Letting Go of the Status Quo: Rediscovering Healing through Connection to Land, Horses, and Our Bodies
For as long as I can remember, I've been immersed in the mental health field. I've been in the trenches, exploring every system of "care" you can imagine—studying the jargon, learning the new modalities that often feel like old concepts repackaged with a trademark. And while I've gained invaluable insights along the way, something always felt incomplete. It was as if there was a deeper layer of healing, something more authentic and rooted, that was missing.
What I’ve come to realize, and what continues to fuel my own wellbeing and passion, is that true healing begins when we reconnect to the natural world. It’s not in the jargon, the quick fixes, or the latest trend. It’s in the land beneath our feet, in the wisdom of our ancestors, in our bodies' innate knowing, and in our relationships with other beings—human and non-human alike. And it’s this connection that I believe holds the key to a more grounded, relational way of healing.
The Call of the Land: A Return to Nature’s Medicine
Over the years, I’ve witnessed how disconnected we’ve become from the earth and all its creatures. As a society, we’ve lost our respect for the natural world, often reducing it to something to be controlled, exploited, or ignored. But when we slow down, take a breath, and listen closely, we realize that nature has always been here, offering us wisdom. It’s a healing presence that can guide us back to ourselves, to each other, and to the land.
I’ve found that the deeper my connection with nature, the deeper my own healing. It’s in the quiet spaces—the rustling of leaves, the wind brushing through the trees, the gentle rhythms of the earth—that I’m reminded of the simplicity and power of presence. The earth doesn’t rush; it simply is. And in that stillness, I’ve come to understand the importance of attunement—something that is central to my practice as a somatic and equine facilitated therapist. Outside of that role is the place where I offer myself the same things I offer my clients, space to reflect, space for presence and engagement with the land and animals and creatures that inhabit it including what lives in the soil. I have been feeling most renewed by new life and nourishment in our garden.
Somatic Healing: Listening to the Wisdom of the Body
In the somatic work I do with clients, I’ve found that true healing arises not from the mind alone, but from the body. Our bodies hold ancient wisdom, and through somatic experiencing, we learn to listen to it. It's through this practice that we can release trapped emotions, tension, and trauma stored in the body, restoring balance and harmony. Just this week I was honored to hear a client describe the felt sense of something moving or shifting as they were invited to move physically and feel the bilateral stimulation from walking while reflecting on their story and noticing where the words land within.
Somatic work invites us to be present with our bodies, to feel what is happening in real time, without judgment. It’s about becoming aware of sensations—tension, tightness, release—and allowing ourselves the space to process and heal.
This is where horses come in.
Horses: Partners in Healing and Teachers of Presence
Horses are profoundly sensitive creatures, attuned to the energy of those around them. Their ability to respond authentically to our emotional states offers a unique opportunity for relational healing. Horses are not concerned with the labels we place on ourselves or the complex stories we carry. They simply respond to our energy, our presence, and our authenticity.
In Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP), horses become co-facilitators. They help us reconnect with our bodies, with our emotions, and with the present moment. When working with horses, we are invited to step outside the noise of the world and into a space where deep connection is possible. Horses help us stay grounded, attuned, and honest with ourselves. They teach us about trust, consent, and boundaries—lessons that are often missing in our human interactions.
By tuning into the subtle cues of the horse, we are able to better understand our own emotional and somatic responses. This process of attunement, both with the horse and within ourselves, fosters healing on a deep, embodied level.
The Trap of Trendy Modalities: A Call for Creativity and Critical Thinking
While well-researched and trademarked modalities should offer a foundation for exploration, they must never become prescriptive manuals that try to one-up the next or make proprietary claims on healing. These modalities often become marketed as the "new" thing, as if they've unlocked some secret that others haven't. But when we begin to consume these treatments without pause, we lose our ability to critically think and create. We fall into the trap of swallowing everything we hear from the latest therapy trend or therapist-author guru. It’s hard to stay the path without the ever-nagging voice inside that says if i just have this certification or these letters behind my name I will then …XYZ What I come to realize and admit is that this is often fueled by something we all no matter what field we are in deal with, imposter syndrome, lack of trust in our instincts, and lack of validation. We may do ourselves a service in trying to trace back where these beliefs came from and recognize there is a root and also its perceptualized by the design of the system and capitalism.
This process bypasses our own unique wisdom and intuition. It begins to feel robotic—cookie-cutter, even. Healing should not be a one-size-fits-all approach. When we let ourselves simply follow a prescribed formula, we deny the richness and depth of our individual experiences. We stop listening to the quiet, guiding voice within. Instead of exploring and integrating these practices into our own bodies of wisdom, we become passive recipients, consuming what we’re told, without room for critical reflection or personal creativity.
This is especially relevant for those of us who come from historically oppressed backgrounds. When we forget to honor our own intuition, we allow the voices of colonialism, systemic oppression, and commercialization to dictate what healing looks like for us. True healing involves liberation—not just from our trauma, but from the systems that tell us our way of healing is wrong or not enough. It’s about decolonizing our approach to wellness, allowing space for diverse ways of knowing and being, and embracing the healing that has always existed within us, passed down from our ancestors. It’s so incredibly hard because we are trying to survive a system that wasn’t designed for our wellbeing.
A More Relational Way of Healing
As I’ve let go of the mainstream wellness industry and psychotherapy status quo, I’ve come to understand that healing is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s not about fixing what is broken, but about honoring what is already whole within us. It’s about slowing down and reconnecting with the land, with animals, and with our bodies.
At True Nature Integrative Health, we offer a more relational approach to healing—one that honors the wisdom of the earth and the animals that inhabit it. Through somatic experiencing, equine-facilitated psychotherapy, and nature-based practices, we invite our clients to reconnect with the world around them and discover the healing power of presence.
It’s time to return to the land, to the animals, and to our bodies. It’s time to listen to the whispers of the earth and honor the natural medicine it offers.
The Tension Between Connection and Incongruence
I often find myself caught in the pull to expand this work beyond the local community by offering an online component. The idea of reaching like-minded individuals—especially BIPOC communities—across the nation is compelling, and I see the potential for making a broader impact. Yet, I can’t help but feel a sense of incongruence in offering a practice centered on reconnecting with the rhythms of the natural world through a screen. There's a sadness that lingers because, in many ways, this is what seems to thrive in today’s digital world. I struggle with the idea of reaching people through a medium that feels so far removed from the grounded, embodied work I believe is needed—work that must be experienced in the presence of land, animals, and human connection. But I also know that this desire to expand stems from a genuine wish to connect with others who share this vision. As I write this, I admit that I often find myself paralyzed by this tension. It’s a journey for me, and I don’t always get it right. I’ve been guilty of jumping on trends, getting lost in social media, and abandoning my original vision. Yet, time and time again, I am shown a path back—a reminder to stay true to what truly matters, to honor the healing that comes from connection, and to keep finding my way back to the land.
If you're ready to explore this journey of healing, we invite you to join us. Whether it's through individual sessions, group retreats, or simply connecting with the land and the horses, True Nature Integrative Health offers a space to rediscover your own relational path to healing.