Anam Cara Counseling is excited to participate in the second, sector-wide awareness and fundraising campaign, Seen Through Horses 2023.

Mental health does not discriminate. It touches every person alive either personally or through a loved one. One in five people in the U.S. will be affected by mental illness in their life. Every 40 seconds, someone dies by suicide and depression is the number one cause of disability worldwide. Two-thirds of people with a mental illness never seek help, and of those who do, only about 50% find traditional talk therapy successful (NAMI, 2020).

The good news is, we can begin to change these statistics. One solution that is making a profound difference are horses and we believe these services should be available to everyone to make a much-needed difference for the mental health challenges so many in our world face.

Anam Cara Counseling is among 55+ nonprofit organizations convening as benefactors in the Seen Through Horse Campaign, a peer-to-peer campaign launching May 1-31, 2023. Seen Through Horses is composed of individuals, nonprofits, mental health professionals, influencers, and businesses to increase awareness, public engagement, and raise funds to improve access to programs incorporating horses for mental health and personal growth.

“We are elated to be selected to be a part of the National campaign to help spread awareness of horses and mental health, reduce the stigma of receiving mental health support and the amazing benefit horses bring to the therapeutic process.” Anam Cara Director Stacey Garcelon, LMHCA, NCC.

The Seen Through Horses Campaign will coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month from May 1-31, 2023, at a time when conversations around mental health will be elevated around the country.

Seen Through Horses Campaign is made possible by our Premier Sponsor, Zoetis, and executive produced by Horses for Mental Health, Equine Network and Arenas for Change (ARCH). In addition to our premier sponsor and producers, premier partners supporting the campaign also include, the American Horse Council, American Psychological Association’s Section on Human Animal Interaction (APA HAI), Black in the Saddle, EQUUS Films & Arts, Horses & Humans Research Foundation??, Institute for Human-Animal Connection, PATH International, Polyvagal Equine Institute, Natural Lifemanship, Temple Grandin Equine Center (CSU), and The HERD Institute.

Anam Cara Counseling is dedicated to realizing a world where all mental health needs are met - together. As we galvanize the equine and mental health sectors around one message, espoused at the same time, we encourage you to help us spread awareness of our cause and choose Anam Cara Counseling / Anam Cara Stables to support before and during the campaign, May 1-31, 2023 by visiting Give Classy  to become a fundraiser or make a one-time donation. 

About Anam Cara Counseling / Anam Cara Stables

Anam Cara's mission is to help people and the community heal from emotional wounds; cultivate resiliency; & promote mental wellness. We provide counseling, EMDR, TF-Equine Assisted Psychotherapy™, Equine-Assisted Learning, & other healing modalities.

In addition to individual, family and group therapy, we offer the following donation-based monthly groups: Women's Support Group, Veterans’ Support group (Fall-In Friday) facilitated by a veteran for veterans, Brain Injury Support Group, Grief Support Group, Herd Meditation, Horse-Powered Reading & Horse Powered Math Programs, Corporate Training & Development and more. 

Anam Cara is the only organization in Northwest Indiana which provides both traditional mental health counseling and Trauma-Focused Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy, (EAP). Anam Cara incorporates horses as part of the therapy team, all work is on the ground. We focus on building connection with the horse rather than control. This provides both an experiential and transformative healing process. By partnering with horses in the healing process, Anam Cara gives clients the opportunity to discover their own solutions to what brings them to therapy. This is done with a treatment team which includes a licensed mental health professional, an Equine Specialist, and a herd of horses. We work with the understanding of the central nervous system of both humans and horses. It is a whole-body approach to healing, incorporating all five senses and movement, regulating the brain from the bottom up. Research shows that horses help the human nervous system to co-regulate just by being in their presence. Humans are wired for connection from birth. Learning to co-regulate begins in the mother’s womb. If there’s been any pregnancy challenges, birth trauma, or attachment wounds, horses help facilitate coregulations. Humans can’t really learn how to self-regulate without first learning how to co-regulate.

Horses are sentient beings, which means that they are able to perceive or feel things. Humans have an electromagnetic field that radiates from our heart about 3-5 feet. Horses have hearts that are 5 times larger and their electromagnetic field is 25 feet. As herd animals their survival is dependent on reading their surroundings. They can sense our emotions and first determine if we are safe then decide how they choose to interact with us. This helps us gain insights into what is happening internally while externalizing the story in an emotionally safe way.

Just by being in their presence, we begin to feel better, and our nervous system begins to regulate.

About Seen Through Horses

Seen Through Horses is a peer-to-peer campaign composed of individuals, nonprofits, mental health professionals, influencers, and businesses to increase awareness, public engagement, and raise funds to improve access to programs incorporating horses for mental health and personal growth. Horses can make a much-needed difference for the mental health challenges so many in our world face. Seen Through Horses aims to convene a community, empower nonprofits, and share stories of transformation to illustrate the positive impacts of incorporating horses into mental health services and programs.

The campaign is composed of mental health and equine professionals who have dedicated their lives to supporting both horses and humans. Seen Through Horses Campaign is made possible by our Premier Sponsor, Zoetis, and executive produced by Horses for Mental Health, Equine Network and Arenas for Change (ARCH).

As we galvanize the equine and mental health sectors around one message, espoused at the same time, we encourage you to choose a nonprofit organization to support from May 1-31, 2023 by visiting www.horsesformentalhealth.org/campaign .