EquineFlow® Level 1 Practitioner Certification
Learn to work professionally with human behavior, autonomy and change — with horses as an exceptionally honest learning environment.
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EquineFlow Level 1 is an immersive professional certification for experienced horse people, coaches, facilitators and professionals who want to bring their understanding of people and horses together in meaningful work.
You will learn how to create Horse Guided Human Development experiences in which clients can see more clearly, understand what may be producing their behavior, and develop their own decisions and direction — without the practitioner rushing in to interpret, fix or take over. The training goes well beyond learning horse exercises. You develop the observation skills, judgment, restraint and professional framework required to work with real people in real situations, where the answer is rarely as simple as following a script. Learn the methodology. Develop the judgment. Help people think — without thinking for them. APPLY FOR LEVEL 1 |
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A professional foundation for this work
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Level 1 prepares you to begin facilitating EquineFlow professionally and ethically within your scope of practice.
You will learn to:
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Course Details:
Certification: EquineFlow® Level 1 Certified Practitioner
Training: 250 hours Live contact: 80 hours Format: Hybrid — virtual learning, live classes, practicum and on-site intensives Cohort size: Maximum 8 participants Investment: $5450 Location: EquineFlow at WolfOak Farm, Piedmont, South Carolina + virtual learning Start Date: Fall and Spring No previous EquineFlow training is required. |
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You get a proven system built through practice
EquineFlow has been developed through more than fifteen years of real-world application — in private human development, organizational and leadership work, and professional practitioner training.
EquineFlow has been developed through more than fifteen years of real-world application — in private human development, organizational and leadership work, and professional practitioner training.
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PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT
The work with the person. Private Horse Guided Human Development has been at the center of EquineFlow since its earliest years, working with people around behavior, relationships, decision-making, transition and change.
Jackie B. : I can think strategically about many things at once. ***** |
ORGANIZATIONS & LEADERSHIP
The work with the system. EquineFlow has been used with leaders, teams and organizations to make patterns visible, test assumptions, work through change and improve the quality of decisions and relationships.
Gareth O'Hara, CSO, Paxton Access : A great platform to observe behavioral leadership outside the confines of an office. ***** |
PRACTITIONER DEVELOPMENT
Teaching others to facilitate the work. EquineFlow practitioners have carried the methodology into their own professional work, establishing independent practices across regions, disciplines and countries.
Dawn Williams, Certified EquineFlow Practitioner: It helped me be better at letting the clients lead and find their way. ***** |
For people who want more than a horse certification
The training is not simply about learning a set of exercises. It is about developing your observation skills, restraint and awareness required to coach from presence, without taking the client away from themselves.
There are many ways to learn activities involving horses. EquineFlow is designed for people who want to understand the work underneath the activity.
Why did the client respond that way? What are you actually observing, and what are you assuming? What changes when someone is under pressure? Is the issue inside the person, in the relationship, or in the conditions around them? When should you ask another question, introduce an experience, change the environment or simply allow something to unfold?
Those questions require more than technique.
They require neutrality.
EquineFlow attracts horse professionals, coaches, educators, facilitators, business professionals and people making a thoughtful career shift. For some, Level 1 becomes a new service inside an established business. For others, it becomes the foundation for an independent practice.
The training is professional, but it often becomes personally significant as well. Learning to observe behavior without immediately judging or explaining it makes your own assumptions and reactions more visible too. You become more aware of where you take over, where you react, what you assume and how your own experience influences what you see. You access neutrality.
That matters because the less a practitioner needs to control the process, the more room the client has to remain in charge of theirs.
Why did the client respond that way? What are you actually observing, and what are you assuming? What changes when someone is under pressure? Is the issue inside the person, in the relationship, or in the conditions around them? When should you ask another question, introduce an experience, change the environment or simply allow something to unfold?
Those questions require more than technique.
They require neutrality.
EquineFlow attracts horse professionals, coaches, educators, facilitators, business professionals and people making a thoughtful career shift. For some, Level 1 becomes a new service inside an established business. For others, it becomes the foundation for an independent practice.
