Experience the magic of horses and connect with your own horse within.
Welcome to The Horse Within, a sanctuary in the green hills of Loch in South Gippsland, located on Bunurong country, about 100 km south east from Melbourne.
Accredited by the Equine Psychotherapy Institute (EPI) we offer counselling and coaching services that include our herd of six horses, in a human- and horse-centred approach. The horses become guides, teachers and co-facilitators in the therapeutic process whilst the beautiful natural environment promotes mental and physical health.
Working with young and old, groups and individuals, and people with mental and physical disabilities, we harness the unique traits of the horse and facilitate a journey to find and nurture your own ‘horse within’.
Our therapeutic work in the paddock enhances people’s communication and boundary setting skills, sense of self and confidence, emotional awareness and expression thereby improving a person’s ability to face life’s challenges.
Supporting people through the impacts of trauma, grief, stress and burn-out as well as navigating neurodiversity, a trauma-informed, emotion-focussed approach creates a safe container for the therapeutic process.
The emotional and physical safety of our horses is our guiding principle, which in turn creates a sustainable environment for humans to explore their own needs for safety, being seen and respected in this world.
Discovering the innate qualities of the horse within sets us on a journey of connection and healing, enabling us to tap into our inner reservoirs of calm, strength and joy.
Equine Assisted Therapy
By interacting with horses, individuals gain insights into their emotions, behaviours, and relationships. Horses, with their non-judgmental nature and sensitivity towards human emotions, offer immediate and honest feedback, helping people to develop self-awareness, build trust, and improve communication skills.
This experiential therapy fosters a supportive environment where clients can explore their inner selves and develop healthier coping strategies, enhancing their overall well-being.
Equine Assisted Learning & Coaching
Equine assisted learning and coaching sessions focus on the learning process of humans, practising new approaches through real-time experiences in a non-judgmental environment.
Suitable for individuals and groups, activities with the horses are designed to promote self-awareness, enhance communication skills, improve problem-solving abilities, build leadership qualities, and foster teamwork, among other educational objectives.
Indigenous communities have been custodians of our lands for millennia, and through their wisdom and practices have been caring and advocating for the well-being of our place, people, and the planet.
I recognise that there is an unbreakable link between these elements and the ability of each living being to thrive depends greatly on how we show up, right here, right now.
I acknowledge that we live and work on the land of the Bunurong people and I pay my respects to their elders past, present, and emerging.