heart centered leadership and wellness
Empowered By Horses and Friends offers top-tier, heart-centered wellness and leadership development through animal-assisted and equine-facilitated programs led by wellness professionals.
Carla and the Empowered by Horses therapy are incredible. My daughter and I have had an amazing experience here. Carla’s professionalism combined with her empathy and focus on people and meeting them where they are at, has had a great impact on my daughter and I. Carla is caring, skilled and great with both people and animals. One of the things I like about Empowered by Horses is that it is not a prescribed, rigid program that my daughter must follow exactly or fit into. Each session can flex and change depending on how my daughter is doing that day. She might ride May (horse), walk Kidd or just sit with them (the horses) or one of the other animals. What a gift. It is a supportive and encouraging environment. Over the months, we have seen my daughter being able to better notice her emotions and see how that is affecting her body. She has grown in many ways; being able to ground herself, increase her resilience, have more confidence in who she is and what she can do; learn how to speak out on how she is really feeling; she has built a great bond with the horses and it’s amazing to watch the connection they have together. Even the horse’s awareness that she was having a hard day and the nuzzle and gentleness she expressed to my daughter. It’s a blessing to see the peace and joy my daughter experiences here on the farm. Carla gives time for my daughter to be quiet or talk. Carla is a gifted communicator and I, as parent, have benefitted from her explanations, kindness, wisdom and patience. Even as you drive in, the area is so beautiful, peaceful and refreshing that both my daughter and I automatically start to relax.
Anonymous
training & mentoring
Whether you’re new to Animal Assisted
or Equine Facilitated Wellness or already have a practice, EBH&F can help you advance to the next level. We offer online and in-person training and mentoring
in trauma-informed care, animal behavior, and somatic therapies, all founded on ethics, choice, and consent. Visit our training page for more details.
workshops & programs
EBH&F facilitators offer expert animal-assisted programs tailored to your needs, whether supporting grieving youth or improving corporate team communication. With seven acres of old-growth and meadowed land and a variety of animal partners, we provide a safe, trauma-informed experience. You’ll leave feeling restored, rejuvenated, and ready to take the next step.
learning & wellness
EBH&F is a safe, inclusive, trauma-informed space where clients can heal, grow, and feel a sense of belonging. Through a somatic approach, we focus on building healthy relationships with ourselves, others, and animals. Our sessions, offered both in-person on our seven-acre farm and online, are supported by the healing presence of nature and animal partners.
who we are, what we do
Empowered By Horse and Friends is an inclusive, trauma-informed, safe place for people to heal, grow and feel a sense of belonging by creating healthy relationships within themselves and with fellow humans, animals and nature.
Established in 2010, EBH&F promotes mental health and wellness through somatic practice, mindfulness techniques and animal partnerships. With a focus on older teens and adults, we work with all populations including Public Safety Personal.
Founded on the principle of consent, we believe that all animals are sentient beings and should be given choice and agency whether they are your family pet or a partner in therapy. To this end, we offer on-line and in-person training and mentoring to guide novices and professionals in an ethical approach to partnering with animals.
From Our Blog
Transition and Change
Transition is a topic that often arises with Empowered By Horses & Friends’ clients. We talk about how to navigate the discomfort and unpredictability of change. We explore how letting go of what no...
Old Blue Jeans
Ever so often I line up a year's worth of Steve’s old blue jeans and take a picture. I do this because it looks interesting—sort of raw and rustic, and makes a great image. But more importantly, it...
Do you see what I see?
As a constable with the VPD, I initially saw my role as a problem solver. From directing traffic at an accident scene to surveilling criminal activity and collecting evidence, police are called to...