The training is professional, but it often becomes personally significant as well. Learning to observe behavior without immediately judging or explaining it makes your own assumptions and reactions more visible too. You become more aware of where you take over, where you react, what you assume and how your own experience influences what you see. You access neutrality.
That matters because the less a practitioner needs to control the process, the more room the client has to remain in charge of theirs.
Is this you?
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You want to turn your experience with horses into meaningful professional work. You may have a strong professional background and be considering a career shift, expanding an existing coaching or horse-based practice, or looking for a more rigorous way to bring your experience with people and horses together.
You are interested in human behavior, growth and change, but you do not want to become the person who tells clients what their lives mean or what they should do next. You believe people are capable of thinking, choosing and finding their own way, even when circumstances are difficult or old patterns run deep. You want to understand what produces behavior: nervous-system responses, experience, relationships, environment, assumptions, incentives, systems and the amount of real choice a person has. And you want to understand how horses can make some of those patterns visible without turning the horse into a diagnostic tool or taking autonomy away from either horse or human. |
This training may be a strong fit if:
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You think independently and enjoy learning through observation, experience and practice.
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Your lived experience may be part of what draws you to this work. EquineFlow does not ask you to forget what life has taught you. It teaches you how to bring that depth into the room without making your experience the template for somebody else's.
EquineFlow is particularly suited to people who are grounded, curious and comfortable with complexity — people who do not seek a simple answer when a better question may reveal more.
EquineFlow is particularly suited to people who are grounded, curious and comfortable with complexity — people who do not seek a simple answer when a better question may reveal more.
How the EquineFlow Approach Works
How the EquineFlow Approach Works
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The EquineFlow Approach has been developed through years of direct practice and is informed by neuroscience, trauma-aware practice, coaching psychology, systems thinking, experiential learning and organizational strategy.
It is not a collection of dozens of disconnected modalities, and it is not a quick-fix formula. Level 1 teaches one coherent framework for facilitating Horse Guided Human Development while preserving the autonomy of both client and horse. You learn how to help clients slow down reactive patterns long enough to see what is actually happening. You explore how nervous-system responses, experience, relationships, assumptions and environmental conditions may be contributing to the situation, while remaining careful not to turn a useful perspective into a diagnosis or explanation imposed by the coach. Just as importantly, you learn to widen the frame in neutrality. |
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Sometimes meaningful change belongs at the personal level. Sometimes a recurring problem is being produced or reinforced by a relationship, workplace, family structure, incentive, expectation or other system around the person. Often both are true.
The client can then begin asking more strategic questions: What belongs to me? What can I influence? What conditions need to change? Where do I actually have choice or power? What will happen downstream if I act? The aim is neither to teach people to adapt endlessly to unhealthy conditions nor to encourage opposition for its own sake. It is to help them understand themselves and the systems around them well enough to act deliberately, while considering the consequences of those choices for others. That is the broader discipline underneath EquineFlow: See more clearly. Understand what is producing the behavior. Preserve autonomy. Respond deliberately rather than reactively. |
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Why horses?
Horses change the conditions in which people think.
They bring movement, relationship, uncertainty and immediate response into an experience that might otherwise happen largely through conversation. Because horses sit outside many of the human systems we spend our lives navigating, they can also make those systems easier to see. They do not care about job titles, family roles, professional status, social expectations or the story someone would prefer to tell about themselves. That can make patterns, assumptions and habitual responses more visible. But EquineFlow does not teach that horses magically know what a client needs. Practitioners do not interpret the horse for the client, nor does every movement of a horse have to become a metaphor. Sometimes a horse becomes deeply involved in an experience. Sometimes observing the herd changes the way someone sees a situation. Sometimes the horses continue grazing while something important happens between the people. All of those possibilities are allowed. You learn to work with what is actually happening rather than trying to manufacture the moment you hoped would happen. |
Horse well-being is paramount
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The horses are not equipment for human development.
