I have been around horses and riding since I was five years old. Horses have been part of my life for as long as I can remember — not simply as animals I have ridden, but as beings I have learned from, found companionship with and experienced as profoundly grounding.

​

They have also supported me personally through difficult periods in my own life. That experience has shaped the way I understand the human–horse relationship: not as something magical or prescriptive, but as a space where we can slow down, become more aware of ourselves, notice what is happening in our bodies and explore different ways of relating.

 

A different kind of therapeutic space

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy offers an opportunity to step outside the traditional therapy room and into a more embodied, experiential environment.

 

Working alongside horses can invite us to pay attention to things that may be difficult to access through words alone —

our breathing, posture, boundaries, impulses, emotions, patterns of connection and responses to uncertainty.

 

The horse does not need us to explain ourselves.

​

There is no expectation to perform, impress or have the "right" response.

 

Instead, the work can offer opportunities to notice:

• How do I feel in my body right now?

• What happens when I feel uncertain or out of control?

• How do I respond to boundaries — my own and other people's?

• Can I remain present when something feels uncomfortable?

• What happens when I slow down?

• How do I communicate without words?

• What helps me feel safe enough to connect?

• Can I recognise what I need and communicate it clearly?

• What happens when I approach relationship differently?

 

These experiences can then become material for therapeutic reflection and meaning-making.

Trauma-informed and relational

 

My approach is grounded in integrative, person-centred and trauma-informed psychotherapy.

 

I draw on my wider clinical practice, including EMDR, mindfulness-based approaches, expressive arts and embodied practice, alongside my training in Equine Assisted Services and the IFEEL Method.

 

My training with the ATHENA Herd Foundation has further developed my understanding of equine ethology, somatic awareness, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, trauma-informed practice and the importance of ethical horse welfare within Equine Assisted Services. ATHENA's approach places the wellbeing of both human and horse

at the centre of the work.

 

I have also trained with Sun Tui through the IFEEL Method, an approach to Human Equine Interaction that places particular emphasis on embodied self-awareness, relational processes and experiential learning.

 

The work is therefore not about asking a horse to "fix" something.

It is about creating the conditions for a person to experience, notice, explore and understand themselves differently —

with the horse as a respected participant in the environment.

 

The horse's wellbeing comes first

​

Ethical practice matters deeply to me.

 

Horses are not therapeutic tools or props. They are sentient beings with their own needs, boundaries, personalities

and choices.

 

Any equine-assisted work I offer is therefore grounded in respect for the horse, appropriate boundaries, consent, safety and welfare.

 

This means paying attention not only to what a person may be experiencing, but also to what the horse is communicating.

Sometimes the most therapeutic response may be to pause, step back, change the activity or simply allow the horse to be.

 

Who might benefit?

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy may be particularly helpful for people who find conventional talking therapy difficult, limiting or simply not quite enough.

 

It may be appropriate for people exploring:

• trauma and complex trauma

• anxiety, stress and overwhelm

• emotional regulation

• confidence and self-esteem

• relationships and attachment

• boundaries and communication

• grief and loss

• life transitions

• identity and sense of self

• burnout

• patterns of behaviour or relationship

• experiences that are difficult to put into words

 

It may also appeal to people who feel more at home outdoors, with animals or through experiential and

embodied forms of learning.

 

No previous horse-riding experience is required.

You do not need to be confident around horses.

And this is not a riding lesson.

A space to experience, not perform

There is no particular way you have to be with a horse.

 

You may find yourself curious, nervous, quiet, playful, frustrated, moved or surprised.

All of these responses can become part of the work.

 

The aim is not to produce a particular response from the horse — or from you.

It is to become curious about what happens.

 

Sometimes a small interaction can open a much larger conversation.

A moment of hesitation can tell us something about fear.

A boundary can tell us something about trust.

A moment of connection can remind us what safety feels like.

And simply standing quietly alongside a horse can sometimes give us permission to stop doing and begin noticing.

 

My relationship with horses

Horses have accompanied me through much of my life.

I first began riding at five, and my relationship with horses has continued across different chapters of my life and work.

They have been companions, teachers and a source of grounding and connection during difficult times.

 

My professional interest in Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy has grown from this lifelong relationship, alongside my clinical training and experience working therapeutically with trauma, emotional distress, relationships and life transitions.

 

I bring both perspectives to the work:

The clinical understanding of a psychotherapist, and the lived understanding of someone who has spent a lifetime learning alongside horses.

 

An invitation

If you are curious about working therapeutically alongside horses, we can begin with a conversation.

You do not need to know whether equine-assisted psychotherapy is "for you".

We can simply explore what you are looking for, what you might need, and whether this way of working feels appropriate.

Sometimes the first step is simply being willing to stand somewhere new.

 

Psychotherapy. Presence. Relationship. Horses.

 

A different space in which to meet yourself.