Blazing Trails

We meet you where traditional therapy often can’t—in the space between disconnection and healing.

Blazing Trails shares the same foundation as other quality treatment providers: we are committed to providing ethical, evidence-based care to all our clients. We believe in the power of psychotherapy, whether that happens in the office or in the arena.

What sets us apart is our recognition that many individuals—especially those struggling with substance use, suicidal ideation, and trauma—find it difficult to create connection and a sense of safety, both of which are essential to effective psychotherapy. For many, connection has been associated with pain or danger, making the process of reconnecting feel threatening and overwhelming.

This is where animals become powerful therapeutic partners. Animals offer a non-threatening bridge to reconnection and healing. They respond authentically to our emotions and behaviors, providing honest feedback in a way that feels safe and accepting. This unique form of communication can help clients access insights and emotions that might be difficult to reach through traditional talk therapy alone.

At Blazing Trails, we integrate proven, evidence-based therapeutic practices with intentional human-animal interactions to support meaningful growth and lasting wellness.

All staff at Blazing Trails are required to have at least a master’s degree in a mental health field. This could be social work, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, psychology, or advanced nursing practice. The only exception to this is master’s-level interns in the mental health field who are working under strict supervision to provide client care as a part of working towards their degree. An individual’s exact degree and other specialty trainings can be seen on our About page.

Beyond this, we carefully vet all clinicians to ensure they have the appropriate postgraduate training and experience to work safely and effectively with clients. At Blazing Trails, our goal is to provide ethical and evidence-based care. To do this, we spend extensive time training our staff in animal-based interventions. This means we prioritize extensive postgraduate training (e.g., Egala, Somatic interventions, EMDR, ART, Natural Lifemanship, etc.) as well as training in animal behavior and communication.

When working with Blazing Trails, you can be assured that our staff is highly trained and that you receive effective, ethical care.

We are currently self-pay, as insurance does not yet adequately reimburse for Equine or Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy. Our fees reflect the specialized nature of this therapeutic approach, including facility costs, animal care and maintenance, additional liability coverage, and the extensive postgraduate training our clinicians complete to provide effective, evidence-based care.

We provide a monthly superbill that you can submit to your insurance provider for out-of-network reimbursement, which may help you work toward your deductible. Superbills are generated automatically at the end of each month unless you request otherwise. Please let your provider know if you prefer not to receive one. Contact us for rates.

A trauma intensive is a focused, extended therapy experience for those ready to do deeper work. Instead of weekly sessions, intensives are longer—usually three to six hours—and may take place over one or more days. This format allows time to slow down, process, and integrate without feeling rushed or interrupted.

Each intensive is tailored to the individual and may include talk therapy, EMDR, DBT, ACT, or equine-assisted work. It’s a chance to step away from daily demands and focus fully on healing in a calm, supportive environment.

Trauma intensives can be especially helpful for people who feel ready to move through stuck points or want to make meaningful progress in a shorter time. Some of the benefits include:

• Deeper progress: Extended sessions allow for more continuity and depth than traditional weekly therapy.
• Less emotional disruption: Processing and integrating within the same day helps reduce the emotional ups and downs between sessions.
• Personalized pacing: There’s time to move at a pace that feels safe and effective.
• Focused support: The therapist’s full attention is dedicated to one client, creating a calm, individualized experience.
• Sustainable change: Clients leave with tools and strategies to help maintain balance and continue healing after the intensive ends.

Trauma work takes courage. Intensives offer the time and space to do that work with care, intention, and support.

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is a mental health treatment approach that incorporates horses into the therapeutic process to support emotional, psychological, and behavioral growth. Unlike therapeutic riding, EAP focuses on mental health and personal development rather than riding skills. Sessions are primarily ground-based and involve hands-on activities with horses that help individuals build self-awareness, process emotions, and develop new coping skills.

Research indicates that EAP can be particularly effective for conditions such as anxiety, depression, and trauma, especially when integrated with other evidence-based therapeutic approaches.

Eagala stands for the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. It’s a model of equine therapy that brings together a licensed mental health professional, an equine specialist, and the horses as part of the therapy team. All sessions take place on the ground—no riding—so the focus stays on connection, awareness, and emotional growth.

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is a broader term that simply means therapy involving horses. There are many ways to do EAP, and at Blazing Trails Wellness Center, sessions are Eagala-informed. This means the work is guided by Eagala’s principles of safety, ethics, and experiential learning, while allowing flexibility to meet each client’s unique needs. Blazing Trails is Eagala Certified, and that foundation helps ensure every session is intentional, safe, and grounded in best practice.

Healing here isn’t about doing therapy to someone—it’s about creating space for people to connect, notice, and grow through real experiences with the horses.

Every session looks a little different because it’s shaped by what each person brings that day. Sessions take place outdoors or in an arena, where the horses can move freely and interact naturally. The therapist is there to guide and support, but the real work happens through the connection between the client and the horses.

Sometimes that means observing how the herd interacts, leading a horse through an activity, or simply being present together. The horses often respond in ways that reflect what’s happening inside—offering honest, nonjudgmental feedback that helps bring awareness and healing.

Sessions are experiential, meaning they’re about doing and feeling rather than just talking. The goal is to create space for growth, connection, and insight—both with the horses and within oneself.

Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy (AATx) incorporates animals into the therapeutic process to enhance evidence-based treatment approaches such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Horses, dogs, rabbits, cats, goats, and other animals may participate as therapeutic partners in sessions.

Research supports the use of AATx for individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction. Animals can help create a sense of calm and safety in the therapeutic environment, which often strengthens engagement, builds self-confidence, and supports the overall effectiveness of treatment.

All animals at Blazing Trails are current on vaccinations and carefully assessed for their suitability in therapeutic settings. While every effort is made to prioritize both emotional and physical safety, the risk of injury cannot be completely eliminated.

There are no minimum requirements to participate except that you have a desire to engage in treatment and work on your goals. Whether you have a lifetime of experience with animals or none at all is irrelevant—Equine and Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy is for everyone.

We offer traditional talk therapy as well as Equine and Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy. If you have an allergy and still wish to participate, please communicate this upfront prior to participating, and we will discuss what options are available to reasonably meet your request.

Most individual psychotherapy sessions are 53–60 minutes in length. If more time is beneficial, your clinician will coordinate a longer session. The exception is trauma or therapy intensives, which typically range from 3 to 6 hours.

If you are ready to start your therapeutic and wellness journey, reach out to us at gabby.persons@blazingtrailswc.com or visit our Inquire page to schedule your free consultation. During your consultation call, we will spend 15 to 20 minutes discussing what you hope to gain from therapy and any goals you may have. If we determine our expertise aligns with your goals and you would like to proceed, we will schedule an intake session.

Intake sessions are approximately 90 to 120 minutes long and help us better understand your history and reasons for seeking treatment. This session informs your treatment plan and helps us determine the best starting point for your care.

After your intake, we will schedule ongoing sessions at a frequency that works for you. Most clients meet weekly or biweekly, depending on their treatment goals and needs. Your therapist will provide a clinical recommendation, but the final decision about scheduling frequency is yours.

Contact us today at gabby.persons@blazingtrailswc.com.