Join Us for an Immersive Equine-Assisted Expressive Arts Therapy Experience!

This training offers a non-riding experience in Equine-Assisted Expressive Arts Therapy where no prior horse experience is required.

 Participants will explore the healing power of groundwork with horses, focusing on building connection, emotional awareness, and self-regulation through embodied practices. This approach uses sensory-based methods from the MSSS Model (movement, sound, storytelling, and silence) to foster personal growth and resilience, without the need for riding. Instead, groundwork emphasizes grounded interactions with horses, including connecting, body scanning, and mindful presence, which facilitate emotional attunement, trust-building, and connection.

Throughout the training, participants will engage in expressive arts practices designed to enhance body-mind awareness and emotional regulation. Using the MSSS Model participants will integrate creative expression with embodied practices to support self-reflection, healing, and empowerment. The focus will be on embodied movement, bilateral art-making, and breathwork as tools for self-discovery and wellness.

Whether you are new to horses or have some experience, this workshop provides a supportive environment where you can explore creative self-expression, resilience, and connection through interactions with horses, without the requirement of prior riding skills. The horses will be partners in the therapeutic process, helping to deepen participants’ emotional awareness, sensory experiences, and embodiment of personal exploration.

Training Location

Therapeutic Riding of Tucson (TROT) Arizona, USA

Located in East Tucson, this address is nestled in a more rural area of the city, surrounded by the Sonoran Desert landscape. This provides a beautiful backdrop for outdoor equine activities. The open spaces and natural surroundings make it an ideal location for hands-on workshops, offering a peaceful, expansive environment that’s perfect for equine training and education. Tucson is known for its rich trail networks, especially in areas like Sabino Canyon and Tanque Verde Ridge, both of which are close to this location. Many local ranches, farms, and equestrian facilities are nearby, making it a prime area for equine education, training, and events.
Check Out the Location!

What Participants Will Learn and Experience

Participants will learn and practice skills in:

  • Groundwork with Horses: Engaging in non-riding activities with the horses to build trust, emotional attunement, and connection.
  • Visual Journaling: Using journaling as a sensory exploration tool for emotional reflection, processing, and creative expression.
  • Bilateral Movement and Creative Expression: Incorporating bilateral movement with creative arts.
  • Nature-Inspired Art: Creating artwork inspired by the natural environment.
  • Sound and Movement for Attunement: Using sound and movement to deepen emotional attunement with the horses and enhance somatic awareness.
  • Sensory Engagement and Connection: Enhancing sensory awareness through embodied practices that help participants connect with their bodies, the horses, and the natural environment.
  • Collaborative Creative Expression: Group artwork and movement to build connection and collaboration through shared creativity.
  • Somatic Awareness and Emotional Regulation: Developing skills for tuning into the body's physical sensations and using that awareness to manage emotions and enhance well-being.
  • Embodied Ritual and Ceremony: Engaging in an Earth Altar ceremony, using ceremonial practices to anchor personal transformation and facilitate emotional release.
  • Mindfulness and Presence: Developing mindfulness through body awareness, presence with the horses, and creative expression.


These skills will provide participants with a comprehensive toolkit for integrating groundwork with horses and embodied expressive arts into restorative and personal growth practices.

Meeting Times: March 28th and 29th, 2025 from 9:30 am -- 3:30 pm, with 90 minutes for lunch. Please arrive by 9:00 am on the first day so that we can check you in and complete required paperwork for participating at the TROT facility.

Registration fee is NON-REFUNDABLE after January 31st, but can be applied in its entirety for other Institute courses and events for two calendar years from the date of this event. Before January 31st, 75% of the fee is refunded if you find you need to cancel. Because of the nature of this training event, there are no exceptions to this refund policy.

