My husband, Micky, and I have lived in Kerrville, Texas for 25 years.  We have two sons and one granddaughter.  I have a private practice and also work part-time for Kerrville ISD as a Special Education Counselor.  Micky manages the pharmacy at Walmart in Kerrville.

I earned a BS in Education from Southwest Texas State in 1977 and a MA in Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1994. All of my experience in the schools has been in working with Special Education and At Risk students. I completed additional hours of study through Capella University to complete the State Board requirements for a Licensed Professional Counselor and started my private practice in 1999. 

I enjoy water and snow skiing, kayaking, back-packing and generally just being outside, but most of all I love just hanging out with my horses.  As a child, I rode horses occasionally and did take riding lessons, but I never had the opportunity to make horses part of my life.  What little experience I had with them did give me a sense that there was something magical about being around them. 

Two years ago, at age 50, I purchased my first horse and at that point my journey into the healing power of horses began.  My friend and equine specialist, Christie, taught me about horse psychology and horse behavior.  I experienced first hand how horses can facilitate personal growth and awareness.

I began to wonder how I could use horses in psychotherapy and while researching, I discovered EAGALA, the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association.  EAGALA’s model provided a professional framework for Equine Assisted Learning and Psychotherapy, and I completed the EAGALA certification program in May 2007.  EquiQuest was formed in April 2007.

My mission is to not only to use Equine Assisted Psychotherapy in my private practice, but also to take Equine Assisted Learning into the schools.  Remember we learn best by doing! EAL may be the most effective way to reach At Risk students.  It offers the opportunity for students to draw from their own experience, discovering solutions that will make a difference in their lives.  EAL can be used to teach Developmental Guidance Curriculum in a way that really makes “character count.” 

I am challenging school administrators to “step outside the box.”  Come experience the awareness and change that can come from just one EAL session.  Our schools need horses to facilitate the changes we need in education.  Let horses empower students to learn more than they have ever dreamed.  Offer your teachers an opportunity to learn how to really communicate effectively in the classroom. 

We don’t need pages of research to let us know that experiential learning works.

If your school district is committed to improved test scores, bring horses to school!