Sonja Wingard founded Animals as Natural Therapy, which has served the area for over 20 years with programs for children, vets, and others. Her background is in nursing.
Wingard believes in the power of relationships between humans and animals to promote mental health. For disturbed youth, she has seen how such relationships can foster improvement when traditional approaches to treatment haven’t worked. She has seen many kids move from fear to self-confidence, as they relate to a 1K pound horse, which requires that they consciously and unconsciously create an environment for that relationship, be acutely aware of the horse and its needs, and then learn how to work with those needs and how their own behavior affects the horse. Wingard says the therapy helps the kids learn to create safe spaces and boundaries, essential skills for everyone in life and work.
Wingard’s work involves mostly horses, following the work of Linda Kohanov who laid a foundation for equine relationships and therapy, and is a believer that horses have a lot to teach humans, lessons that can be difficult to learn in other settings.
400 kids a year go to the farm to interact with animals. Some are referred by professionals. Many are withdrawn or angry. Wingard says horses will mirror the emotions of the kids while the kids may express feelings in ways they are not doing with humans. In interacting with these 1K pound animals, kids learn what boundaries they need and how to set those with the horse. Kids also grow in their listening and observation skills, learning the impact of subtle changes in their own behavior (e.g., moving away slightly) on the horse.
Participating kids are encouraged to develop a contract with the horse that goes something like this: I need you to take good care of me, and I promise that I will take care of you. I need you to forgive me when I make mistakes, and I promise to forgive you.
Kids are not the only ones served. There are many types of programs offered, including an intergenerational one, small after school programs, some for those suffering from PTSD, veterans, women who have been trafficked, and even corporate programs. Wingard believes small scale programs work best and has launched satellite progams in the area.
There is a breakfast Wednesday, October 2, at 7:15am at BTC.
President Cathy thanked the speaker and shared her powerful connection to horses in her childhood and her desire to be inclusive, and not just passively inclusive.
