Individual & Holistic Therapy in Northern Colorado

Therapy Methods
for Personalized Healing

Elizabeth Warson offers a unique, creative approach to therapy, blending various modalities to help individuals overcome challenges, build resilience, and achieve personal growth.

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EMDR Therapy

(Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals process and heal from trauma and distressing life experiences.

A young girl hold a clear beaker over half of her face. The tones in the photo are soft neutrals with other clear beakers with soft single stem florals in each. The photo is representative of the bilateral eye movement used in EMDR Therapy, a therapeutic method used by Elizabeth Warson of Healing Pathways

Benefits of EMDR

✓ Trauma Processing & Healing

  • Effective for PTSD: EMDR is particularly well-known for its effectiveness in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It helps individuals process traumatic memories, reducing the emotional charge associated with them.
  • Reduction in Trauma Symptoms: Studies have shown that EMDR can reduce symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and hyperarousal, which are common in trauma survivors.

✓ Faster Recovery

  • Shorter Treatment Time: Compared to traditional talk therapies, many individuals experience significant improvement in a relatively short amount of time. Some report noticeable results after just a few sessions.
  • Efficient Processing: The use of bilateral stimulation (usually in the form of guided eye movements) helps to facilitate the brain’s natural ability to reprocess distressing memories, speeding up the healing process.

✓ Reduced Emotional Distress

  • Desensitization: EMDR helps individuals reduce the emotional intensity of distressing memories. This process allows people to revisit traumatic events without feeling overwhelmed by the negative emotions associated with them.
  • Improved Emotional Regulation: EMDR encourages the brain to integrate memories in a more adaptive way, leading to improved emotional responses to situations that previously triggered intense feelings.

✓ Improved Cognitive Functioning

  • Negative Beliefs and Cognitive Distortions: EMDR can help reframe negative self-beliefs (e.g., “I’m worthless” or “I’m helpless”) that often develop after trauma. This process allows individuals to develop more balanced, positive beliefs about themselves and the world.
  • Cognitive Reprocessing: The therapy encourages the brain to process and store memories in a more organized and integrated way, reducing cognitive distortions and promoting healthier thought patterns.

✓ Treatment of a Variety of Issues

  • Not Just for PTSD: While EMDR is often associated with trauma, it has also been found effective for a wide range of mental health concerns, including:
    • Anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety, panic disorder)
    • Depression
    • Phobias
    • Grief and loss
    • Performance anxiety (e.g., sports, public speaking)
    • Childhood neglect or abuse
    • Addictions (when trauma is a contributing factor)
    • Pain management (for chronic pain that has emotional components)

✓ Less Need for Verbalization

  • Non-Intensive Talking: Unlike traditional talk therapies, EMDR doesn’t require individuals to verbally recount every detail of their traumatic experience. This can be particularly beneficial for those who have difficulty articulating their feelings or memories.
  • Therapeutic Distance: The process allows individuals to heal from traumatic memories without being forced to relive or re-experience them in detail, which can reduce retraumatization.

✓ Improved Self-Esteem & Self-Confidence

  • Positive Change in Self-Perception: By addressing unresolved trauma and negative beliefs, individuals often experience a boost in self-esteem and a greater sense of empowerment, moving toward healthier self-worth.
  • Greater Emotional Resilience: EMDR helps individuals process past trauma and develop new, healthier coping mechanisms, making them more resilient in the face of future stressors.

✓ Holistic Approach

  • Mind-Body Integration: EMDR addresses both the cognitive and emotional aspects of trauma, working to rewire neural pathways and restore the brain’s natural processing abilities. This can lead to a sense of balance and healing on both a mental and physical level.
  • Activation of the Brain’s Natural Healing Process: EMDR is thought to help facilitate the brain’s natural adaptive information processing system, allowing it to process and integrate memories in a way that promotes healing and reduces distress.

✓ Minimal Side Effects

  • Non-Invasive: Unlike some psychiatric treatments, EMDR doesn’t rely on medication or invasive procedures, making it a safer and often preferred option for many people.
  • Low Risk of Dependency: Because EMDR is a non-pharmacological treatment, there’s little risk of developing dependency, which can sometimes occur with medication-based treatments for mental health issues.

✓ Can Be Combined with Other Therapies

  • Complementary to Other Treatments: EMDR can be integrated with other therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, or psychodynamic therapy, to enhance healing and address various aspects of mental health.

✓ Empowerment and Control

  • Active Role in Healing: EMDR therapy encourages active participation from the client, which can foster a sense of agency and empowerment. Clients are often able to recognize and break through emotional and cognitive blocks with the guidance of their therapist.

✓ Accessibility

  • Suitable for Different Ages: EMDR is adaptable for children, adolescents, and adults. It has been used successfully in treating children who have experienced trauma, offering a safe and supportive environment for younger clients.
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Equine Therapy

(EAP)

Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is a therapeutic approach that involves working with horses to address emotional, behavioral, and psychological challenges. It blends traditional psychotherapy techniques with the unique qualities of working with horses. This approach has been shown to offer numerous benefits, particularly in areas such as trauma, emotional regulation, personal growth, and interpersonal relationships.

