life with only 100 hours of training up to that point. By nature, a nervous horse it was always clear how gentle he was despite his fears. He’s a big guy with a big heart that would like nothing more than to hang out in your pocket or be munching away on some hay.
Phoenix
Phoenix has been a part of the family since the Spring of 2022. She is a 6-year-old Chestnut Paint, her history before arriving is unknown. For a seemingly clumsy horse she shines on trail, with a confident forward stride at any gait. On trail is where, it appears to be, she has spent most of her time and is the happiest. Standing at 16h she has the personality and opinion to match. When you slow down and listen, she will communicate. As a very independent horse she is a joy to be around with other horses or taken out alone.
My Story, Continued …
In the beginning:
I grew up in a small town on the east coast of the United States, in a place bordering Maine and New Hampshire. I have often found my peace on the Atlantic coast, engrossed in the magnificent energy, selflessly shared by the waves of mother earth.
As a child, visiting Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine was a treat and adventure. Today, this historic landmark holds a symbolic place in my heart as a location for creating dreams, shedding tears, and coming to terms with having to let go.
Growing up, I struggled with fitting in, self-image, and confidence. I rarely felt that I was enough or could do enough. The battle of finding my voice was real, often standing behind those who could speak louder and were seen. With the feeling of being forgotten and being on the outside, no matter how hard I tried, whatever I did or achieved never seemed to be enough for me.
Who was I?
Who was I? A 6-foot powerhouse center or forward post where people leaned into for their vantage point to score or defend. People have often leaned into me for my strength and courage. My family has vicariously lived through my journey of living in a foreign country and taking risks often feared by many. If they had a curiosity, I explored it.
Driven to succeed, unafraid of work, and striving for validation, I often had my hands in multiple positions whether it was education, sports, owning a business, or an additional job or assignment. My days were filled with busyness, leaving limited time to look in the mirror and acknowledge what was missing.
Who was I to be living abroad, escaping adulterous relationships, and bringing life into this world without a family close by? How did I expect to parent a premature child who required lifesaving efforts and consistent monitoring? Why was I always the one who seemed to be reaching out, when I was the one who needed to be reached out to? What was I avoiding?
As I worked to discover innovative ideas, seek opportunities to support others, and make a difference, I began to learn about the person looking back at me in the mirror. It was decades before I learned I was spending my time chasing what already stood in front of me.
Competitively, burning bridges with others along the way, I worked myself to what I thought was the top. I traveled the world leading and mentoring others in their success, serving people from cradle to grave with dignity and respect. I knew I had more to share than what I was doing and welcomed the challenge to break down barriers and expose the truth of those hiding behind a position, title, and entity bigger than themselves. This challenge started with me, as I searched for more and to find my place in the world.
MY EGC STORY:
In 2020, I was introduced to Touched By A Horse and the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method®. Equine Gestalt Coaching is a non-traditional therapy that helps clients with a myriad of needs. One of its greatest benefits is healing trauma. The EGC methodology gets to the root of where lightning strikes have taken place in a client’s life, where PTSD symptoms, triggers, and reactions are initiated. Intending to make a difference and genuinely support individuals who have dedicated their life to serving others, I applied and was accepted into the elite group of TBAH professionals.
Over the last two years, I have had the distinct honor of apprenticing under the direct mentorship of EGCM founder, psychotherapist, and leading pioneer in the horse healing movement, Melisa Pearce. Through the guidance of Melisa, her equine partners, and elite certified practitioners, I have personally tackled, what Gestalt identifies as unfinished business; allowing me the ability to stand alongside clients, heart to heart, avoiding confluence and meeting individuals where they are, without judgment.
Positive touch and the healing that accompanies it is a profound part of effective communication within a family. When boundaries are crossed, the nurturing of touch can sometimes get lost in the trauma that was connected to those boundaries. With horses, I experienced their abilities to touch us and heal us from the inside, allowing that experience to be carried over into our lives with our families and every person we encounter.
Equine Gestalt Coaching operates on a much deeper level than facilitation with horses, equine-assisted learning, or therapeutic riding programs. Through a humanistic approach coupled with horses incredibly powerful, grounding forces and their innate ability to sense a person’s emotional state long before a person’s awareness kicks in, I believe many people can benefit from a holistic healing program that partners with horses.
Horses seek to ground us, bringing peace and harmony in our physical bodies, so we are safe and secure. For them, it is more about survival as a prey animal. For us, as predators, the experience of having such a peaceful animal having that much of an effect on our emotional well-being is beyond words. It is something that must be felt and experienced by the client. No one can tell us what our first kiss was like, correct? That is because we all experienced it differently. It is the same when a client is in an equine gestalt session. Each one is purely individualized.
Who am I?
I am the one who will stand alone against adversity and challenge the “why”.
I hold two bachelor’s degrees in Early Childhood Education and Geography and am a certified Parent Instructor for the World Institute for Nurturing Communication. I have served as Chief of Child and Family Services, a Social Worker, mental health professional, as well as a Mortuary Officer for the USAF. I have worked with individuals of all ages, educating, advocating, and serving for the greater good.
As life has unfolded, I met my best friend and lifelong partner who has chosen to get to know me for who I am, without judgment. My loving husband, son, and our menagerie have settled in beautiful central Maine, a place we love to call our forever home. We have three children who live across the Atlantic in the green and pleasant lands of England and Scotland respectively. Our family extends the globe, encompassing individuals and animals who have touched our lives along our journey.
I am dedicated to helping people live purposeful lives filled with joy and meaningful connections. With a continued uptick in military suicides, child and domestic abuse occurrences, and thankless service for emergency services personnel, my horses and I serve as a beacon of light for those who see no hope, struggle to find joy, have lost their voice, had their boundaries crossed and long for a place to belong.
Gestalt Coaching helped me to discover my purpose, passion, and voice. With a deep dive, I have learned the “why” of what I have been avoiding, running away from, or chasing my entire life.
My practice is unlike most traditional, in that I blend horses and nurturing touch into my work. I believe that best practices for children are best practices for adults. With compassionate communication, children are encouraged to safely explore and discover themselves and their environment. They learn the various ways of “showing up” to gain a response and build a foundation for their future lifelong learning. In partnering with horses, we inspire people to live their truth and to lead from their hearts.
I invite you on a self-discovery journey, where my horses and I partner, creating a safe space for you to explore and discover more about yourself, break down barriers, navigate challenges, and identify what may be holding you back from living with joy and purpose, the life of which you have always dreamed.