What I Learned from a Family Retreat with the Horses

It has been years since I have done a family retreat, mostly because the first one I ever did was pretty intense.

The father had severe mental health and I didn’t have a space created for myself in that, because it wasn’t completely disclosed. It was exhausting for me and I didn’t want to enter that space again.

Years later, I have learned how to discern, create space to ask and know that I can be as equally discerning with my clients as they are with me.

And so when the inquiry came in about a family retreat, I could venture into that.

The parents were self aware. They have been investing in their personal development. As a family unit, they were working on themselves. I told them they needed to do a session too as well as the family and the children and it was powerful.

I was reminded deeply how powerful this work with horses is, how much I love creating space for people to become more self aware and how rewarding it is to give an impact to the people who are here seeking it.

On the second day, while I was doing a session for the older daughter, the mother said afterwards with tears in her eyes, thank you so much, can I hug you? The horses revealed and created space for feedback and learning that was more authentic than some of the other therapy they were in and the kids loved it!

How great to be able to work on ourselves and love the process! They left saying this will be an annual experience for them.

It was rewarding for me to be in a space where there was so much received from it, a reminder of this is my purpose and I love this work deeply.

If we ever question the space of the horses and the effectiveness of it, this is proof that sometimes we need to be reminded of the value and specialness of this work to give us the courage to continue to share.

Sometimes I forget, too…

This is a reminder…

Hillary