A young girl with long blond hair wearing a gray knit hat and teal jacket gently touches a black and white horse on its face inside a stable.

A woman in a purple jacket and a tan knit hat sitting outdoors on a wooden structure, feeding a black horse with a white blaze on its face, in a forested area with trees and bare ground in the background.

A child in a yellow jacket and rain boots petting a black and white horse belonging to a stable or farm.

A young girl petting a brown horse with a blonde mane behind a metal fence in a sunny outdoor setting surrounded by trees.

Two girls sitting outdoors near a brown and white horse, one girl is drawing in a sketchbook with a blue pen, all are under trees with sunlight filtering through.

A brown horse with a light mane and blue halter drinking water near a riverbank, surrounded by green grass, bushes, and trees under a partly cloudy sky.

The Grounded Herd: 6-Week Core Regulation & Life Skills Program

BC Autism Funding (AFU), MCFD and other types of Funding Eligible | 1-on-1 Ground-Based Support

For neurodivergent youth (Autism, ADHD, Anxiety, and Sensory Processing differences), the world can feel loud and unpredictable. Traditional indoor office settings or talk-based therapies don't always give children the physical space they need to process their environment.

At Kind Spirit Horses here in Squamish, I provide a calm, low-sensory, outdoor space where youth partner with my gentle herd on the ground. Utilizing my background in somatic movement and certified FEEL® training, I guide youth through structured interactions where horses act as natural bio-feedback partners.

There is no riding involved—just a safe, practical environment to slow down, practice emotional regulation, and build real-world life skills.

Weekly Program Breakdown

To ensure consistency and predictability, each week focuses on a core developmental pillar:

Week 1: Safety & Sensing the Space
Introducing the herd, setting comfort levels, and learning how to read a horse’s natural body language to build a baseline of safety.
Week 2: Discovering Co-Regulation
Learning how our internal energy affects others. Youth practice real-time breathing and physical grounding techniques to see how the horse immediately mirrors their calm state.
Week 3: Experiential Boundaries
Horses are masters of personal space. Youth practice non-verbal communication to clearly ask for space, respect the horse’s boundaries, and build mutual trust.
Week 4: Emotional Awareness & Expression
Identifying mixed emotions (like frustration or anxiety) in a safe, judgment-free zone, using the horse's gentle response as feedback to process those feelings physically.
Week 5: Navigating Frustration & Focus
Working through simple ground-based obstacles or tasks with the horse to build patience, problem-solving skills, and resilience when things don't go as planned.
Week 6: Integration & Reflection
Celebrating the bond built with the herd and matching their new somatic grounding tools to real-life scenarios at home and in school.

Program Rates & Logistics

Total Cost: $990 + GST (Includes pre-program intake goal setting, six 60-minute private sessions, and a progress summary).
Funding: We invoice the Autism Funding Unit directly once your "Request to Pay" form is processed.
Payment plan available for those who do not have access to funding.
Environment: 100% outdoors in our quiet Squamish valley setting. Rain or shine.
I offer a free of charge meet and greet for all new families to make sure this is a good fit for everyone.

INQUIRE TODAY