 

About Equine-Assisted Expressive Arts Therapy™

10 Continuing Education or Professional Development Hours--NBCC Approved + Pending EMDRIA Approval

From Dr. Elizabeth Warson: "As an avid rider and descendant of horse and mule trainers, I’ve personally experienced the healing power of horses and their herd dynamics. My journey as an equine specialist and equine-assisted psychotherapist grew from my deep connection to the expressive arts. I believe the combination of equine therapy and expressive arts forms a unique healing practice that fosters co-regulation and self-regulation through sensorimotor experiences. This process creates transformative opportunities for meaning-making. Reflecting on my own childhood, where drawing on any surface was my way of expressing myself, I recognize that my artist, writer, and horse-riding grandmother saw early on that art would lead me to a career as an expressive arts therapist."

Nature-Based Expressive Arts Practitioner Certificate Training

This Live Event is offered as a continuing education course and also as optional hours if you are completing the EXAT or EXA-CE designations with our Institute. However, it is also part of the Nature-Based Expressive Arts Therapy Certificate program. See https://expressive-arts-therapy.thinkific.com/courses/nature-based-expressive-arts-certificate-program for more information.


Institute Faculty

Institute Faculty | Supervisor Elizabeth Warson, PhD

Elizabeth Warson, PhD, ATR-BC, LPC, NCC, EMDR III, EXAT, EAP II, is a trailblazing force in the integration of equine-assisted therapy and expressive arts. As the founder of American Indian Art Therapy, her work stems from extensive faculty research at George Washington University and Eastern Virginia Medical School. Currently based in northern Colorado, Elizabeth operates Healing Pathways LLC, where she combines EMDR with art and horses, drawing on her expertise as a certified EMDR practitioner and consultant, Registered Art Therapist-Board Certified, certified Eagala professional and an EquiLateral trained equine-assisted EMDR therapist. As a faculty member at the Trauma-Informed Practices & Expressive Arts Therapy Institute, Elizabeth teaches both in-person and online courses focused on polyvagal-informed, equine-assisted, nature-based, bilateral stimulation, and sensorimotor-informed expressive arts therapy. Her research interests span stress and pain reduction interventions for Native American cancer survivors, culturally responsive practices, and trauma-informed methods. Her significant contributions include receiving a 2010 National Endowment for the Arts grant for her community-driven Coharie Heritage Empowerment Project, emphasizing cultural preservation. Elizabeth’s academic journey includes a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art, an MA in Art Therapy from Vermont College, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from Colorado State University. She has presented extensively at regional and national conferences, focusing on medical art therapy and culturally-responsive interventions, and has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Recently, she co-authored E.Qi: Equine & Expressive Arts Inspired Qigong with collaborator Sifu Kurtis Tilley. In addition to her therapeutic work, Elizabeth is a professional artist whose sculptural pieces have been exhibited both nationally and internationally, earning her an Ohio Arts Council fellowship award. Her multifaceted approach bridges art, counseling, and equine therapy, creating impactful experiences for individuals and communities alike.

Institute Faculty

Institute Director

Institute Faculty Cathy Malchiodi PhD

Cathy Malchiodi, PhD, LPCC, LPAT, ATR-BC, REAT is a research psychologist, a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist, and a licensed mental health counselor. She is the executive director of the Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute and is an investigator with the US Department of Education, integrating trauma-informed expressive arts into classrooms. She has also worked with the Department of Defense since 2008 to bring expressive arts therapy programming and psychotherapy to combat military and their families and Veterans with posttraumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. Dr. Malchiodi studied with Francine Shapiro and is qualified in EMDR Level I and Level II. Cathy has assisted more than 500 agencies, organizations, and institutions in developing trauma-informed programming including the United Nations, Department of Defense, Kennedy Center, Harvard, MIT, and Johns Hopkins University. An international presenter and workshop leader, she given over 750 invited keynotes and workshops throughout the US, Canada, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. She has authored 21 books, including the bestselling Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body, and Imagination in the Healing Process and Handbook of Expressive Arts Therapy. Her books have been translated in over 20 languages. A life-long learner, Dr. Malchiodi's latest research and practice includes sensory processing and neurodiversity affirming models of psychotherapy to address trauma through expressive approaches to intervention.

