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Introducing the Jobe Treatment Ratio for Equine Assisted Services

Introducing the Jobe Treatment Ratio for Equine Assisted Services

by | Jul 6, 2022 | Basics of Natural Lifemanship, The Latest in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

Evolving the Role of Equines 

Many of us on the Natural Lifemanship team have been working with equines for decades. We’ve spent much of that time preparing mustangs for domestic life, training horses for ranch work, and partnering with them for equine assisted services.  

Long ago, we moved away from a traditional utilitarian approach to horses, and toward a perspective that seeks to engage horses without the need for fear, domination, and control. This launched the unique approach of Natural Lifemanship (NL) that has flipped the script on how equines participate in healing services.

 

Understanding Equines as Sentient Partners

Natural Lifemanship developed a way of thinking about how the equine is involved in therapeutic settings that includes the equine’s unique contributions as an individual.  

Not all equines are the same, just like all people are not the same.  

This consideration, of how each participant in a session contributes to the stability or instability of that session, is necessary for providing ethical treatment.  Neither the equine, nor any facilitators, are exempt.

 

Get to Know the Treatment Team

Today we are sharing what we have named the Jobe Treatment Ratio —a framework for considering all the individuals in a therapeutic session, including the equine.  

The Jobe Treatment Ratio is an attempt at providing a more concrete way to conceptualize the complex fluid relational development between all those involved in a given session, and to recognize how that relationship determines the level of care the team can provide to clients. This model is still oversimplified in many ways, but hopefully provides a snapshot of the complex relational interactions that are flowing through every moment. 

For simplicity, this model assumes a session involving a licensed or certified co-facilitator, equine professional, horse, and client. These roles may differ in reality and therefore the model can be adjusted to help you conceptualize any specific situation. 

When you think about the four individuals involved, then you can start to separate, on a simplistic level, who is there to receive services (client) and who is there to provide services (facilitators).

Facilitators engage in months, if not years, of training and supervision in order to offer services to clients ethically. A client and their facilitators often, either formally or informally, arrive at a social contract of expectations for services, sometimes called an informed consent.  This agreement sets a framework for guiding the professionals in decision-making throughout the process of providing services.

Hopefully, it is clear that the equine professional and therapist are providing services and the

client is receiving. This scenario would create a 2:1 treatment ratio for a session, two individuals providing services for one.

 

Where Does the Horse Fit In?

Equine Assisted Services are unique – involving not only the professionals and the client, but one or more equines as well.  

So what about the horse in this scenario? On which side of this ratio does the horse fit? 

A horse is not developed in the same way humans are and does not have to commit to a social contract in order to provide or receive services. And yet they are part of this interaction. The question then becomes, are they there to provide services or receive services? 

Well, the answer is complex and fluid from individual to individual—and truly, moment to moment. As humans, we determine our ability to provide services according to the guidance of professional structures and assessments we have created and maintained as a society—as well as in assessing our own personal development. We attempt to determine the ability of equines in similar ways. The development of each horse and human will determine whether or not they are mostly providing services or mostly receiving services. As the moment and environment change, so too do the abilities of each individual involved. This is the complex nature of relational interactions. 

Each individual offering services requires a foundation for understanding the ins and outs of a session, knowing what is expected of them, and having a strong level of communication with other partners.

If the social contract is that the EP and co-facilitator are there to provide services for the client and involve the horse in that process, then it stands to reason that the horse could be part of the treatment team. Proper development of the horse’s thinking skills are necessary for him to be a valid partner on the treatment team. This is not easy, but is possible. 

It is important to ask, can this horse consent to participation? Can this horse move freely, think freely, and communicate freely?  Can this horse understand the expectations of the session?  If you can answer yes to these questions (and others), it is possible for this horse to be a partner in the treatment team.

 

An Ideal Ratio for Treatment

If the answers above are “yes,”  then we have the possibility of a 3:1 treatment ratio, where 3 individuals (EP, co-facilitator, and horse) are supporting and providing services for 1 client. 

Vital to the quality of services that are offered is the relational development between these three members of the treatment team.  This relationship cannot be picked up and put down at will. Conscious effort and ongoing team development are necessary.

The model below for the 3:1 ratio represents just one of an infinite number of ways this could look. If we have done significant work with EP, co-facilitator, and horse, then they can all work in unison to serve the client and you have an understanding and communication about how they are achieving this in every moment. 

Yes, we contend that equines can develop to this level. It takes intentional practice, building an equine’s ability to maintain his sensitivity and think for himself, which is only possible when we let go of outdated ideas of domination and control in human-horse interactions.

