Located on a picturesque farm, Westward Journey, is a place where healing is offered through horses. At Westward Journey, their philosophy is that horses can be valuable in emotional healing, offering encouragement and hope, as well as help you work through fear, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. We talked withe Carol Weis, who owns Westward Journey with Kathy Knox.
What is Westward Journey?
Westward Journey is an Equine Assisted Learning program that uses horses in an experiential way to facilitate self-awareness. We use the natural behaviors of horses to teach people more about themselves. Two trained facilitators guide clients through carefully designed horse activities that reveal patterns of behavior and these patterns show up in all areas of life.
How did Westward Journey get its start?
As the owner of Westward Journey, you could say it began as a spark of hope, a light, born in darkness. After 37 years of marriage and family, I found myself an empty-nester in the throws of a brutal divorce. I was a horse owner, a teacher, a farm manager, and an accomplished rider at the time.
What really helped me the most was when I was sitting in the barn at night, in complete darkness, listening to the “barn noises”. I had hit a brick wall in life and nothing I did seemed to help. It was at this time, in this dark place that I saw an advertisement for Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. Without hesitation, I booked a spot and started making plans for my first Equine Assisted therapy session.
Already invested in years of counseling and therapy, I had little hope and even fewer expectations, but horses were involved, so I was in. It was this trip, this experience, this one confrontation with a horse in an Equine Assisted session that wrecked my brick wall and allowed me to move through the rubble, past the wreckage, and on to green fields. I came back from my trip knowing that I had to be part of an Equine Assisted program in some way. Thus began my journey.
I read, studied, researched, and read some more. I did everything I could to learn more about the process of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning. I became certified through Greg Kersten. He is actually the one responsible for the phrase “Equine Assisted Psychotherapy”. I had the training, I had the passion, I even had the facility and the horses, but something was still missing to complete my dream. This is where Kathy Knox entered the story.
We had been acquaintances for about 10 years. Kathy was experiencing a shifting of circumstances at the time. Kathy had been working toward a degree for the past 4 years and yet, as she approached the end was still uncertain about the direction she wanted to take.
I knew that she had a background in counseling and that she was pretty good at talking to people. As we were having a conversation one day, I had an epiphany, “Kathy is the missing link”. Shortly after the “revelation”, I asked Kathy to join me in starting an Equine Assisted Learning program. We spent the next several months training and learning and planning and began by offering a monthly group session. Soon we were so overwhelmed by the success of our clients that we began offering additional programs that have now extended to include five unique programs that serve a wide range of clients.
What kinds of programs do you offer at Westward Journey?
We have several programs that meet the needs of a large population. We offer monthly group sessions for men and women that focus on useful topics such as healthy boundaries, being a better communicator, letting go of anger and resentment, understanding grief, overcoming obstacles, learning to trust, building confidence, having a positive self-image, and disabling fear.
We also serve individuals, couples, and families with specific needs and concerns in a private setting. Some of the issues we see at Westward Journey are PTSD, families exposed to trauma and bonding after an adoption. We also offer a relationship inventory for couples with skill-building activities designed to strengthen relationships.
Our newest program is dedicated to helping women who have endured breast cancer treatment. We call this “POWER UP”. Power Up is designed to meet the specific needs of breast cancer survivors experiencing physical weakness, impaired vital functions, fear, negative self-image, sensory defensiveness, and stress related to future plans and longevity. Each horse activity is intentionally planned to stimulate the vagus nerve, encourage a safe touch response with the horse, improve strength and balance, and promote relaxation.
What do your clients say after attending a session at Westward Journey?
Our feedback indicates that clients leave with a better understanding of who they are and why certain events have occurred that led them to Westward Journey. Specifically, supportive relationships have been formed, and families have reconnected and bonded where there was minimal attachment before. Many clients have been able to develop healthier self–care plans based on the information they received in a session.
Is there one thing that you want everyone to know about Westward Journey?
At Westward Journey our goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment where people get refreshed and educated with tools for a better future. We believe that horses offer a primal experience that provides a deeper look into the sources of our actions, our pain, and our joys. They seem to be able to look into our souls to reveal the truth about who we are, better yet, who we can become. Sometimes, if we allow it, horses will take away our burdens in a way that helps us heal. We see Westward Journey as a place to learn, refresh, and heal.
Thanks so much to Carol at Westward Journey for taking time out to talk with us. Visit the Westward Journey website for more information.
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