Elizabeth Warson and her Therapeutic Riding Horse Grace. Up close image of her hands on Grace's halter. The photo represents Equine Therapy, a therapeutic method used by Elizabeth Warson of Healing Pathways

Benefits of Equine Therapy

✓ Improved Emotional Awareness & Regulation

  • Nonverbal Communication: Horses are highly sensitive to human emotions and body language. Working with them can help individuals become more attuned to their own feelings and behaviors. The horse’s reactions provide real-time feedback, which helps individuals recognize and manage their emotional states.
  • Emotional Expression: For individuals who have difficulty expressing emotions verbally, horses can provide a safe and non-judgmental space for emotional release. The physical presence of the horse can help people connect with their feelings in ways that may be difficult in traditional therapy settings.

✓ Healing from Trauma

  • Safe Space for Trauma Processing: EAP can be particularly effective for individuals with trauma histories, such as PTSD, abuse, or neglect. The non-threatening, supportive environment that horses provide can help clients feel safer and more comfortable processing painful memories.
  • Trauma Re-enactment and Re-framing: Interacting with horses can bring up feelings of vulnerability, fear, or trust issues, providing opportunities for clients to work through these emotions in a controlled and therapeutic environment. This can be empowering as clients learn to cope with difficult memories and emotions.

✓ Building Trust & Relationship Skills

  • Trust and Safety: Horses are prey animals, which means they are naturally cautious and require clear, consistent, and trustworthy leadership. In EAP, clients can learn how to build trust through clear communication, consistency, and positive reinforcement. This can be particularly helpful for individuals who struggle with trust issues in human relationships.
  • Interpersonal Relationships: By learning to communicate and work effectively with a horse, clients can improve their interpersonal skills. They learn how to be assertive, establish boundaries, and form meaningful connections. These skills often translate into better relationships in their personal and professional lives.

✓ Increased Self-Esteem & Confidence

  • Mastery and Achievement: EAP often involves tasks that require focus, effort, and patience—such as leading, grooming, or riding a horse. Successfully completing these tasks can help individuals build a sense of accomplishment and confidence in their abilities.
  • Empowerment: Horses are large, powerful animals, and learning to work with them can be an empowering experience. The ability to care for and guide a horse fosters a sense of responsibility and self-efficacy, which can translate into greater self-esteem and personal growth.

✓ Enhanced Social Skills

  • Collaboration and Teamwork: EAP often involves group therapy, which allows individuals to practice social skills such as collaboration, empathy, and conflict resolution in a supportive, low-pressure setting. Working with horses in a group fosters communication and shared decision-making, promoting teamwork.
  • Reduced Social Anxiety: The presence of horses can have a calming and grounding effect, which can help individuals feel more comfortable and less anxious in social interactions. This is particularly beneficial for individuals who experience social anxiety or have difficulty engaging in group settings.

✓ Increased Mindfulness & Presence

  • Living in the Moment: Horses live in the present moment, and clients working with horses must do the same to create a successful partnership. This fosters mindfulness and encourages individuals to focus on the here-and-now, which can reduce stress, anxiety, and rumination.
  • Mind-Body Connection: Interacting with horses requires physical awareness, such as body posture, movement, and tone. This awareness helps individuals reconnect with their bodies, especially for those who may have become disconnected due to trauma, anxiety, or depression.

✓ Stress Reduction & Relaxation

  • Calming Presence: The calm, grounded nature of horses can have a soothing effect on individuals, helping to reduce stress and anxiety. Being around horses has been shown to decrease cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and increase oxytocin (a hormone associated with bonding and relaxation).
  • Nature and Environment: Many equine-assisted therapy programs take place in natural, outdoor settings, which can further enhance the stress-reducing benefits. Nature has been shown to improve mood, reduce anxiety, and promote general well-being.

✓ Improved Communication Skills

  • Clear, Direct Communication: Horses respond to non-verbal cues such as body language, tone of voice, and energy. In EAP, clients learn how to communicate more effectively through these non-verbal means, improving their ability to convey messages in a clear and constructive way.
  • Nonjudgmental Interaction: Since horses do not judge, they provide a neutral space for individuals to practice open and honest communication without fear of criticism. This can be especially helpful for those who struggle with self-expression or fear being misunderstood.

✓ Behavioral Change & Problem-Solving Skills

  • Problem-Solving: EAP often involves setting goals and working through challenges with the horse. These challenges help individuals develop problem-solving skills and resilience as they learn to adapt to different situations and figure out how to work through obstacles.
  • Increased Self-Discipline: The process of caring for and managing a horse encourages responsibility and self-discipline. This can lead to more consistent efforts and positive behavioral changes in other areas of life.

