Family Therapy

Families are where we get hurt the most.

Our families are where we learn to love, but it’s where we get hurt the most. Parents and siblings are supposed to love us unconditionally.

But when there is trauma, abuse, or addiction, the love we get feels as if it’s not enough to cancel out the pain we feel of being alone, judged, or ignored.

Arguments, isolation, lack of communication and connection…

These all happen when families experience anxiety, stress, and depression.

In the resulting state of disconnection, people lash out or withdraw… and the love and safety that families are supposed to provide feels elusive or impossible.

Moreover, hurt feelings and resentment make it hard to put the pieces back together in a way that rekindles the love and safety we all crave from our family.

Families are the most important part of our lives.

… just as horses need their herd to survive. We get unconditional support, love, and strength from those who love us our whole lives. Without that foundation, we struggle with feeling safe, good enough, or like we belong.

Horses, too, struggle on their own. In the wild, solitary animals perish without their herd. They need the herd to protect, shelter, and care for them; without their herd, they are vulnerable and can’t make it.

We need our families to function well if we are to survive and thrive. If the family is struggling, we will all struggle. If one of us is hurting, we all hurt.

Working with horses to heal and protect your family will offer you more than just relief from the symptoms, it will give everyone a place to call home – a safe, comforting, and empowering place.

Family therapy is where…

We learn to love, give and receive love, and offer support and unconditional acceptance. It isn’t about blame or shame. It’s a space to talk, listen, and learn from each other in a safe way about what’s missing for everyone.

In therapy, we look at the ways in which the family is stuck – arguing, anger, unresolved hurt… a lack of caring words, affection, and encouragement… just pain, struggle, and feeling unheard, unseen, and unloved.

Substance abuse, eating disorders, and self-harm are ways of communicating that something isn’t working in the family. We look deeper to understand what is missing.

In the herd with the horses, we learn that every member has a place and a voice, and that the whole can’t function when one member isn’t cared for. In Equine Family Therapy, everyone gets a chance to speak.

Everyone’s story is valid. No one is wrong, and it’s no one’s fault.

Working with our herd, we learn to connect again.

The horses hold the space to let families discover where they need to grow and support each other more.

Through experiences and activities with the horses, families learn about their patterns and dynamics. Guided therapeutically, they can try new ways of being, talking, and connecting.

Horses, mini-horses and donkeys, goats, chickens, and dogs all play a part in teaching us what it means to come back together and learn to love in a way that works. Everyone has a part to play, and everyone learns to get along to do what’s best for everyone.

Connecting with different animals means we connect with ourselves in different ways. They show us how to love ourselves and each other again by being themselves and showing us that all are important and necessary.

It’s time for healing that makes a difference…

Courage, consistency, vulnerability, and healthy boundaries work to make families healthy and whole again. The horses show us where that needs to happen.

Let me help your family navigate these rough times…

Call me today for a free consultation: (303) 909-0974.