Our Clinical Staff
Dr. Hallie Sheade - Founder /President Equine Connection Counseling, PLLC
My credentials: I have a Ph.D. in Counseling; I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) in the state of Texas (#67848), a Registered Play Therapist (RPT), and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). I am also a PATH Intl. CTRI and ESMHL.
I grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. I fell in love with horses when I was 2 years old, begging to ride a pony at a local carnival without my mother holding my hand. When I was 9, I mucked stalls and groomed horses in exchange for free riding time. But the journey that led me to start Equine Connection Counseling really began the day Cowman arrived at the barn. He was a former rodeo horse that had a reputation for being strong willed and uncooperative. I believed he was just misunderstood. At the time, I often felt very misunderstood by my parents so we had something in common. Every day I would sit in Cowman's stall and groom him for hours as I told him all of my troubles. Cowman and I soon bonded. When I would leave the stall, he would often grab the back of my shirt and pull me back in. I was the only one he would cooperate with - either in the barn or the riding ring. Over the next few months, some interesting things started to happen. My relationship with my parents began to improve and Cowman started to cooperate with other riders. Cowman and I had formed a mutually beneficial bond that improved the quality of life for both of us.
My relationship with Cowman started me down a path that has led to:
I have come full circle. My journey started with the mutually beneficial bond I made with Cowman that improved the quality of life for both of us. Now I am helping others tap into the power of the horse-human relationship to do the same.
For more information about me, you may download my curriculum vitae (academic resume) here.
My credentials: I have a Ph.D. in Counseling; I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) in the state of Texas (#67848), a Registered Play Therapist (RPT), and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). I am also a PATH Intl. CTRI and ESMHL.
I grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. I fell in love with horses when I was 2 years old, begging to ride a pony at a local carnival without my mother holding my hand. When I was 9, I mucked stalls and groomed horses in exchange for free riding time. But the journey that led me to start Equine Connection Counseling really began the day Cowman arrived at the barn. He was a former rodeo horse that had a reputation for being strong willed and uncooperative. I believed he was just misunderstood. At the time, I often felt very misunderstood by my parents so we had something in common. Every day I would sit in Cowman's stall and groom him for hours as I told him all of my troubles. Cowman and I soon bonded. When I would leave the stall, he would often grab the back of my shirt and pull me back in. I was the only one he would cooperate with - either in the barn or the riding ring. Over the next few months, some interesting things started to happen. My relationship with my parents began to improve and Cowman started to cooperate with other riders. Cowman and I had formed a mutually beneficial bond that improved the quality of life for both of us.
My relationship with Cowman started me down a path that has led to:
- Signing a contract with Routledge (a division of Taylor and Francis) to author a textbook on Equine Assisted Counseling due out in 2020;
- Becoming a Faculty Candidate with PATH Intl. for Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning Workshops;
- Earning a Ph.D. in Counseling at the University of North Texas where I have pioneered two innovative models for the practice of Equine Assisted Counseling: Relational Equine-Partnered Counseling (REPC) and Equine-Partnered Play Therapy (EPPT). In my doctoral dissertation, I examined the effectiveness of REPC on the reduction of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in military veterans;
- Being named Chi Sigma Iota International's Outstanding Practitioner of 2015;
- Founding Equine Connection Counseling, a private practice for equine assisted counseling;
- Invitations to be a guest speaker on animal assisted therapy in both undergraduate and graduate level courses at the University of North Texas;
- Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Play Therapist, and National Certified Counselor;
- Presentations at state, national and international conferences, and authoring manuscripts and articles on animal assisted therapy and Equine Assisted Counseling currently in preparation for publication;
- Training through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) as both a Mental Health Specialist and Equine Specialist;
- Atlanta, Georgia for a job as a behavioral therapist working with children with developmental disabilities. While in Atlanta, I completed a Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Counseling at Georgia State University becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor Intern. I also became a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International registered therapeutic riding instructor and certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning;
- The University of Miami for Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in Psychology and Biology, where I also volunteered at a horse rescue facility and participated as a member of the University Equestrian Team.
I have come full circle. My journey started with the mutually beneficial bond I made with Cowman that improved the quality of life for both of us. Now I am helping others tap into the power of the horse-human relationship to do the same.
For more information about me, you may download my curriculum vitae (academic resume) here.
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Amy Dondalski
Counselor Amy is a graduate student in Counseling at the University of North Texas. She currently seeing clients as a graduate-level intern. She specializes in play therapy and providing counseling to young children.
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Our Non-Clinical Staff
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Paul Ziehe, PATH Intl. CTRI, ESMHL
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Laura Hamrin, PATH Intl. CTRI, ESMHL
Therapeutic Riding Instructor/Equine Specialist Laura Hamrin works with all disciplines helping to build confidence in both the horse and the client. She is a CHA IRD clinic staff , CHA standard certified and a PATH CTRI/Mentor and ESMHL certified. She is a leader in the field of EAAT and mentors and trains new professionals.
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