EquineFlow horses participate at liberty whenever possible, in environments where they can remain connected to their herd and behave naturally. They can approach, leave, stay at a distance or decline interaction. They are not tethered, ridden or required to produce a particular behavior for the sake of an exercise. Practitioners learn to observe equine behavior, recognize increasing stress and arousal, and change or stop an activity when the horse's well-being requires it. We do not improve human well-being by decreasing equine well-being. The same respect for autonomy sits underneath both sides of the methodology: we do not take choice away from one being in order to develop it in another. |
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You are learning to facilitate, not perform exercises
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One of the most important shifts in Level 1 is moving away from the idea that Equine Assisted Coaching consists of a set of activities performed with a horse.
Sometimes direct interaction with horses is exactly what serves the client. At other times the work may involve observing the herd, walking through the environment, working with objects or metaphor, building something, mapping a system, sitting somewhere quiet or simply having a conversation. Sometimes the client does not want to interact with a horse that day. That is allowed too. You learn to choose an intervention because it serves the client's process, not because it is impressive, familiar or included in a manual. You learn when to ask, when to wait, when to adapt and when the most professional choice is to leave something alone. The result is a methodology you can use with horses while developing facilitation skills that remain valuable far beyond the arena. |
What you receive
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Level 1 is designed to move you from learning the ideas to demonstrating that you can apply them responsibly with real clients.
The program includes: 250 hours of professional training A combination of live teaching, experiential learning, self-paced study, reading, assignments, case discussion, practice and client work. 80 hours of live contact Small-group virtual classes and in-person experiential training give you substantial direct access to instructors rather than leaving you alone with an online course. On-site intensives at WolfOak Farm You learn the equine component in person, working in a real environment with horses at liberty. The intensives focus on observation, facilitation, safety, horse welfare, experiential learning and applying the EquineFlow methodology in practice. Real client practicums You begin working with practice clients during the program rather than waiting until graduation to discover what real facilitation feels like. Individual feedback You receive approximately 10 hours of direct feedback on your client work, helping you see where your facilitation is strong, where you may be taking over, and what needs further development. Comprehensive learning resources You receive the EquineFlow course handbook, session frameworks, practice guides and additional materials covering human behavior, nervous-system literacy, communication, safety, ethics, horse participation, experiential work and professional practice. Cohort learning Cohorts are intentionally small, with no more than six participants. You remain with the same group through the program, giving you time to develop trust, challenge one another's thinking and practice with people who know your work. Professional ethics and scope You learn how to distinguish coaching and human development from therapy, how to recognize the limits of your role, and how to work within a clear professional Code of Ethics. Practice development The certification also addresses the practical side of becoming a practitioner: defining your work, identifying who you serve, building offers, communicating clearly, creating your professional presence and developing a realistic plan for bringing the work into an existing business or launching a new practice. The goal is not simply to finish with a certificate. You should leave knowing how to begin doing the work. |
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How the training unfolds
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Level 1 combines independent study with live instruction, experiential training and supervised application.
The exact calendar varies by cohort, but the learning arc follows a clear progression. Foundation You begin with a live virtual kickoff and foundational learning in coaching, communication, behavior, nervous-system literacy, ethics, safety and the EquineFlow philosophy. First on-site intensive At WolfOak Farm, the concepts move out of the classroom. You work experientially with horses, people and the environment, learning how to observe, facilitate and respond when real interactions do not follow a script. Practice and development Virtual classes, case work, assignments and practice continue as you deepen the methodology and begin using it with real clients. You receive feedback and mentoring while developing your own professional judgment. Professional application As your skills develop, the focus widens to session design, troubleshooting, systemic thinking, professional communication and practice development. Final intensive and assessment You return for further live work and a practical, project-based assessment designed to demonstrate that you can apply the methodology safely, thoughtfully and within scope. Certification and next steps Successful graduates become EquineFlow® Level 1 Certified Practitioners and leave with a practical plan for incorporating the work into an existing professional setting or developing an independent practice. |
Professional development that becomes personal
You are coming here to learn to work with other people, not to receive personal coaching.