✓ Support for a Wide Range of Mental Health Issues

  • Anxiety, Depression, and Stress: EAP can be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression by fostering relaxation, self-awareness, and positive emotional experiences.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD: For individuals with ASD or ADHD, working with horses can help with focus, emotional regulation, and social skills development. Horses can provide immediate feedback that helps individuals understand cause-and-effect relationships and how their actions impact others.

✓ Accessible & Client-Centered

  • Engagement for Non-Talkative Clients: For individuals who find it hard to engage in traditional verbal therapies, the kinesthetic, action-based nature of EAP can be an alternative means of expression and healing.
  • Flexible and Tailored to Individual Needs: EAP can be adapted to suit a wide range of ages, issues, and therapeutic goals, whether it’s for children, adults, or individuals with special needs. The therapy is often customized to the client’s needs, goals, and comfort level.
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Expressive Arts Therapy

(EXAT)

Expressive Arts Therapy (EXAT) is a therapeutic approach that uses the creative process of making art—such as visual arts, music, dance, drama, writing, and movement—as a means of exploring emotions, processing trauma, and fostering personal growth. Unlike traditional therapies that rely primarily on verbal communication, expressive arts therapy encourages self-expression and healing through nonverbal means.

An up close image of a soft watercolor painting with a hand and brush painting a stroke. The photo represents Expressive Arts Therapy, a therapeutic method used by Elizabeth Warson of Healing Pathways

Benefits of Expressive Arts Therapy

✓ Facilitates Emotional Expression

  • Nonverbal Release: Many individuals, especially those with trauma or mental health struggles, find it difficult to articulate their emotions in words. Art-making provides a safe and effective outlet for expressing feelings that may be difficult to verbalize.
  • Processing Complex Emotions: Creating art allows people to explore a range of emotions—anger, grief, joy, fear, etc.—in a direct, unfiltered way, helping them process and release pent-up feelings without the constraints of language.

✓ Healing from Trauma

  • Safe Exploration of Trauma: Expressive arts therapy can help individuals process painful or traumatic memories in a non-threatening way. Engaging in creative activities can enable clients to confront and reframe past experiences without the emotional overwhelm that may come from recounting them verbally.
  • Integration of Body and Mind: For those who have experienced trauma, art can help reconnect the mind with the body. Artistic expression engages both physical movement (e.g., dance, sculpture) and emotional expression, which can be essential for healing from body-based trauma.

✓ Stress Reduction & Relaxation

  • Calming Effects: The act of creating art—whether through drawing, painting, writing, or music—can have a meditative, calming effect. It encourages a state of mindfulness, where individuals focus on the present moment, reducing stress, anxiety, and racing thoughts.
  • Release of Tension: Physical forms of expressive arts, such as dance or movement, help release physical tension and promote relaxation. The creative process often involves a flow state, which has been shown to reduce cortisol (the stress hormone) and promote well-being.

✓ Enhances Self-Awareness & Insight

  • Discovering Inner Thoughts and Feelings: The creative process can reveal unconscious thoughts, feelings, and desires that individuals might not be aware of or able to access through traditional talk therapy. It often facilitates deeper self-reflection and a clearer understanding of oneself.
  • Symbolism and Metaphor: Art can bring forward symbols or metaphors that reflect inner experiences, helping individuals understand their emotions and life situations from a new perspective. This self-discovery can help clients gain insight into patterns or behaviors that may have been holding them back.

✓ Promotes Personal Growth & Self-Esteem

  • Empowerment Through Creation: Making art allows clients to take control of their own therapeutic process. Whether they create a painting, a song, or a piece of writing, the act of creation itself can be empowering, helping people feel more confident and capable.
  • Affirmation and Accomplishment: Completing a creative project gives individuals a sense of accomplishment, which can build self-esteem and reinforce a positive sense of self-worth. The process of creation can be a powerful reminder of one’s strengths and abilities.

✓ Promotes Mindfulness & Presence

  • Focus on the Process, Not the Outcome: In expressive arts therapy, the emphasis is often on the process of creating rather than on the final product. This encourages a state of mindfulness where the client is fully engaged in the present moment, promoting relaxation and reducing worries about the future.
  • Flow State: Many people experience a “flow” state during creative activities, a mental state of immersion and focused energy that is associated with greater happiness, relaxation, and emotional balance.

✓ Enhances Problem-Solving & Coping Skills

  • Creative Problem-Solving: Expressive arts therapy can help individuals develop new ways of thinking about and solving problems. Artistic processes encourage innovative thinking and can offer fresh perspectives on challenges in life.
  • Coping Mechanism for Stressful Situations: Engaging in artistic expression can provide a healthy coping strategy for managing stress, anxiety, or overwhelming situations. It provides individuals with a constructive way to process emotions and thoughts in difficult times.

✓ Improves Self-Expression & Communication

  • Building Expressive Skills: Some people, especially those who have difficulty with verbal communication (such as children, people with autism, or individuals with speech disorders), find it easier to express their thoughts and feelings through art. This process can foster a greater ability to express themselves clearly and confidently.
  • Enhancing Emotional Literacy: Through the use of colors, shapes, words, and movement, individuals learn to express a wide range of emotions in ways they may not have known were possible. This enhances emotional literacy and can help people understand their feelings more fully.

