Turning lived experience and a love of horses into a new career path

Repost from Equine Assisted Therapy Australia, link below. Sarah Camille, 44, understands how military life can profoundly impact the mental health of serving members, their partners and families.

As a defence partner, Sarah has observed how PTSD, trauma and chronic stress can manifest within the veteran and defence communities.

This led to her changing her career in corporate communications and moving towards a role that aligned with her passion and lived experience.

Twelve months ago, she enrolled in EATA’s Equine Assisted Mental Health (EAMH) course to build on her Diploma of Counselling.

RSL Queensland sponsored a portion of her course, so she could enhance her therapeutic skills and work in a role which supported the veteran community.

The EAMH course is similar to a post-graduate course.

It’s designed for people who already hold a diploma or degree-level qualification in mental health, such as counselling, psychology or occupational therapy.

In addition to building on her diploma, Sarah said she wanted to bring together her lifelong passion for horses with her interests in behavioural science and mental health.

“I was looking for a robust, evidence-based approach to support trauma-sensitive clients in a meaningful, embodied way that integrates healing for sustained recovery,” she said.

“This course offers a solid, trauma-informed, polyvagal-aware framework that brings together relational horsemanship, somatic principles and therapeutic integrity.

It supports practitioner self-discovery and growth, from an embodied and theoretical perspective, so we are more rounded and whole.”

Through the EAMH course, Sarah was able to expand on her theoretical knowledge and grow personally.

She gained a deeper understanding of the horse-human relationship, as a therapeutic alliance, and learnt how to integrate the mind-body connection in ways that honour the client’s pace and process.

“I was able to become more grounded in my own practice, more confident in supporting others and more attuned to the nervous system and its healing pathways.

Some standout highlights included the immersive nature of the practical training, the quality of facilitation and the opportunity to learn alongside a community of like-minded, heart-led practitioners.

The depth of the content around trauma-informed care, somatic awareness and relational horsemanship was exceptional,” she said.

Sarah said it had been ‘profound’ to see knowledge come to life in real client sessions and watching experiential and phenomenological practice (understanding the lived experiences of individuals) unfold alongside the horses.

Witnessing the subtle yet powerful shifts in both clients and horses throughout the process had been deeply rewarding for her.

Now that she has recently graduated, Sarah is excited to integrate Equine Assisted Mental Health into her own counselling practice, Solace and Sanctuary.

She will offer support to individuals who are navigating trauma, identity challenges, behavioural issues, relationship struggles and nervous system dysregulation.

“I hope to empower clients to move from overwhelm and disconnection toward safety, choice, and empowerment.

By collaboratively exploring their connections to themselves and others, clients can build inner balance, heal, progress and experience more peace in their lives.”

Sarah said the course helped her to bring everything full circle by combining her love for horses, lived experience and passion for supporting others into one aligned, purposeful direction.

“A key difference in this integrated equine, polyvagal and relational therapy, is that it supports the client to build capacity for regulation helping them to get unstuck, and to reclaim their lives and their story on their terms.

Through non-judgemental and experiential curiosity, clients increase self-awareness, resource for self-support and become congruent.

From there they have agency to seek out supportive authentic relationships and regain connection and community.” See the original post from EATA here: https://equineassistedtherapyaustralia.com.au/news_article/turning-lived-experience-and-a-love-for-horses-into-a-new-career-path/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLhOi5leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFUNDNrQk1ESXMyMGJ2TnRvAR7O6dHl4-xC5m8UGeaULoklYjpQPwB6RfW0CSdXh6sbBSP3Y6CcQ7tmw4-oTA_aem_fCDScaR62GxX9XeG-dVLJA