But it would be unrealistic to teach this methodology as if your own behavior never enters the room.
As you learn to observe without judging, you begin noticing how quickly you form conclusions. As you study regulation and reaction, you notice your own. As you learn not to take over a client's process, you become aware of the moments when helping starts turning into directing.
That personal learning is part of becoming a better practitioner.
The purpose is not to make you perfectly regulated, endlessly self-aware or free from your own history. It is to develop enough awareness of yourself that your needs, assumptions and experiences are less likely to become somebody else's coaching process.
For many graduates, that becomes one of the most valuable parts of the training.
But it would be unrealistic to teach this methodology as if your own behavior never enters the room.
As you learn to observe without judging, you begin noticing how quickly you form conclusions. As you study regulation and reaction, you notice your own. As you learn not to take over a client's process, you become aware of the moments when helping starts turning into directing.
That personal learning is part of becoming a better practitioner.
The purpose is not to make you perfectly regulated, endlessly self-aware or free from your own history. It is to develop enough awareness of yourself that your needs, assumptions and experiences are less likely to become somebody else's coaching process.
For many graduates, that becomes one of the most valuable parts of the training.
Coaching, not therapy
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EquineFlow is a non-clinical approach to human development.
Certified EquineFlow Practitioners do not diagnose mental-health conditions, provide psychotherapy or counseling, conduct clinical assessments, prescribe treatment, or present themselves as licensed mental-health professionals unless they separately hold such credentials and are working within that professional role. Our work may involve emotion, difficult experiences, nervous-system responses and significant life decisions because those things are part of being human. The distinction lies in what we do with them. We observe, inquire, explore context and help clients think. We do not diagnose or treat. EquineFlow Level 1 is a proprietary professional certification issued by EquineFlow. Practitioners are responsible for understanding and remaining within their own professional scope and the laws and regulations that apply where they practice. |
No specific degree. High expectations.
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We do not believe professional capability can be predicted by academic credentials alone.
EquineFlow students have come from corporate leadership, education, coaching, nursing, horse training, farm ownership and other professional backgrounds. What matters more is whether you bring maturity, strong interpersonal skills, substantial experience with horses, curiosity about human behavior and the ability to remain thoughtful when situations become complex. We are looking for people who can learn to move from judgment to observation, who can work respectfully with people different from themselves, and who are willing to be accountable for the effect they have on both clients and horses. You do not need to have everything figured out. You do need enough stability and capacity to participate fully in a demanding professional program and work responsibly with practice clients. Level 1 is not intended to function as personal therapy or as support during an acute personal crisis. If the timing is not right now, that does not mean the work is not right for you later. |
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About the founder
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EquineFlow was developed by Monique Ravesloot, a Dutch-born coach, consultant and lifelong horsewoman whose work has moved between business strategy, human development and horses for more than two decades.
Before EquineFlow, her work included European business consulting around process, strategy and organizational change. That background later expanded into coaching, leadership development and thousands of hours of direct work with people alongside horses. This combination shaped the methodology. EquineFlow was never designed simply by taking conventional coaching activities and adding a horse. It grew from years of looking at behavior in context: what happens under pressure, why capable people become reactive, how assumptions become decisions, where systems reinforce behavior, and what changes when people have enough space to see what they are actually doing. Formal practitioner education began in 2019 after years of direct client and organizational application. Read more about EquineFlow and the philosophy behind the work → |
Investment
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EquineFlow® Level 1 Practitioner Certification: $5,450
The tuition covers the Level 1 training program, live and virtual instruction, on-site experiential learning, course materials, practicums, individual feedback and professional practice development. Payment plans are available. Because cohorts are limited to six participants, admission begins with an application rather than an automatic enrollment. |
The application process
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We want the training to be the right fit in both directions.