✓ Improves Physical Health

  • Movement and Body Awareness: Expressive arts therapy often includes forms of movement (e.g., dance, body work, or expressive movement), which can improve body awareness, coordination, and physical well-being. It’s especially useful for people with chronic pain, disabilities, or other physical health challenges, as it helps integrate mind-body connections.
  • Healing through Creative Movement: Movement-based therapies, such as dance/movement therapy, can help release physical tension, increase energy levels, and improve motor coordination, all of which contribute to a sense of well-being.

✓ Engages Creativity & Play

  • Accessing the Creative Mind: Engaging in the creative process encourages individuals to tap into their imaginative, playful, and spontaneous selves. This can be especially therapeutic for individuals who feel stuck in rigid, logical ways of thinking or who have become disconnected from their natural creativity.
  • Playfulness in Therapy: Art-making can also help bring a sense of fun and play into therapy. It allows clients to experiment, take risks, and explore different ways of thinking or being—helping to break down emotional barriers and open up new possibilities for healing and growth.

✓ Holistic Healing

  • Integrating Mind, Body, and Spirit: Expressive arts therapy provides a holistic approach to healing by incorporating cognitive, emotional, and physical aspects of the self. This approach fosters a deeper sense of integration and balance across different areas of life.
  • Spiritual Growth: For some individuals, engaging in creative expression can offer a spiritual experience, helping them reconnect with their sense of purpose or a higher sense of meaning in life.
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Nature-Based Therapy

(NBT)

Nature-Based Therapy (NBT), also known as ecotherapy, is a therapeutic approach that involves using nature and outdoor environments as a healing tool to address emotional, psychological, and physical challenges. It recognizes the deep connection between humans and the natural world and incorporates the natural environment into the therapeutic process. Nature-Based Therapy can take various forms, including outdoor therapy, horticultural therapy, wilderness therapy, and ecopsychology.

An up close image of a hand gently running fingers through a wild field of grass. The photo represents Nature-Based Therapy, a therapeutic method used by Elizabeth Warson of Healing Pathways

Benefits of Nature-Based Therapy

✓ Stress Reduction & Relaxation

  • Calming Effects of Nature: Spending time in nature has been shown to lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and activate the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation. Natural settings—such as forests, parks, gardens, and lakes—help individuals reduce anxiety, stress, and mental fatigue.
  • Natural Rhythms Promote Calmness: The soothing sounds, colors, and smells of nature (wind, water, birds, trees, etc.) encourage relaxation and mindfulness. The natural world’s rhythms and slower pace can help individuals recalibrate, promoting inner calm and peace.

✓ Enhances Emotional Well-Being

  • Improved Mood: Research has shown that spending time outdoors improves overall mood, reduces feelings of depression, and increases happiness. Nature exposure increases serotonin and endorphin levels, neurotransmitters that are responsible for feelings of well-being and happiness.
  • Emotional Resilience: Engaging with nature helps individuals feel more grounded, increasing their ability to manage emotions in a healthy way. This can be particularly beneficial for those dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma.

✓ Healing from Trauma & Grief

  • Connection to the Earth as Grounding: Nature’s vastness and stability can be deeply grounding for people who have experienced trauma or grief. Nature offers a non-judgmental space for individuals to process difficult emotions while feeling connected to something larger than themselves.
  • Symbolism and Transformation: Nature-based therapy often uses metaphors from the natural world to help individuals explore and reframe their emotional pain. For example, the life cycles of plants or the resilience of trees can serve as metaphors for personal healing and transformation.

✓ Improved Cognitive Function

  • Restoring Mental Clarity: Time spent in nature can help individuals clear mental fog and regain mental clarity. It has been shown to improve focus, memory, and attention. For those with ADHD or cognitive fatigue, being in nature can significantly improve concentration and cognitive functioning.
  • Boosting Creativity: Immersion in natural environments stimulates creativity and problem-solving. Many people report that time outdoors helps them think more clearly, come up with fresh ideas, and feel inspired. This can be helpful for individuals who are facing personal challenges or looking for creative solutions in their lives.

✓ Increased Physical Health

  • Encouraging Physical Activity: Nature-based therapy often involves physical activity, whether it’s walking, hiking, gardening, or nature-based mindfulness exercises. These activities improve cardiovascular health, reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, and promote overall physical fitness.
  • Boosting Immune System: Research suggests that time spent in nature, especially in forested areas (a practice called forest bathing or Shinrin-yoku), can boost the immune system by increasing the number of natural killer cells (which help fight off viruses and cancer).
  • Connecting with the Body: Nature-based therapy often involves mind-body techniques that increase awareness of one’s physical body and its connection to the environment. This heightened awareness can help individuals relax and release physical tension, improving overall physical and mental health.

