After completing the 3-day Masterson Method Equine Specialist course May 2025, I successfully achieved the Equine Specialist Certification in just a few months. My primary background is Occupational Therapy, where I worked in many areas (inpatient, partial programs, outpatient, community-based) treating individuals with mental health diagnoses. I do not have a lifelong experience working with horses; I grew up in the city and my world was hospitals, clinics, and busy highways.
It wasn’t until I moved to Steamboat Springs in 2022—when I began meeting community professionals who work in mental health and also happen to own horses—that I discovered the healing power of the horse. I volunteer with a local ranch that provides equine-assisted learning opportunities and I have immersed myself in studying and experiencing horse behavior and how the horse-human connection can foster improved health and healing. I also work at a local horse boarding barn, offering opportunities to help the horse and its human acclimate to the barn environment and live in harmony.