Rewilding Trauma Therapy

Experiential, Nature-Based Trauma Therapy

I am a trauma and attachment-focused therapist trained in evidence-based trauma therapies, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and DBR (Deep Brain Reorienting).

My work integrates these modalities with experiential, nature-based, and animal-assisted approaches, offering clients an alternative to traditional office-based therapy.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR is a well-researched and widely used treatment for trauma and distressing life events. Traditionally offered in an office setting, EMDR helps the brain process and resolve traumatic experiences so they no longer feel overwhelming or disruptive in the present.

In my practice, EMDR is often brought outside and into relationship with nature, animals, and horses. This experiential approach supports the nervous system through real-time sensory input rather than relying solely on imagination or visualization.

EMDR works by integrating mindfulness, somatic awareness, and bilateral stimulation to help the brain resolve trauma from the “bottom up,” rather than through cognitive analysis alone. Many people find this approach more effective than traditional talk therapy for trauma because it works directly with the body and nervous system.

Clients who did not resonate with in-office EMDR often find experiential, nature-based, or animal-assisted EMDR easier to tolerate—and sometimes more engaging—because healing occurs through lived experience rather than mental imagery.

EquiLateral™: The Equine-Assisted EMDR Protocol

I am trained in EquiLateral™: The Equine-Assisted EMDR Protocol, developed by Sarah Jenkins. This approach combines EMDR principles with equine-assisted therapy to support trauma processing through embodied, relational experiences.

EquiLateral™ sessions are offered in collaboration with a professional team at two locations:

• Morrison Ranch

• Happy Dog Ranch

More information about EquiLateral™ can be found here:
https://eaemdr.com/

DBR (Deep Brain Reorienting)

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a trauma therapy that focuses on the earliest, deepest layers of traumatic experience—often rooted in experiences of neglect, abandonment, or lack of protection. These early wounds can generate intense emotions such as fear, rage, grief, and shame, especially when there was no safe way to express or regulate them at the time.

Over time, these unresolved experiences can lead to chronic emotional dysregulation, relational difficulties, and coping strategies that no longer serve the person’s present-day life. Individuals may feel disconnected from their bodies, their emotions, or their sense of self—sometimes reacting in ways that feel misaligned with who they truly are.

Rather than working primarily with cognitive or “top-down” processes, DBR gently targets the underlying core pain and the nervous system responses that developed around it. Because the brain originally learned to turn away from this pain for protection, DBR proceeds slowly and carefully, helping clients approach these experiences in a way that feels safer and more tolerable now.

A key component of DBR is grounding in the “Where Self”—a felt sense of safety and orientation in the present moment. This grounding helps prevent overwhelm and supports increased compassion toward the parts of the self that hold traumatic memory and protective defenses.

DBR is often experienced as a slower, more deliberate process and can foster a deep sense of self-understanding and integration.

There is currently limited research on the safety and efficacy of DBR compared to more established trauma therapies. As a result, clients may move flexibly between approaches—working with protective parts when needed and accessing deeper emotional pain when possible. Together, we collaborate to determine the most supportive and effective path for your healing.

More information about DBR can be found here:
https://deepbrainreorienting.com/history-of-dbr/

DBR is offered both in the office and at the ranch, and sessions may include grounding with nature or animals either before or after therapy.