Sierra Ohrel

Special Guest Instructor

Sierra has been surrounded by horses throughout her life and has long witnessed their remarkable healing powers. With a deep connection to these magnificent animals, she understands how horses can act as sensitive barometers, offering powerful feedback to guide individuals in their emotional, physical, and spiritual healing journeys. Sierra holds an Advanced Therapeutic Riding Certification from PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) and is trained in iRest Yoga Nidra, LifeForce Yoga, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Her practice is rooted in the belief that horses are not only powerful healers but also co-therapists, playing an active role in helping people develop new life skills, emotional resilience, and self-awareness. Horses are natural teachers of non-verbal communication, empathy, teamwork, and mindfulness, and Sierra facilitates a therapeutic partnership with them to help individuals explore and overcome emotional and mental challenges. Sierra views her office as the beauty of the natural world, where the horses and the outdoors provide a rich, healing environment for personal transformation. Her approach blends equine-assisted therapy with mindfulness and trauma healing techniques to guide people toward profound emotional and psychological growth. Through this unique combination of therapy, Sierra empowers individuals to connect with their inner selves and begin the process of healing and growth in an authentic, compassionate space.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the daily schedule?

    Live, in-person event is Friday, March 28- Saturday, March 29 (9am-3:30pm/ 90 minute lunch break) at TROT in Tucson, Arizona USA. You will receive more details on daily agenda and travel recommendations for the area on your course site after registration!

  • Will I receive a Certificate of Completion and Continueing Education Credits or Professional Development?

    Once you have both attended live event and completed all the required sections of the Thinkific course site, you will automatically receive a Certificate of Completion for "Equine-Assisted Expressive Arts Therapy " including 10 NBCC-approved CEUs or Professional Development Hours.

  • If I do not currently provide Equine-Assisted Therapy, why should I take this course?

    Equine-Assisted approaches are increasingly becoming part of work with trauma survivors as well as other individuals with various challenges. In this course, we will explore how equine impact therapy sessions by their presence; there will not be any "on-horses" component to this training. Gaining a deeper understanding of these approaches is important to all practitioners who work with individuals with traumatic stress. Various approaches found in Polyvagal Theory, sensorimotor and bilateral stimulation methods, and expressive arts therapy are foundational to equine-assisted treatment.

  • How is the live webinar included in registation?

    You will be automatically added to the live webinar course after you register for this live in-person training! The Live Webinar Session is on Friday, March 21, 2025 from 12 noon-3:00 pm Eastern Time via Zoom to introduce you to the materials.

  • What if I can't attend the included Live Webinar Session live?

    No problem-- we record the lecture portions of the live webinars for replay and you can watch them for 120 days after the event. We do not post the experiential portions of the event to protect participants' confidentiality. The Live Webinar also includes 3 additional NBCC-approved CEUs/PD credits with completion of Thinkific Course requirements (attending or watching webinar replay).

  • Does this course count toward the EXAT and EXA-CE designations?

    Yes, of course! This is great opportunity to add to your knowledge of how expressive work can be integrated with equine-assisted work and understand the principles that support this integration.

  • What about Accomodations?

    Accommodations are on your own- Please see link below for suggested places near the TROT Riding Center, 8920 East Woodland Ave, Tucson, AZ, USA 85749

Course Curriculum

Look for More Resources and Information on this Curriculum as We Get Closer to Our Meeting

