Like many students who have walked through EATA’s paddocks, Natasha Whitwell’s journey into equine assisted mental health began when she started to question what would come next in her life.
On the surface her life looked like a success story.
She had an established business in pharmaceutical marketing and medical education, and a loving family, but the years leading up to that point had been dotted with trauma along the way.
At the age of 10, Natasha was lucky enough to get a pony, which became her trusted companion and counsellor over the years.
She went on to compete successfully with four ponies on the UK showjumping circuit until the age of 18.
Riding had become her whole life, but when she went away to university, things started to unravel.
University accommodation was a share house in a very rough part of town, and after a number of break-ins, her parents wanted her somewhere safer.
Natasha said she moved into a new development in the north of England, but she was alone and without her trusted horses by her side.
“I now realise, I was co-regulated by a team of ponies from age 10 to 18 – then nothing.
I went from so much connection to zero almost overnight.”
Natasha managed to get through university and graduated with a degree in Biological Science and a master’s degree in Parasitology.
She then moved straight into work in the pharmaceutical industry.
The years that followed included many ups and downs for Natasha, including a ‘too young’ and disastrous marriage and subsequent divorce.
This was followed by a (still) happy marriage and two sons, then the sudden death of her father, and later her mother.
She went through it all, while she juggled two businesses in medical education and event management.
Thirty years later, she said she reached a point where she wanted to change.
“I had had enough and wanted to do something more meaningful.
Covid, closing down the office and running a business from home and mid-life stage, combined to strip away any pretence that my life was a meaningful contribution to the world or to me.”
Natasha needed horses in her life again and she wanted to work in the mental health field.
She looked into doing a psychology degree, but her science degrees weren’t recognised or didn’t provide any credits towards that line of study.
Natasha said her focus then turned to equine assisted mental health, but she struggled to find a provider that didn’t require a prerequisite mental health qualification – until she discovered Equine Assisted Therapy Australia (EATA).
“I came across the EATA combined course – the Counselling Diploma and EAMH certification.
The amount of face-to-face and practical experiential learning with horses was paramount for me, and EATA seemed to be the only RTO that could provide that.”
Natasha said working with real client volunteers was a highlight of the course.
“I was able to lean into my learning, as well as my intuition, but I was guided and supported with a safety net for both the participant and myself.
The experienced practitioners helped to build confidence and skills, which will continually be practiced and honed.”
In October 2023, Natasha graduated as an Equine Assisted Mental Health Practitioner, after completing her studies with EATA at its NSW base.
She said she learnt a lot about herself during her study with EATA, including the need to address her avoidant tendencies, insecurities and limiting beliefs.
“The opportunity and challenge to work long and hard and go deep on my own journey through the process, both within the course and through external therapy has been the most important (and overdue) work I have ever done.
I feel it serves me well in my work with clients now.
Of course this work is never finished, we never stop learning and growing, both from the horses and from our clients, and that is a privilege.”
Since graduating, Natasha established her own Equine Assisted Therapy practice, Seen and Herd, in Kulnura, New South Wales.
And, she hasn’t been more fulfilled or busier.
She has continued to study, while building the practice, in the areas of Internal Family Systems, Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS), and other areas of interest.
“I have spent a lot of time learning from and working with people in organisations that support people going through or recovering from traumatic experiences, whether recent or in childhood.
I became a registered NDIS provider and have a number of clients with disability who I enjoy working with, mostly people with autism, but also spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy ankylosing spondylitis and others.
I work with Veterans Connect and Soldier On to provide day programs for veterans.
And the majority of my time currently is supporting victim-survivors of domestic family and sexual violence through The Supporting Recovery Pilot Program, funded by a grant from the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (PHN).”
The Supporting Recovery Pilot Program is part of the government’s National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032.
Natasha developed a six-week program with peer support days, which uses a whole- of-family model to provide trauma-informed care for those affected by family, domestic and sexual violence.
Natasha said Equine-Assisted Therapy had been hugely helpful in supporting victim- survivors of domestic family and sexual violence.
Next month, she will deliver a small group program for people who have recently been discharged from hospital after a suicide attempt, as part of the Care Connect Program, led by Social Futures on the NSW Central Coast.
Natasha said the most satisfying part of her role was not only working with horses all day but seeing the change in people – especially the self-agency and confidence that can be built, by gentle interactions, being seen and heard, and understood by the horses.
“Also, with my history in medical education, I enjoy working with clients who seek and appreciate psychoeducation and explaining the benefits of EAT and EAL to healthcare organizations, NGOs and other referrers through open days and in-services.
There are a myriad of ways in which the training through EATA can be deployed – it doesn’t all have to be NDIS or private clients in the paddock or one-on-one sessions.
I am continually learning and exploring new ways of working and meeting the needs of other client populations and enjoying adding to my skills and collaborating with other people along the way.
I hope in the future to combine this passion with my past medical research experience and network to contribute to the literature around the tangible health benefits of working with horses and an open heart.”