After submitting your application, you will be invited to a conversation with EquineFlow. This gives us an opportunity to learn more about your background, experience with horses, professional direction and reasons for pursuing the certification. It also gives you space to ask detailed questions and determine whether the methodology, expectations and training environment fit what you are looking for. If we mutually decide to move forward, you will receive your admission information, course schedule, syllabus and practical details before finalizing enrollment. We keep cohorts deliberately small because learning this work requires observation, practice, conversation and individual feedback. You are not applying for a seat in a large online certification. You are applying to learn a professional methodology in a small cohort from people who continue to practice the work themselves. |
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EquineFlow® Level 1 Practitioner Certification
***** A Transformational Experience
"This was a transformational experience. I learned skills for life to share with others. I learned I’m strong and empowered, and that this is my destiny. I wish I had done this 10 years ago. Jennie Thompson - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 1
Read this: Equine Assisted Coaching, not Counseling or Psychotherapy
The EquineFlow® Approach is not psychotherapy, counseling, advice giving, mental healthcare, or treatment for substance abuse or any addictive behavior. Certified EquineFlow Practitioners are not licensed mental health professionals, psychotherapists or counselors, and do not present or act as such. The EquineFlow Approch is not intended or suitable as a replacement for counseling, psychiatric interventions, treatment for mental illness, professional medical advice, financial assistance, legal counsel, or other professional services. Certified EquineFlow Practitioners only work with clients who are able to self-regulate their nervous system. The EquineFlow Approach does not include assessments, diagnostics, treatment or medication.
Reviews of Students
***** I can trust my instincts and creativity
" It was very powerful to be part of a group of women with different beliefs, educational backgrounds, age and talents united for the common cause of making the world we live in a better place. The program and the environment made it possible. I learned that I'm not broke; I can use my past experience and my unique abilities to create the life I want. I am not too old to learn. I can trust my instincts and creativity, I don't have to do it like everyone else. This training helped me gain perspective about my life and ambitions guiding me to a clear understanding of who I am. I highly recommend it."
Maria Mersman - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 2
My Dreams Can Become Reality *****
"I always knew I wanted to help others and I always wanted horses and this is such a wonderful combination. I learned my dreams can become reality and that I can make it happen. I can plan step by step to start the business, and I can I start it without a large financial investment.
Terry Farmer - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 2
***** This training was truly life changing.
Not only did I receive the tools I needed to transform my coaching business, I was able to gain the tools I needed to transform my own life in a fundamental and healthy way. I was able to connect in a physical way with my emotional reactions. Knowing how feelings are stored in my body and the neuroscience behind my reactions has given me choices that I never knew I had. I gained the perspective that Neuroscience is the key. My perceptions and perspectives were challenged and I was able to drop old habits that no longer serve as I worked side by side with my own practice clients during the training. Thank you for offering this training and sending it out into the world. I am honored to have been chosen as a student and cannot wait to see how this will transform my work."
Kim Carter - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 2
Learned a lot about the workings of the mind. *****
"This was a very valuable experience. I learned a lot about the workings of the mind. The tenants of Coaching and how to apply that knowledge to sessions with clients. I found the work with values and the Ikegai worksheet very powerful. The scripted sessions were invaluable examples of powerful work with clients. I also learned so much about myself. Each class taught me something. " Donna Thomas - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 1
***** One of the most valuable decisions
"Participating in this class was one of the most valuable decisions I have ever made in my life. Learning the neuroscience behind the coaching modalities not only taught me how to help others find their empowered self, it helped me find my own empowered self. I use the tools daily during life's tough challenges, such as watching my mom enter the middle/late stages of dementia. Instead of dropping into a deep, paralyzing depression, I have been able to honor my feelings while staying focused in the here and now and accomplish my goals.
I learned that I have an intuitive sense about others that I can tap in to as I coach clients through a dilemma. I learned how deep my compassion can be and how to channel that into a solid place of holding the space for a client, earning their trust, and giving them the respect they deserve. I learned how to trust a process instead of my own ideas and instead I use my ideas about the various processes to determine the best approach for my client. I learned how to trust myself!
