Lens: A Journey with Horses

Explore how equine-assisted therapy, informed by Somatic Experiencing®, offers a powerful, bottom-up approach to supporting nervous system regulation, emotional awareness, and connection. This presentation will introduce how interactions with horses can help clients build greater awareness of their internal experiences, recognize nervous system responses, and develop resources for navigating stress, trauma, and everyday challenges. Designed for both helping professionals and those interested in therapeutic supports, this session will explore how nervous system awareness can strengthen our ability to support others while also attending to our own well-being, boundaries, and capacity for connection. Discover how the wisdom of the horse-human relationship can inform more embodied, relational, and trauma- informed approaches to healing.

Highlights of the Presentation

1. From Doing to Being: Explore the shift from task-oriented or outcome-focused interactions with horses toward slowing down, noticing, and responding to what emerges in the present moment.

2. Learning Through the Horse-Human Relationship: Discover how horses can invite greater awareness of our internal experiences, relational patterns, boundaries, and nervous system responses without relying solely on verbal processing.

3. A Personal and Professional Transformation: Hear how the presenter’s journey with horses and Somatic Experiencing has influenced their understanding of healing, reshaped their therapeutic approach, and deepened their commitment to embodied, trauma informed care.