PROGRAMS

Programs at the Sanctuary are multi-faceted and varies in approach and modality...
 

WOMEN’S (DOMESTIC VIOLENCE) SUPPORT GROUP
The support group employs a variety of therapies to help women and girls who have survived domestic abuse, and others regain their confidence and learn how to build positive healthy relationships. The support group meets once-a-month at the Sanctuary. Connection is about building a relationship with clear communication and self-regulation. Through these programs, one learns to know and feel boundaries, holding them in an attuned, kind, and confident way.
In some instances, the Women’s (Domestic Violence) Support Group integrates the rescue horses at the Sanctuary to help instill positive relationship-building, in a safe and “sacred” space, especially for those
with post-traumatic stress disorder. These are life skills that some women have literally had beaten out of them in an abusive relationship.

INTEGRAL EYE MOVEMENT THERAPY (IEMT) - Creating Change in the Blink of an Eye
Integral Eye Movement Therapy/Technique (IEMT) is a brief change technique that can reduce the negative emotional states that are associated with memories/events. IEMT is an excellent tool for dealing with a wide range of emotional issues.
It is particularly effective in dealing with stress and anxiety, PTSD and flashbacks, insomnia, feelings of guilt, regret and remorse, fears, and phobias, dealing with overwhelm, removing negative memories and
traumatic experiences, panic attacks, trauma, and overcoming long term identity issues such as divorce.
The mind encodes memories/emotions through visual, auditory, gustatory or kinesthetic experiences.
Pleasant memories tend to be timestamped and have a nice feeling/emotion attached to the memory.
Traumatic memories may not have a timestamp, where the memory tends to get stuck in a loop so that the memory feels like it’s happening in real time. This shows up in PTSD. IEMT helps the client leave the
past negative emotional states where they belong - in the past. We are solving for X... meaning that the memory and/or emotion just cannot find the appropriate answer to exit the problem state. It just keeps
revisiting the emotional imprints until it finds the correct variable.

IEMT explores the question... “how did the person learn to feel this way”?
"how do they experience the problem and what keeps it locked in its place"? This process opens up the possibility to create real change in our lives!

 

EQUINE-ASSISTED LEARNING/THERAPY

Equine-Assisted Therapy is a unique form of animal-assisted therapy. Progress is made through hands-on activities with horses. Interaction with horses is beneficial for people with post-traumatic stress disorder,
social anxiety disorder, and other forms of emotional and physical struggles. Horses seem to have an uncanny ability to reveal dramatic truths to people, and victims of domestic violence are no exception
without judgment.
 

How Equine Therapy Works
Horses are used in a variety of therapeutic settings, and do not need to be ridden to achieve healing benefits. Instead, a few deceptively simple exercises performed on the ground can make a world of difference. For domestic abuse victims, seeing people who look like their abuser can be a trigger, and this “looks can be deceiving” lesson is an important first step to confident living. It also awakens something inside of them when they realize they can overcome their own fear and be greatly rewarded for it.
 

Why Equine-Assisted Therapy...

The Inner Nature of Horses Heals Humans
Horses are herd animals that naturally want to form bonds with the creatures around them. It makes them feel safe. Whether we realize it or not, we as humans want to feel safe in the same way. But first, trust must be won, and it’s a two-way street. The person must behave in a certain way to make the horse trust them. If they are too nervous or aggressive, the horse will back off. Seeing how one’s own emotions are reflected in the horse is the first light bulb moment for many people new to horse therapy. Domestic abuse survivors can learn so much more from horses, including how to control fear, how to be more assertive, how to be confident, and how to connect with others. They can even identify areas in their
own lives that need work. If you’d like to experience the power of horse therapy yourself, please contact the Sanctuary for more information.

 

HORSEMANSHIP/LIFEMANSHIP CLINICS

On its seven-acre facility, Journey to the Heart opens its space for a variety of clinicians to offer clinics related to personal and relationship development. With a goal to host four clinics per year, Journey to
the Heart invites healers and clinicians to share and grow with us. In our horsemanship clinics, the focus is on developing a reciprocal connection and communication with the horse.
 

CORPORATE RETREATS
More to come....