Programs and Internship Opportunity

Equine Explorations™ offers two distinct program tracks:

Healing With Horses EAP™ Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)

These 4 to 8 week EAP programs for individuals, couples and groups focus on topics such as: Life's Obstacles, Problem-Solving Styles, Communication & Trust, Positive Body Image, Respecting Boundaries, Relationships & Family Roles, Self-Care, Team Building, Leadership and Empowerment. Examples of group programs currently being offered include:

“Sister Sense” for women facing change
“Girls Rule!” for adolescent girls ages 11-15
“Teen Sense” for at-risk teens

We also offer custom therapy programs. After an initial assessment, we design a treatment plan to address the specific issues of the individual, couple, or group. Basic individual sessions are 1 to 1.5 hours in length, while couple and group sessions are 1.5 to 2 hours. Half and full day intensives are also available.

Life Learning With Horses™ Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL)

EAL individual sessions, workshops and retreats reveal the hidden assumptions, beliefs and reactions that get in the way of optimum performance. Whether the goal is to improve communication between partners or colleagues, connect with inner wisdom in making important strategic or life decisions, or strengthen the commitment and coordination of team members, these programs deliver new insights and behavioral tools that participants can apply for immediate results.

EAL professional growth programs are designed to meet the needs of non-profit organizations, businesses, and educational institutions. Typical programs include one-day or weekend workshops.

Foster-A-Horse Programtm

This program has been developed for residential treatment facilities that offer, or are considering offering, an equine-assisted therapy or equine-assisted learning program. Upon entry into treatment, clients will "foster" a horse for the length of their treatment stay.

Coinciding with recovery goals, participating in a Foster-A-Horse Program will help clients:

Get in touch with their feelings and emotions, especially for clients who tend to intellectualize their feelings
Experience bonding & connection
Learn the importance of caring for “the other”
Appreciate the importance of self-care
Facilitate trust building
Develop sense of community
Become more aware of a sense of purposefulness in life

INTERNSHIPS:

Internship opportunities are available from September to May to licensed mental health professionals (or those working toward their degrees in the field), and those who have a background working with horses. To inquire about an internship, see "Contact Us" page.

Equine Explorations is headquartered in the beautiful and serene setting of the Tanque Verde Valley in northeast Tucson. Workshops are also offered at Triangle T Guest Ranch in Dragoon, Arizona (www.triangletguestranch.com).

Participants of our programs are guaranteed privacy and confidentiality.

Catalinas with Saguaro

Feedback from those who've worked with our team:

“Working with horses requires you to be present in your body and in the moment. It's amazing how clearly and quickly these animals mirror back your emotional state. Past traumas and the speed of modern life often lead me to be less aware of what I'm really feeling. I found that working with horses requires a clarity of intention and focus that helps to cut through the chaos my mind creates. Beyond helping me to tap into my emotions, this work has also helped me learn how to calm my own anxieties and trust myself.”

- EAP Participant

Working with horses was very beneficial in helping me to recognize thought and behavior patterns that I exhibit in social situations and romantic relationships. This has helped greatly with soothing social anxieties and creating healthier boundaries for myself.”

- EAP Participant

“EAP, the process of working with the horses, helped me start to understand the idea of being present. The process helps me keep in mind that the horses do not judge, they do not attach labels, they do not think about what I am, what I might be or who I should be. In their world I just am. So, once I can just be with the horses I can start to just be in the 'real world'.”

- EAP Participant

"I attended an Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Workshop on November 1, 2008, presented by Sherry Simon-Heldt. I am a clinical social worker in private practice in Tucson who was interested in experiencing EAP to gain a better understanding about this modality for future referrals of clients I provided counseling services to. Sherry is a skilled psychotherapist who demonstrates a passion for helping others using this modality. I found the process to be a transformative experience. The horses have an uncanny ability to 'mirror' the emotional states of human beings who are interacting with them; therefore, as a clinical tool, this experience can be profound and life changing. EAP seems particularly well suited for those individuals who may have a history of trauma, abuse, and addiction. I had no prior knowledge of horses or horse culture and found that even a novice can fully participate in this process. I am so glad I was able to attend and experience this amazing modality of treatment."

-Donna M. Weisman, L.C.S.W.

"I highly recommend Sherry Simon-Heldt and Tim Heldt and their Equine Explorations program. I enjoyed the Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy Workshop for Clinicians they facilitated on November 1, 2008, and learned much from their herd and their teaching."

-Barbara K. Rector, MA, CBEIP-Ed., co-founder of T.R.O.T. (Therapeutic Riding of Tucson), 1974; developer of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy at Sierra Tucson, 1990.

Equine Explorations is associated with the Equine Assisted Growth &
Learning Assoc. (EAGALA) & the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Assoc. (EFMHA).