CLIENT EXPERIENCE

Homeward’s offerings are experiences—not therapy. Clients have found the work to be therapeutic, revelatory, grounding, meditative, healing, and even life-changing. The offerings can be experienced one time, opening the door to your own healing work or pointing the way to additional modalities—or experienced multiple times in order to go deeper into the somatic reprogramming® that is at the core of Equine-Guided Empowerment®. Engaging in this work privately and in a group setting offer different advantages, and it is important to honor the wisdom that draws you to this work in whatever form or format feels right for you in this moment.

If you are curious about being a Homeward client, you can schedule a 30-minute call with me to ask questions and learn more about the offerings. When you schedule a session, you will receive a pre-arrival questionnaire and a liability form. Both of these items are submitted prior to arrival, along with making the payment. Once your payment is made, you will receive an email with the necessary logistical information (location, confirmation of session time, what to bring, etc.) as well as a list of media and reading suggestions that can expose you to the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of the work we will do together.

Based on our conversation and your questionnaire, I craft our time and somatic exercises, knowing that these might change based on what comes up for you or the group. Sessions always start and end with grounding and a form of check-in; sessions always involve time with the horses and somatic experiences. Personal disclosure is not a requirement, and strict confidentiality is observed. You can learn more about the sessions in the Offerings link.

When you arrive at Quinta Nova, you will have already completed the logistical work and can drop into the the beauty of nature, opening into the experience. You will be welcomed to the client space: a lounge with couches, a wood burning fireplace, a refrigerator to keep your lunch if necessary, a bathroom, and a place to enjoy a coffee or tea before we start. You and I will have a moment to get acquainted, and then we will begin.

Equine-Guided Empowerment® sessions are rooted in embodiment practices, so my job is to hold space for your deepening awareness and unfolding process, wherever that may lead. I will keep pointing you inward and provide somatic experiences to bring you deeper into your seat of clarity.  As the horses are my partners in the work, we will always be in proximity to the horses: sometimes indirectly (on the other side of the fence, or in a pasture space the horses cannot enter), or we will be directly sharing space with the herd.  Specific somatic exercises are better done away from the horses; others are best near or in interaction with the herd.  After your sessions have concluded, I also offer a follow-up Zoom call to have a post-session check-in, discuss integration of the embodiment exercises, and address any other insights that have emerged.

For Grounded Connection sessions, we focus on developing trust and connection within yourself and with the herd.  You might choose this session because you are familiar with horses and want to connect with them in freedom; you might want to work with me as a family or as a caregiver and child; you may come to this session because you want to connect with horses in a way that is different from traditional riding schools (which usually skip relationship building altogether).  As a life-long educator, I am always looking to make personal connections, point you inward, and make connections between your experience and personal direction-setting. In these sessions, we may try different activities with how we interact with the horses: caretaking in freedom, making connections, noticing and responding to communication cues, walking with the horses, herd observations, and some somatic exercises.

At the conclusion of each session, clients can take a moment to relax in the lounge: reflect, journal, pick up a relevant book, enjoy a coffee or tea, or even go for a walk around the property.