Jul '25 (edited) • 🐴 Coaching with Horses
Religion
Today’s Session – Gentle Reflections I spent time with my PTSD client today—the brother of the farm owner—and while the session was okay, it didn’t unfold quite the way I’d hoped. My heart felt a little heavy afterward. I really wanted the experience to offer something meaningful, especially knowing how much the family cares for him.
We began with a quiet herd observation. I gave him a little notebook and explained how horses form bonds, how we notice the ones standing apart, and what that can teach us. After about fifteen minutes, we reviewed his notes together through gentle questions—how, where, why, and who—and that felt like an affirming moment.
In the pasture, we did five minutes of eyes-closed breathing. I encouraged him to either hold a happy thought or clear a quiet space—whichever felt best. That interaction held something special. Then he chose a horse to join him in the round pen, and that part flowed nicely. When the heat picked up, we moved inside and wrapped up with a soft close. It wasn’t perfect, but he left with new insight into how horses mirror our energy and presence, which felt quietly powerful.
The Unexpected Layer!!!! The evening before, I’d shared with the family how equine coaching works—how horses respond to a person’s energy, and how we read their body language as feedback. I try to keep my language clear and grounded, but today I learned that the message had been misunderstood. Henry called and let me know that his sister-in-law and their children were uncomfortable. They felt it sounded like I claimed to communicate telepathically with horses and expressed that this didn’t align with their faith.
I was truly surprised and saddened. That’s never been my intention, and I’ve never encountered this kind of response before. I felt misunderstood… almost like I was being cast as a "witch doctor." What’s most painful is knowing that Henry believed in the possibility of healing for his whole family, and now that door feels closed.
It left me feeling a bit like a beginner again—unsure, tender, and questioning. I know many of you have walked beside me on this journey, and I wonder: have you ever encountered something similar? How do you navigate moments when your work unintentionally brushes up against someone’s deeply held beliefs?
😪
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Religion
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