The Latest In Sequoia Counselling News
The Art of Giving Thanks
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What an opportune time to discuss the importance of giving thanks. Has your therapist every recommended that you keep a gratitude journal? Did you know that being thankful is actually really good for you?
Taking a few moments each day to reflect on the blessings that you’re grateful for can help improve our moods. Sometimes we become accustomed to looking for all of the ways that our day went wrong and perseverating on these. Practicing gratitude helps us reflect on the silver linings in the day. The way that the sunshine sparkled as it touched the water. The crimson coloured leaves this fall. The way that birds seem to float through the sky so effortlessly. Maybe it was the nostalgic taste of your pumpkin spice tea, or the smell of your grandmother’s apple pie. If we can focus on the things that we’re grateful for life will be more pleasant.
The heart math institute has done some research on gratitude and they’ve shown that when we think grateful thoughts, our heart rates find a more calming rhythm, as do the heart rates of those around us, including horses. So not only is practicing gratitude good for your mind, it’s also good for your body and relationships! Thinking welcoming, grateful, and loving thoughts helps our minds and bodies find some peace in a world that can be overwhelming and seem grim at times. So remember, no matter how tough your day has been, try to reflect on one or two things that you’re grateful for today.
September’s Workshops were a Hit!
A big thank you to all of the participants and horses who took part in September’s workshops. We were blessed with lovely groups of people who were so willing to open their hearts and learn from their experiences! The horses taught us how to connect with the authentic parts of ourselves in order to strengthen our relationships with ourselves and others in our lives. They taught us what happens when we tune in to the present moment and open our hearts to experience connection with others. Woo reminded one participant that it’s important to stay connected with family, no matter how far they may be. They taught us how to be more grounded and the importance of self care. As always, these workshops were a magical experience!
If you haven’t yet tried it, put yourself on the waitlist for the next workshop today!
Sequoia Counselling was at the Newmarket Holistic Healing Fair September 4, 2022
Sequoia Counselling and Miss Marla Designs a great time at the Newmarket Holistic Healing Fair on September 4, 2022 and we’re feeling grateful for all of the wonderful people that we crossed paths with while we were there. Congratulations to all of the prize-winners! We hope to see you all again soon!
Open House Pictures!!!
Sequoia News – August 11, 2022
Thank you for a Successful Open House
A sincere and heartfelt thank you to everyone who came out to the Sequoia Counselling and C.J. Sport Horses’ Open House last week! Despite it being a hot hot day, about 500 people attended this event and it was a lot of fun!
Thank you to the volunteers who participated in the Sequoia Counselling demonstrations and gave everyone an opportunity to see first hand how transformational connecting with horses can be. Thank you to everyone who took part in finding our missing princess and bringing our MaziQueen home to us!! Thank you to all of the parents and children who participated in the events in Kids Corner, putting smiles on all of our faces with water gun painting, noodle horse races, pin the tail on the pony, pictures with Paco, and more.
Congratulations to our raffle winners who took home thousands of dollars worth of fabulous prizes!
We’re hoping to make this an annual event, so if you missed it, don’t worry, you’ll have another opportunity to attend next year.
Pictures of the event will be available on the Sequoia Counselling Bulletin page, www.sequoiacounselling.ca/bulletin as soon as they become available.
New Workshops!
Sequoia Counselling is now offering a series of Wellness, Personal Development, and Mental Health Workshops with Horses! Horses connect with us at a deep level of authenticity, inviting us to embody our experience with them, offering new insights for positive change. My own journey to becoming an Equine Assisted Psychotherapy facilitator started with my own transformational experience at a personal development workshop with horses just like these ones!
Our featured adult workshops this month are FUN AND CONNETIONS WITH HORSES and CONNECTING WITH YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF. Each workshop involves working with horses on the ground (there is no riding). You will have an opportunity to meet the herd using your intuition and senses, learn how to connect with horses (and others in your life) in a genuine and meaningful way, and engage in interactive activities with the horses that will help you connect with your authentic self and find clarity and meaning in your life. These workshops will be fun and transformational. What wisdom will the horses have for you on your journey? Sign up today to find out! Spaces are limited and they’re going fast!
We are also offering one 1/2 day workshop for children ages 8-15. Kids will have an opportunity to engage in expressive arts while in the presence of horses! It’s conveniently timed a few weeks into school so they will be able to work on improving their self-esteem and work through any anxious feelings that may have come up in the first few weeks of school. It’s sure to be a fun and unique experience that they’ll never forget!
Book Your Session Now
Just a friendly reminder that the fall is a very busy time, so book your appointment now to ensure that you get the session time that you’d like.
Sequoia Counselling continues to grow and expand and I’m so grateful to be here on your journey and that you’re here on ours.
Open House – August 6, 2022
Sequoia Counselling & CJ Sport Horses Ltd are having an Open House on August 6, 2022.
You’ll have an opportunities to meet the horses and this year’s foals! We’ll even take the horses on a trail walk.
Nicole Davis at Sequoia Counselling will explain how horses help us to heal and will provide a demonstration.
Cassandra Jessop of CJ Sport Horses Ltd, will do a live dressage demonstration.
Women’s Wellness Night Market
July 28, 2022
Sequoia Counselling will be at the Women’s Wellness Night Market on July 28, 2022. This is a great opportunity for you to ask us your questions about mental health, trauma, equine-assisted psychotherapy, and more… Join us for an evening designed with your self-care and wellness in mind!
Coming Soon:
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
Are you looking for some support, but you don’t feel comfortable sitting in an office and chatting for an hour? Why not try a more experiential form of counselling and psychotherapy?
Sequoia Counselling is excited to officially offer Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) this summer! Whether you’ve spent your whole life around horses or this is your first encounter with these amazing creatures, you’ll have the opportunity to continue your healing journey in their majestic presence.
Horses are gentle and non-judgmental teachers. They teach us the power of presence, and reflect back to us when something isn’t sitting quite right. They provide a safe environment where we can process our emotions, and countless opportunities to learn and practice new skills.
All Equine Therapy activities are ground activities. This means that we spend time with the horses, but we don’t ride them. You’ll have the opportunity to learn how to genuinely connect with horses (and others), build relationships, read body language, regulate your emotions, appreciate the present moment, and live more authentically.
Through our own experience with Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, as well as having the opportunity to support others on their journey with EAP, here at Sequoia Counselling, we understand how transformational these sessions can be for people. In facilitating Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, we have witnessed first hand, people learn to feel safe, build boundaries, recognize their strengths, become more empowered, identify and overcome obstacles, connect with their purpose, and so much more. What lessons may the horses have in store for you?
Check out the EAP or FAQ sections of our website to learn more about how horses can help you on your healing journey. Meet the herd and read about Scout, the horse responsible for making all of this happen. Call today to schedule a session so you can experience the healing presence of horses for yourself!