Strides to Empowerment, LLC              

 Welcome to Strides to Empowerment!

Strides to Empowerment welcomes you to reconnect with the inner-self and regain your self-worth by uncovering keys to building healthy relationships, increase communication skills, change unwanted behavior patterns and be able to process feelings through active participation. Clients will not only work individually with their therapist team, but will also interact with their counterpart: Horses.

We believe that change is brought on by experience. Clients will be able to practice their newly learned tools with horses in a safe, nonjudgmental, and nurturing environment.

We invite You to experience, Strides to Empowerment.

What is EAP?

EAP stands for Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. EAP is a growing discipline in which the horses are utilized to create a therapeutic setting employing an experiential, action-based, counseling model. EAP can be used for various mental health issues such as depression (various), anxiety, OCD, ADHD, PTSD, eating disorders, and substance abuse issues. EAP can also be beneficial for family counseling, grief and loss, relationship issues and build corporate group skills. No horse experience is necessary. In fact, 100% of all sessions takes place on the ground. EAP clients learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with horses then processing (or discussing) feelings, behaviors, and patterns. Client's are challenged to "think outside the box" and try new solutions to old behaviors. The sessions center around "here and now" as opposed to past experiences.

Horses have moods, fears, likes/dislikes like people. Horses have an "underlying ability to teach and heal." They provide unconditional acceptance. Horses are sensitive to nonverbal stimuli and therefor provide valuable and visible lessons in nonverbal communication and body language. As Plato quoted, "You can learn more about an individual during an hour of play than a year of conversation." This approach has been compared by the ropes courses used by therapists, treatment facilities and human development courses around the world. However, EAP has added the advantage of utilizing horses which are dynamic and powerful living beings.

For more information regarding Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Please visit: www.eagala.org

MICHIGAN STATE STALLION EXPO

 Many thanks to you all for taking the time to stop by our booth to learn more about equine assisted psychotherapy. It was nice to see some old friends from EAGALA and meet new potential members. If there are any questions that any of you might have, please feel free to contact Strides to Empowerment on the contact us page.

Thank you again, for everyone's support!

Jennifer Shelden-Jubik

Strides to Recovery: Women's Substance abuse aftercare group.

 We will be re-opening our women's substance abuse group once we relocate to Low Country of South Carolina.  Equine Assisited Psychotherapy concepts will be used during each group session. It is encouraged that group members attend each session, for each group session will build upon each other, becoming more in depth. This would be a wonderful addition to treatment for agencies or private practioners to send their clients to for ongoing support, or help a client get "unstuck" and move forward. Clients will have the opportunity to problem solve, rebuild self worth, work through control issues, enhance leadership skills, learn how to ask for support-understanding that maintaining sobriety is not done alone. Group members will be able to identify relationship blocks, increase communication skills, lessen anxiety and work on issues in the "here and now." Group participants will be able to meet with a licensed, advanced addictions therapist, weekly, for 8 weeks.

Workshop-Building Blocks to Empowerment Part II 

The Strides to Empowerment Team would like to thank the participants who attended our part-two workshop, January 25th, 2009. There were plenty of excellent observations and personal growth! For more pictures click on services!

Introductions: Pictured below

       Rock Financial Showplace

Pictured above: Jennifer Shelden-Jubik (founder of STE) and Equine Specialist Kat Oliverson.

Thank you all for your support and making our Expo a fun experience! We had lots of interest about our EAP programs/services. 

Jennifer Shelden-Jubik

and

Kat Oliverson