Getting Started

The opening of Shayna Meadows Therapy and Wellness has been a dream in my head for too many years to count. In fact, it started way before I had ever heard about Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy. I have just known for a long time that putting people and horses together produced good things, and that connecting with nature brings healing.

The actual, tangible journey started in 2008 when I decided to change careers and to follow this calling to combine the power of horses with the power of mental health treatment. I dreamed of partnering with the horses to empower and heal people, to change lives. I entered into a Master’s program in Counseling Psychology with a specialty in Equine-Assisted Mental Health. Three long–but fun–years of graduate school, then internship counseling and then over 2 years of counseling under supervision finally earned me a state license and the ability to start my own practice. This is where the really creative part comes in… creating a place where clients can work with the horses, gain what the horses have to offer them in a safe, comfortable and confidential environment.

We created Shayna Meadows on this piece of West Virginia that we have been privileged to call home for many years. It is named for Shayna, my first equine partner who I was blessed to have in my life from the time I was 16 (1981) until her death in 2004. She was a soul that never questioned who she was, knew how to have fun, but also when to focus on a serious task. She escorted me through many of life’s ups and downs. She inspired me, and even though I started this journey in full after her death, she was behind it all along.

As we prepare to open the doors of the new facility to clients, I pray for and expect great things to happen. I expect people to find hope to continue through difficult times, healing from sorrows and loss, and access to a deeper sense of peace. And I know that the horses are ready to help.