✓ Increased Self-Awareness & Personal Growth

  • Reconnecting with Oneself: Time spent in nature can help individuals slow down, tune into their inner selves, and reflect on their personal goals, challenges, and emotions. The quietude and vastness of the outdoors can provide clarity and help individuals align with their values and purpose.
  • Self-Discovery through Nature Metaphors: Nature provides rich symbolism for self-exploration. For example, observing the growth of a plant can reflect personal growth, or the path of a river can represent a life journey. These metaphors encourage deep introspection and personal development.

✓ Healing for Children & Adolescents

  • Engagement and Playfulness: Nature-based therapy is especially effective for children and adolescents. Outdoor settings are more engaging, allowing young people to express themselves through play, exploration, and physical movement. This type of therapy can help children build emotional intelligence, social skills, and resilience.
  • Addressing Behavioral Issues: Nature-based therapy can be particularly effective for children with behavioral issues, anxiety, ADHD, or emotional trauma. Activities such as hiking, horseback riding, or even gardening can help children focus, develop empathy, and regulate emotions in a structured but non-threatening environment.
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Polyvagal Informed Therapy

(PVT)

Polyvagal Informed Therapy (PVT) is a therapeutic approach grounded in Polyvagal Theory, which was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. Polyvagal Theory offers a framework for understanding how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) – which controls bodily functions such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion – affects our emotional and behavioral responses, especially in the context of stress, trauma, and relationships. PVT integrates this understanding of the autonomic nervous system into clinical practice to help individuals regulate their emotional responses, heal from trauma, and improve overall well-being. The theory emphasizes how our nervous system responds to safety, danger, and life-threatening situations, and how this influences our behavior and emotional states.

 

The back of a female standing near a cliff by a waters edge with her hand on the top of her hat. The photo represents Polyvagal InformedTherapy, a therapeutic method used by Elizabeth Warson of Healing Pathways

Benefits of Polyvagal Theory

✓ Enhances Emotional Regulation

  • Understanding Nervous System States: Polyvagal Theory distinguishes between three main states of the autonomic nervous system: the ventral vagal state (calm, connected, and socially engaged), the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight response), and the dorsal vagal state (freeze, shutdown, or dissociation). PVT helps individuals recognize which state they are in and develop strategies for shifting into a more regulated, calm state.
  • Promoting Safety: A core tenet of Polyvagal Informed Therapy is the importance of creating a sense of safety for the client. The therapy focuses on interventions that help clients feel safe enough to access their ventral vagal state, which promotes emotional regulation, social connection, and healing.

✓ Trauma Healing & Resilience

  • Processing Trauma with the Nervous System in Mind: PVT is particularly effective for individuals who have experienced trauma. Trauma often causes dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system, leading to chronic states of hyperarousal (fight-or-flight) or dissociation (freeze/shutdown). By helping individuals understand their physiological responses to trauma, PVT allows them to process traumatic memories and experiences in a way that supports nervous system regulation.
  • Restoring the Ability to Feel Safe: PVT works to help clients move from a constant state of hypervigilance (sympathetic nervous system dominance) or emotional numbing (dorsal vagal state) into a more balanced and grounded state where they feel safe and can regulate their emotions. This process helps rebuild resilience after trauma.

✓ Improves Relationships & Attachment

  • Strengthening the Social Engagement System: The ventral vagal system is associated with our ability to engage with others in a calm, compassionate, and present way. PVT helps individuals access this state, enhancing their ability to form healthy, secure relationships. It focuses on improving social connections, empathy, and nonverbal communication by addressing the underlying autonomic nervous system regulation.
  • Healing Attachment Wounds: PVT is especially useful for individuals with attachment issues, such as those who have experienced early childhood neglect, abuse, or inconsistent caregiving. By addressing dysregulation in the autonomic nervous system, PVT helps individuals develop more secure attachment patterns and foster trust in relationships.

✓ Reducing Anxiety & Stress

  • Calming the Nervous System: PVT offers a structured approach to reducing anxiety by focusing on practices that help the client shift from the fight-or-flight response (sympathetic dominance) to the social engagement system (ventral vagal). This may include deep breathing, grounding techniques, mindfulness, and other somatic practices that directly affect the vagus nerve, promoting a state of calm and relaxation.
  • Resilience Building: Over time, PVT can help individuals build greater resilience to stress and anxiety by teaching them how to regulate their nervous system and better manage their emotional and physiological responses to stressful situations.

✓ Supports Somatic Awareness & Mind-Body Connection

  • Embodied Awareness: Polyvagal Informed Therapy encourages individuals to become more attuned to their bodily sensations, which are key indicators of the autonomic nervous system’s state. This heightened somatic awareness allows clients to notice when they are feeling anxious, unsafe, or dissociated, enabling them to intervene early and take steps to regulate their nervous system before emotions spiral out of control.
  • Somatic Interventions: PVT often incorporates somatic (body-based) interventions such as deep breathing, movement, and other grounding techniques. These interventions help regulate the nervous system and reconnect clients to their bodies, which is especially important for those who may have become dissociated or disconnected from their physical sensations due to trauma or chronic stress.