I have seen the power of horse therapy in my own life ever since I can remember. I have dreamed of using horses as a therapeutic modality since high school, but it wasn't until this class that I truly gained the perspective and knowledge to truly understand that this is LIFE CHANGING. I feel a deep sense of urgency to offer what I know to others. I was able to recently walk my client out of suicidal feelings by simply pointing out, "This is your operating self talking to you. What does this feeling want you to know?" She was able to switch out of this way of thinking and solve her problem. If I had not been armored with these tools, I would not have known what to say to her, and would have most likely stayed in my own operating self of fear. I am humbled by the enormous responsibility I have to help others and I feel a deep sense of urgency to reach out. I am absolutely thrilled that I started and completed this class. It has completely transformed my life." Sara Griffith - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 1
***** This changed so much for me.
"This was absolutely a valuable experience. Not only did this enable me to find the path to help those that I hold dear in this world, but it helped me to come to terms and peace with myself on a level I never have been able to before. I no longer see the different parts of myself as ‘bad’ or ‘evil’, they have a reason for being. This changed so much for me. The insights I gained increased my compassion for myself and others. I have more patience and ability to be aware of and hold space for others, people & animals.
Cat Leonard - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 1
***** I Now Have Tools
"Everything was so professionally done. The classroom at EquineFlow’s location was perfect in every way. This program was extremely valuable to me in my personal growth alone....and for my future. It has given me tools to use in the future that will allow me to have an income and contribute to my fellow human race! I learned I am capable of everything that I desire to achieve. Perspectives were challenged. My life is rich in experience, both good and bad. I now have tools to ask questions of myself and to share those skills with others. The knowledge that I am capable and intuitive gives me confidence to continue to pursue this road."
Robin Richardson - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 1
***** The EquineFlow Method and Format is Spot on and very well put together
"This was an extremely valuable experience. The EF method and format for the activities is spot on and very well put together, and well thought out. I feel I have the skills and the knowledge to move forward with my career as a coach."
Roz Tyburski - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 2
***** Very valuable experience
"This was a very valuable experience because I am now able to apply the neuroscience behind what I do. Combined with my intuition, this training changed my life. I learned the power of gentleness as well as trusting others to scaffold me and it feels remarkable. Life events can change us, but this training showed me that our coaching gifts can be repackaged, deepened, combined with other models and have a lasting powerful impact. I'm honored to be part of the initial cohort and will strive to honor the lifework of EquineFlow." S. M. Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 1
***** Powerful Tools
"This was a valuable experience because it was exposure to tools and how to use them and in what context. Also exposure to just how powerful these tools are -which is both empowering and taken as a warning to use them with care-. I learned that I can take a beating from life, and still keep moving, growing, refining, and achieving goals successfully. The insights I gained have intensified my awareness of the levels in human interaction.
Trish Finley - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 1
***** I learned that I can do this!
"Going through the course really solidified for me that I do want to be a coach. I was so unsure, but I was sure that the methods help people and that I could help people to. Now, I am so glad I can help people through this! I learned how to really use and apply goals. I had only used them with my jobs. I never tried it in my personal development. It was crucial to my success here. And, I learned I can do this!
Maren Reaves - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 2
***** Allowed me to start a new career path that I knew I was destined for
"This was an EXTREMELY valuable experience. Not only has it allowed me to start a new career path that I knew I was destined for but I didn’t know what it was supposed to be, it also allowed me to REALLY process some personal things that I had thought I had worked through but actually needed more. I have grown and changed so much, all for the better, plus I gained friends for life. I learned I am important, I have value, and I do and can make a difference. That the things I went through did not define me but at the same time have helped shape me into a better person. I have a sense of well-being that has never been in me. The insights I gained will help me work with various types of people to find their overall well-being. I gained the insight that all parts need to be addressed and at least understood if not accepted.
Charleen Snyder - Certified EquineFlow Practitioner 1
"Participating in this training was one of the most valuable decisions I have ever made in my life. I learned I have an intuitive sense about others that I can tap in to, and I learned to trust myself."
- SARA GRIFFITH, CEP1
Bridging Gaps
Global Impact
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Adaptive Learning
Collaborative Growth
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