    1. About Your Instructors | Elizabeth Warson

    2. Syllabus, Goals and Objectives of this Course

    3. Course Description

    4. Course Content & Enrollment

    5. Lodging and Transportation

    6. Site | TROT Arizona | Address

    7. Overall Agenda

    8. 2-Day Agenda | March 28 & 29

    9. Checklist

    10. Introduce Yourself Here!

    1. What is Expressive Arts Therapy? A Review or an Introduction!

    2. The MSSS Model of Expressive Arts

    3. Resensitizing the Body Through Expressive Arts

    4. Equine-Assisted Expressive Arts Therapy

    5. Visual Journaling

    6. Felted Grounding Stone

    7. AWE Cards

    8. Pony Pondering Inspiration Cards

    1. Film Presentation: Foundations of Sensorimotor Expressive Arts Therapy with Dr. Cathy Malchiodi

    2. Bilateral Movement & Artmaking | Hemispheric Integration Across the Midline (Warson & Warson, 2023)

    1. PATH International

    2. EAGALA

    3. Equine Assisted Expressive Arts Therapy Group

    1. Final Steps to Your Certificate

    2. Course Evaluation

    3. Regarding the Use of Material in this Course

    4. Final Questions

About this course

  • $649.00
  • 27 lessons
  • 0 hours of video content

Continuing Education

10 Hour Units Included + 3 Hour Units (upon completion of included Webinar).

Continuing Education Information

Please note: This live in-person course includes  total of 10 Continuing Education credits/ Professional development Hours upon attendance to live event plus completion of Thinkific Course Requirements.

*EMDRIA credit approval pending.

Counselors/National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6557. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC are clearly identified. Trauma-Informed Practices and Expressive Arts Therapy Institute is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Art Therapy Credentials Board [ATCB]. The ATCB recognizes a variety of CEC activities, including those in the areas of professional and mental health counseling. These activities are clearly outlined in their recertification standards provided to all ATR-BCs in their recertification year and on their website. A minimum of six CECs must be earned in the area of ethics each cycle. If you are licensed as an art therapist in your state, please check with your state board to verify what types of CEC activities are acceptable for license renewal.

California Marriage and Family Therapists, Social Workers and Professional Counselors. As of July 1, 2015, the State of California /Board of Behavioral Sciences [BBS] amended its regulations for continuing education providers to include National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) as a "board-recognized approval agency." If you are licensed as a marriage and family therapist, social worker, educational psychologist or professional clinical counselor in California, NBCC Approved Continuing Education Providers are recognized by the BBS to fulfill continuing education requirements. As of July 1, 2015, required CE hours can be accumulated through self-study and distance learning. 

International Expressive Arts Therapy Association [IEATA]. Many participants go on to apply for the REAT or REACE credential with IEATA and use our expressive arts therapy coursework to do so. Please check with IEATA to make sure you are meeting their current requirements for registration and let us know if you need additional information to help you qualify.

Psychotherapy and Counseling Fedration of Australia [PACFA]. Many of our Australian participants indicate that these hours are accepted by PACFA---Psychotherapy and Counseling Federation of Australia. Please check with PACFA to verify this and let us know if you require any additional information for this organization to qualify your professional development hours.

Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association [CCPA]. Many of our Canadian participants indicate that these hours are accepted by CCPA for certain professional development requirements. Please check with CCPA to verify this and let us know if you require any additional information for this organization to qualify your professional development hours.

CPD hours [Professional Development] are currently in the application stage. We also welcome teachers to this course; please contact us for additional information.

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Make Accommodations Plans Early

TROT is located at 8920 E Woodland Road, Tucson, AZ 85749. It is a beautiful location for this training, surrounded by desert and the eastern boundaries of the city. However, it is not close to the city center so plan early for lodging through AirBnB or Vrbo, Booking.com, Google Travel, or other popular travel sites. There are some low-price hotel chains within 10 miles of the venue including a Hilton and Comfort Inn. 

Travel Insurance and Refund Policy

As always, unforeseen circumstances can impact any event. Travel insurance is highly recommended to cover airfare or transportation costs. 

Registration fee is NON-REFUNDABLE after January 31st, but can be applied in its entirety for other Institute courses and events for two calendar years from the date of this event. Before January 31st, 75% of the fee is refunded if you find you need to cancel. Because of the nature of this training event, there are no exceptions to this refund policy.