✓ Improved Self-Compassion & Self-Awareness

  • Compassionate Self-Regulation: A significant benefit of PVT is that it helps clients approach their emotions and physical sensations with curiosity and compassion. Understanding that certain responses are rooted in the autonomic nervous system rather than being “bad” or “weak” helps individuals develop self-compassion. They are able to see their reactions as adaptive responses to stress or trauma, rather than personal failings.
  • Mindfulness of Nervous System States: PVT helps clients identify and become more aware of their nervous system states (e.g., when they are in a “fight-or-flight” state, feeling dissociated, or when they are calm and connected). This awareness leads to more self-understanding and greater self-regulation, promoting emotional balance.

✓ Empowerment & Control Over Responses

  • Increasing Sense of Control: One of the challenges for individuals who have experienced trauma or chronic stress is feeling as if they have no control over their emotions or responses. Polyvagal Informed Therapy empowers clients by providing them with tools to better understand and manage their autonomic responses. By learning to self-regulate their nervous system, clients can take more control over how they respond to difficult emotions and situations.
  • Autonomic Awareness as a Tool for Empowerment: By understanding how their body’s nervous system functions, individuals gain insight into their emotional and physiological states. This knowledge can be liberating, as it offers a sense of autonomy and reduces feelings of helplessness.

✓ Helps with Depression & Dissociation

  • Addressing Dorsal Vagal Shutdown: Depression and dissociation are often linked to dominance of the dorsal vagal state, which is associated with a “shutdown” or immobilization response. PVT offers specific tools to help individuals move out of this disconnected state and back into the ventral vagal state, which is associated with safety, social connection, and emotional vitality.
  • Restoring Vitality and Engagement: Polyvagal Informed Therapy helps individuals who are struggling with low energy, disconnection, or dissociation re-establish their ability to feel present and engaged with themselves and others. This can be a critical component of healing from depression and other mood disorders.

✓ Supports Trauma-Specific Needs

  • Gradual Processing of Trauma: PVT is effective for individuals who have experienced developmental trauma, complex PTSD, or acute trauma. The therapy uses body-centered techniques and emphasizes a gradual approach to processing traumatic memories, ensuring that the nervous system is regulated throughout the process.
  • Body-Centered Trauma Processing: Instead of solely focusing on the cognitive processing of trauma, PVT addresses the nervous system’s response to trauma. This can lead to deeper healing, as it integrates both cognitive and somatic processing.

✓ Practical Tools for Everyday Life

  • Everyday Regulation Techniques: PVT equips individuals with practical tools to self-regulate their nervous system throughout daily life. This can include deep breathing exercises, body movements, vocalizations (e.g., humming, sighing), mindfulness practices, and grounding exercises. These tools allow individuals to manage stress and emotional reactivity more effectively.
  • Developing a “Toolbox” for Nervous System Regulation: Over time, clients build a “toolbox” of techniques they can use in moments of stress, overwhelm, or emotional dysregulation. This helps them navigate challenging situations with greater calm and clarity.
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E. Qi Mindfulness

(Equine & Expressive Arts Inspired Qigong)

Equine and Expressive Arts Inspired Qigong is an integrative therapeutic approach that combines Qigong (a traditional Chinese mind-body practice that focuses on cultivating the flow of qi or life energy through controlled movement, breathwork, and meditation) with equine therapy and expressive arts to promote healing, emotional regulation, and personal transformation. This unique blend draws on the healing power of horses, creative expression, and the energetic balance of Qigong to support emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being.

A horse nibbles on a field of wild grasses and soft white flowers. The photo represents E. Qi. Mindfulness, a therapeutic method used by Elizabeth Warson of Healing Pathways

Benefits of Equine and Expressive Arts Inspired Qigong

✓ Integrating the Healing Power of Horses

  • Equine Therapy and Emotional Regulation: Horses are highly sensitive to human emotions and provide immediate feedback through their responses to a person’s body language, energy, and emotional state. In equine-assisted therapy, horses help individuals recognize and regulate their emotions in real-time, as the horse will mirror or respond to the energy or emotions of the person. Integrating Qigong with equine therapy helps individuals connect with their own energy flow and use horses as guides in identifying and releasing stagnant or blocked emotions.
  • Nonverbal Communication and Connection: Horses offer a unique form of nonverbal communication, helping clients become more attuned to their own body language, energy, and emotional cues. By practicing Qigong in the presence of horses, individuals can deepen their awareness of subtle body sensations, enhancing emotional expression and understanding.
  • Grounding and Balance: Horses are large, grounded animals, and interacting with them can help individuals feel more anchored and centered. When combined with Qigong practices, which emphasize grounding energy and connecting with the earth, this combination helps participants cultivate a strong sense of balance and stability.

