Kiara Moore set up Aspiring Therapy about two years ago in Queensberry with the hope of bringing more equine-assisted therapy to the region.
This method allows clients struggling with their mental health to work with horses, which have been proven to be especially emotional animals.
Ms Moore’s father had been a jockey in Brisbane, and she was inspired to pursue this type of therapy after experiencing the benefits of growing up around horses.
"It impacted my wellbeing by just knowing that there were always jobs to do around the farm," she said.
"The horses themselves are quite emotional beings and so just being in the presence of a 500kg animal itself can bring this overwhelming sense of calmness."
After working as a therapist in Australia, she moved to the region in 2020 and slowly began looking at integrating horses into her practice.
She had since seen how clients benefitted mentally from being outside with the animal in a way that was not possible by just being in a counselling room, she said.
It allowed them to work with boundaries, getting as close to or as far from the horses as they wanted, depending on their comfort.
Many of her clients started by observing the horses from her therapy room and then slowly moving outside to the paddock.
She believed in individualising the approach, depending on what each person needed.
That often meant tapping into non-verbal communication and allowing the client to pick up on the horse’s cues as well as acknowledging their own boundaries.
That also allowed her clients to receive feedback from more than just herself, she said.
"If they’re crying, some of the horses come up to them and comfort them. Rather than just me saying something, the horses put their head on the person’s chest."
It was not only the horses that provided a sense of comfort but the broader environment too.
Her Queensberry paddock was an opportunity for clients to connect with nature, which built on the idea of being grounded.
