Since my last post, over a year and a half ago, much has changed, and life continues to present challenges and joys. I have moved barns twice since then and am now at a place that I love, Amethyst Equine Connections. The barn owner is a good friend and someone who supports my equine therapy work. The animals, including horses, minis, donkeys, alpacas, cows, chickens, bunnies, cats, and a dog, are all well cared for and regular co-therapists in my sessions. I have two “new” equine co-therapists, Carmel (who was actually my first equine partner when I started this work almost three years ago), and Snugs (Mr. Snuggles, a former show horse who needed a new career). They are both wonderful partners and I am enjoying getting to know them both—Carmel has been showing me more of her playful side and her desire to connect with me and others; and Snugs, who I am still getting to know, is a very sensitive, intuitive horse who is connecting well with some of my adult/young adult clients.

My office and virtual therapy work have been extremely busy over the past two years, for which I am grateful, and it also makes me wonder about the longer-term mental health effects of what we all have lived through over the past two years. With each wave of this pandemic, we have been asked to be flexible and adaptable, so that, at times, there does not seem to be much that is constant. For me, the constants have been connections with family, good friends, colleagues, animals, and nature/Mother Earth, they are what sustain me and bring me moments of happiness and calm. I feel blessed to have these connections in my life.