✓ Harnessing the Power of Expressive Arts

  • Creative Expression through Movement and Art: Expressive arts therapy uses creative activities such as drawing, painting, music, dance, and drama to help individuals express emotions and explore their inner world. In this combined approach, Qigong movements serve as an expressive outlet for emotions, helping individuals unlock and release blockages in their energy flow, which is also reflected in their creativity.
  • Embodied Creativity: The combination of Qigong, expressive arts, and equine therapy allows clients to access their creative flow in a body-centered way. For example, the movements in Qigong, which are slow, deliberate, and mindful, help individuals express themselves physically in ways that can unlock creative potential. By practicing Qigong alongside creative arts, clients might find that they are more able to express themselves visually, verbally, or through other artistic mediums, bringing their emotions and energy to life.
  • Symbolism and Metaphor: Art and movement often tap into the subconscious, allowing individuals to use symbols, imagery, and metaphor to communicate feelings and ideas that might otherwise be difficult to verbalize. For example, individuals might use art to represent an energetic block they feel in their body, and then use Qigong practices to release that block and shift their energy.

✓ Qigong for Energy Healing & Balance

  • Energy Cultivation through Movement: Qigong uses specific, slow movements, breathing exercises, and meditation to cultivate, balance, and move energy (qi) through the body. In this integrated approach, Qigong movements can be adapted to work with the emotions and energetic imbalances that arise during equine interactions and expressive arts activities. For example, Qigong practices may be used to release excess energy or tension, promote relaxation, or balance energy during the therapeutic process.
  • Breath and Movement Synchronization: Qigong emphasizes the deep connection between breath and movement. By incorporating Qigong into equine therapy and expressive arts, individuals can learn to synchronize their breathing with their movements, enhancing body awareness, relaxation, and focus. This can be particularly helpful in working with trauma, anxiety, or stress, as it allows individuals to regulate their nervous system and maintain emotional equilibrium.
  • Flow State and Mindfulness: Both Qigong and expressive arts encourage mindfulness and presence in the moment. By practicing Qigong alongside creative arts and equine therapy, clients are guided into a flow state—an optimal state of focus and awareness where they can access deeper levels of creativity and healing. The gentle movement of Qigong enhances this process, allowing the individual to stay present and fully engaged with their body, emotions, and creative expression.

✓ Promoting Emotional Healing

  • Emotional Release and Regulation: Qigong is designed to help individuals release pent-up emotions and energy blockages that can manifest physically as tension or discomfort. Integrating Qigong with equine therapy allows individuals to process and release emotions in a safe, non-verbal way, supported by the natural responses of the horses and the grounding energy of the practice.
  • Creating Safe Spaces for Vulnerability: Horses are known for creating a safe, nonjudgmental environment, which is essential for emotional healing. By combining Qigong with expressive arts, clients are encouraged to express vulnerable emotions, whether through art, movement, or energy work. The therapeutic relationship with the horse supports emotional safety, allowing individuals to explore and release deeply held emotions.
  • Transforming Trauma and Stress: Combining the calming, centering effects of Qigong with the reflective and supportive presence of horses and creative expression helps individuals address trauma and emotional stress in a holistic way. This integrated approach can help release stored emotions and bring about physical and emotional healing, allowing individuals to process trauma at their own pace.

✓ Mind-Body Integration

  • Connecting Mind, Body, and Spirit: Qigong emphasizes the integration of mind, body, and spirit by harmonizing physical movements, breath, and mental focus. This integrated approach promotes a deep sense of connection to oneself, the environment, and others. In the context of equine and expressive arts therapy, this mind-body integration supports healing on multiple levels, helping individuals feel more aligned and present.
  • Body Awareness and Grounding: The grounding nature of Qigong movements, coupled with the physical presence of the horse, fosters deep body awareness and connection. Through Qigong and the interaction with horses, individuals learn to listen to and trust their bodies, which can be transformative for those who have become disconnected from their physical sensations, particularly due to trauma or chronic stress.

✓ Building Confidence & Empowerment

  • Empowerment through Movement and Connection: Both horses and expressive arts serve as mirrors for self-reflection, and they can help individuals gain confidence and trust in themselves. By practicing Qigong in the presence of horses and while engaging in creative expression, individuals can experience a sense of empowerment as they witness their own energy flow, creativity, and ability to connect with others and the environment.
  • Embodying Strength and Resilience: Horses, being strong and intuitive animals, model resilience and strength, which can inspire individuals to connect with their own inner strength. In tandem with the grounding and empowering movements of Qigong, clients can cultivate a greater sense of self-assurance, resilience, and inner peace.

✓ Support for Trauma & Dissociation

  • Healing from Dissociation: Equine therapy is often used to help individuals with dissociation, as the horses’ presence and nonjudgmental feedback help people reconnect to their body and emotions. Qigong’s calming and grounding movements can help individuals stay present, preventing further dissociation or emotional numbing. The combination of horses, expressive arts, and Qigong can be especially powerful for individuals who struggle with feeling disconnected from themselves, their bodies, or the world around them.
  • Processing Trauma in a Safe Space: Integrating Qigong with equine therapy and expressive arts provides a safe, structured space for trauma processing. The body-centered practices of Qigong help regulate the nervous system, while the horses and creative expression provide a therapeutic environment for emotional exploration and release.

