Highlights...
EQUUS - Team Behman (Egypt)
A collaboration of minds - Gale was recently invited to present in Cairo to a team of Psychiatrists, Consultants, Pyschologists, Registrars and Interns. This was an amazing experience of sharing and learning. We look forward to sharing more of Gales experience in the coming weeks.
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In the Press...
Review the Queensland Country Life article Gale appeared in, 'Healing with the power of horses' here.
Gale wrote the following article for the Australian Holistic Healers and Counsellors Associations' November Newsletter.
Gale wrote the following article for the Australian Holistic Healers and Counsellors Associations' November Newsletter.
As someone who is fortunate enough to work in the Equine Assisted Therapy field, I place a strong focus on constellation work and ancestral healing. For those unfamiliar with constellation work, it involves identifying persons who belong to a system and set of events that may have an effect on the system. Growing up in Zululand amongst the Zulu tribe, particularly with my beloved nanny, Doris, I learnt a great deal about ancestral healing and the laws of nature. I always felt most at ease in the bush and with animals.
Through many twists and turns, travels, countries and studies, I am now blessed to be back where it all began working with my beloved horses, animals through my Horsemanship and counselling business.
I often use my herd as representatives in constellations as they understand the underlying needs in the system. They are also very honest and have no agenda; the wisdom and presence of these equine therapists leads to astounding and deep healing outcomes.
Bert Hellinger identified the aforementioned needs as the need to belong, the need to maintain a balance of giving and taking, and the need for social convention.
- Belonging: (bonding, imprinting)
- Social order: (safety, social predictability)
- Equilibrium: (Balance, give and take)
As prey animals, horses cannot survive without this order and they truly live the "group experience". Each and every herd member has a place and a role that is always adhered to; it may change with time, but it always finds its own equilibrium. They can access energetic information from the knowing field and are expert in non-verbal communication. Their ability to respond with their bodies under pressure situations and then release the pressure somatically via movement, such as shaking, bucking, bolting or rearing, makes them the perfect role models for those suffering PTSD, loss of connection and loss of self. Once the trauma has been released, they are once again calm and connected.
It usually takes a very short time for the constellation to take on a life of its own. As with all constellation work, it is not meant to be over analysed but felt at the soul level. I deeply respect my herd for the part it plays in this process and always ask their permission before using them. I also ensure there is a clear beginning, middle and end to the process for all involved.
Constellations are not the only modality I work with. The energetic field of the horse is so powerful that when facilitated correctly it can bring about transformational insights within individuals in many diverse ways. The ability of the horse to mirror what is not said verbally, but deeply felt, is just one example of this. Slowing everything down while being with a horse, and using the client’s breath and energy, can also create a new image for the client along with a feeling of safety and calmness.
I am also a qualified horse coach and at times find it beneficial to put clients on a horse, usually bare-back. I think of this technique, which I have developed over the years, as somatic riding. I believe merely sitting on one of these wonderful sentient beings, bareback, feeling their heart and body under you, breathing deeply and slowly and connecting your breath to the movements of their ears, is a profound and deeply moving experience. We have become so busy and disengaged with the way of nature that this true connection is something many have lost. The love the horses give and the shifts that take place somatically can lead to a new feeling of safety and trauma release in the body.
I am grateful for the opportunity to share my knowledge and like to think of the client, myself and our equine partners as being on a journey together where we are held in a very safe, calm and secure place.
You don’t need any horse experience to benefit from this and even people with some fear or anxiety around horses are usually totally at ease when they are gently introduced to the herd.
Through many twists and turns, travels, countries and studies, I am now blessed to be back where it all began working with my beloved horses, animals through my Horsemanship and counselling business.
I often use my herd as representatives in constellations as they understand the underlying needs in the system. They are also very honest and have no agenda; the wisdom and presence of these equine therapists leads to astounding and deep healing outcomes.
Bert Hellinger identified the aforementioned needs as the need to belong, the need to maintain a balance of giving and taking, and the need for social convention.
- Belonging: (bonding, imprinting)
- Social order: (safety, social predictability)
- Equilibrium: (Balance, give and take)
As prey animals, horses cannot survive without this order and they truly live the "group experience". Each and every herd member has a place and a role that is always adhered to; it may change with time, but it always finds its own equilibrium. They can access energetic information from the knowing field and are expert in non-verbal communication. Their ability to respond with their bodies under pressure situations and then release the pressure somatically via movement, such as shaking, bucking, bolting or rearing, makes them the perfect role models for those suffering PTSD, loss of connection and loss of self. Once the trauma has been released, they are once again calm and connected.
It usually takes a very short time for the constellation to take on a life of its own. As with all constellation work, it is not meant to be over analysed but felt at the soul level. I deeply respect my herd for the part it plays in this process and always ask their permission before using them. I also ensure there is a clear beginning, middle and end to the process for all involved.
Constellations are not the only modality I work with. The energetic field of the horse is so powerful that when facilitated correctly it can bring about transformational insights within individuals in many diverse ways. The ability of the horse to mirror what is not said verbally, but deeply felt, is just one example of this. Slowing everything down while being with a horse, and using the client’s breath and energy, can also create a new image for the client along with a feeling of safety and calmness.
I am also a qualified horse coach and at times find it beneficial to put clients on a horse, usually bare-back. I think of this technique, which I have developed over the years, as somatic riding. I believe merely sitting on one of these wonderful sentient beings, bareback, feeling their heart and body under you, breathing deeply and slowly and connecting your breath to the movements of their ears, is a profound and deeply moving experience. We have become so busy and disengaged with the way of nature that this true connection is something many have lost. The love the horses give and the shifts that take place somatically can lead to a new feeling of safety and trauma release in the body.
I am grateful for the opportunity to share my knowledge and like to think of the client, myself and our equine partners as being on a journey together where we are held in a very safe, calm and secure place.
You don’t need any horse experience to benefit from this and even people with some fear or anxiety around horses are usually totally at ease when they are gently introduced to the herd.