✓ Holistic Healing

  • Balancing Energy and Emotions: Combining the physical movements of Qigong, the reflective presence of horses, and the creativity of expressive arts provides a holistic approach to healing that addresses the physical, emotional, and energetic aspects of a person. This multidimensional approach helps individuals heal on all levels—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—promoting greater balance, well-being, and vitality.
  • Self-Discovery and Growth: The therapeutic integration of Qigong, horses, and creative expression encourages self-exploration and personal growth. Individuals are empowered to discover new ways of relating to themselves and others, which promotes deeper self-awareness and personal transformation.
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Benefits of Equine and Expressive Arts Inspired Qigong Corporate Training

“E.Qi Corporate Training” focuses on Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in the workplace. The word “Qi” (or “Chi”) often represents energy flow in Chinese philosophy, and combining it with “EQ” creates a dynamic, holistic approach to emotional intelligence, emphasizing not just understanding and managing emotions but also the flow of energy within individuals and teams.

✓ Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

  • Focus on improving emotional awareness, regulation, and empathy within corporate settings.
  • This can help employees navigate stress, conflict, and teamwork more effectively.

✓ Energetic Balance and Leadership

  • Integrating emotional intelligence with concepts of energy balance, helping leaders and employees stay focused, calm, and clear in high-pressure environments.

✓ Holistic Employee Development

  • A comprehensive approach to training that not only builds emotional intelligence but also encourages mindfulness, stress management, and personal resilience.

✓ EQ + Energy Flow = Enhanced Productivity

  • Cultivating both emotional intelligence and balanced energy can lead to improved performance, creativity, and collaboration.

✓ Resilience & Well-being in Corporate Settings

  • Training that incorporates emotional intelligence with techniques for boosting resilience, mental health, and overall well-being in the workplace.

Learn More About Corporate Retreats

Therapeutic Riding

Therapeutic riding sessions are delivered by a two-facilitator team consisting of a professional horse trainer serving as the equine specialist and a certified equine mental health professional. The equine specialist has worked in this role since 2019 and is responsible for horse selection, behavior monitoring, and physical safety. The mental health professional holds advanced training in equine-assisted EMDR and provides clinical oversight, therapeutic pacing, and integration of regulation-based interventions.

The back of a female standing near a cliff by a waters edge with her hand on the top of her hat. The photo represents Polyvagal InformedTherapy, a therapeutic method used by Elizabeth Warson of Healing Pathways

About Therapeutic Riding

✓ Session Flexibility & Pricing

  • Sessions are offered as:
    • 60-minute session with equine specialist co-facilitator: $150
    • 90-minute session with equine specialist co-facilitator: $200
  • Session length is determined collaboratively based on participant needs, therapeutic goals, and tolerance for somatic and emotional activation.
  • All sessions are individualized rather than manualized, allowing flexibility in intervention selection and sequencing.

✓ Therapeutic Engagement vs. 'Riding Skill Acquisition'

  • Interventions incorporate both mounted and unmounted activities and are explicitly distinct from PATH-style adaptive riding sessions or traditional riding lessons.
  • While horsemanship skills may occur incidentally, the primary focus of each session is therapeutic engagement, nervous system regulation, and adaptive processing rather than riding instruction or skill acquisition.

✓ Alignment with EMDR-Informed Principles

  • Therapeutic components include breath work, bilateral movement, and rhythm-based activities facilitated through interaction with the horse.
  • Bilateral stimulation is provided through mounted activities (e.g., rhythmic walking, alternating movement patterns) and unmounted exercises (e.g., leading, brushing, or coordinated movement alongside the horse).
  • Interventions are selected to support regulation, interoceptive awareness, and adaptive responding in alignment with EMDR-informed principles.

✓ Sessions are Tailored to Participants

  • Sessions are tailored to participants’ presenting concerns and functional goals.
  • For example, individuals on the autism spectrum engage in interventions emphasizing predictability, sensory modulation, and verbal/nonverbal communication, whereas individuals presenting with anxious thoughts and feelings engage in breath regulation, bilateral movement, and present-moment orientation.
  • Therapeutic pacing is continuously adjusted based on observed affect, somatic cues, and participant feedback.

✓ Informed by Equine-Assisted EMDR with Nuance

  • This approach is informed by emerging literature on mounted equine-assisted EMDR and self-regulation, including a publication through EMDR International Association, which describes potential benefits of integrating equine movement with bilateral stimulation to support regulation and adaptive processing.
  • The intervention model emphasizes safety, collaboration, and individualized application rather than protocol-driven exposure or performance-based outcomes.
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Getting Started

Let’s Make This Easy…

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Step One

Connect Via Zoom

To make sure we’re a good fit, let’s schedule a 15-minute Zoom meeting

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Step two

Connect in Person

When we meet online, we will schedule a 30-minute tour to make sure our barn & animals are a good fit.

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Step two

Collaborate on Your Goals

Together, we’ll choose the methods and timeline to create a path for a brighter tomorrow.

Book a Consultation