Notice in the diagram below, the quality of therapeutic or “safe” space made possible when the horse, equine professional and co-facilitator are well-developed as a team.  Maintaining connection in a well established relationship takes little energy, while building connection in a newer relationship can require much more attunement, focus, and regulation.  

In a well developed ratio of 3:1, the treatment team has significant energy free to devote to the client, rather than diverting it to support each other during a session.

 

 

 

When the Horse is Not a Part of the Treatment Team

We would say that it is more common that equines in these settings have not yet developed enough to easily create and sustain connection with others while maintaining their own autonomy. Therefore, they are unable to hold the same understanding as the EP and co-facilitator in a therapeutic setting.

If, as is common, the horse has not yet developed this skill set, then a closer representation would be a 2:2 treatment ratio. With a 2:2 treatment ratio, the EP and co-facilitator are having to extend themselves a bit more to provide support for the client as well as the horse in session. 

The 2:2 model below shows one way that this could look. Notice the shift in energy and focus particularly for what the Equine Professional can offer the client, as well as what the horse can offer the client.

 

 

In a Less Developed Team

Finally, if the humans in the treatment team are not well developed (either personally or relationally) we may devolve into a situation where each member believes they are having to support and offer treatment to everyone else involved. Then the situation may more closely resemble the dreaded 1:3 ratio. 

At this ratio, we are doing our clients a real disservice. Below is one way this could be represented. It is referred to as the model of the 1:3 ratio. 

Keep in mind this is one way this situation could evolve. There are many other possibilities, including if the co-facilitator is less experienced working experientially, working with horses, or working in a team. Their energies may be less predictable as well.

 

 

You can also see how the quality of the relationship between the members of the treatment team affects each member’s ability to offer support to the client. Notice how it affects the ability of the team to create a safe space for the client. The cohesiveness, personal development, and team communication present in a treatment team vastly influences the quality of services offered.

 

Assess Your Team

Insert your treatment team into this model and determine what your development and percentages might be. Notice which human-horse combinations put you at a 3:1 treatment ratio and which combinations put you at a 2:2 ratio. Also, consider scenarios that would put you at 1:3 and work on growing out of those. 

This should help you and your team grow together towards that ideal 3:1 ratio. Perhaps in exploring these ratios, you and your team will pinpoint a few of the areas that may need more work outside of the session. 

Also consider how things change (dramatically!) if you include more than one equine, or more than one client.  This is why, ethically, it may not make sense for a facilitator to work without an EP—or for only one or two professionals to offer services to big groups of people and/or equines.  Imagine the complex web of energy necessary for providing connection and a safe space to a whole family, group, or herd!  

Each facilitator, equine professional, equine, and client will come with their own histories, tendencies, and needs. Hopefully, the professionals also come with a clear self-awareness and understanding of their equine’s abilities and limitations so as to create an ethical therapeutic environment.

While this concept of ratios is simplified, it should make the ideas adaptable to whatever scenario you find yourself in, helping you and your team gain greater awareness of where your energy is going during a session and how you can all develop toward a ratio that better supports your clients.

 

Learn more in Our Upcoming Webinar

Tanner Jobe will be hosting a webinar on August 3, 2022, at 5pm CST where he explores the ratios illustrated above, and answers your questions. This is a great opportunity to dive more deeply into the concepts presented here.  Sign up here.

 

 

We are Preparing a Place for You

We are Preparing a Place for You

by | Jul 1, 2022 | Natural Lifemanship Events, The Latest in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

“We believe in the important work of Natural Lifemanship and have been coming together in prayer about how we can help you expand. Could we help you get a place for your headquarters?”

A place.  

A gift of place. . .

This was the beginning of a conversation Tim and I had with Dawn and Ron Robson, with That’s the Dream Farm, over a year ago.   This was the beginning of the promise of land––of a place to shape and form and transform us––all of us.  Here a powerful partnership and kinship began.  

These words put into motion a sacred promise for, and to, our growing community, because place builds people.  Place builds tribes.  The longing for and love of place is profoundly human, and akin to our most basic need for belonging.

 

We Had No Specific Place   

 

For years people have told us that they wanted to come to a training at “The Natural Lifemanship place.”  

The problem? We have never had just one place.  

Through the years over 50 different people/organizations have hosted our trainings.  They have cared for us, contributed to the accessibility and furthering of this powerful work, and rich relationships have been built.  Indeed, many of my closest friends were met through these partnerships.  

However, in 2020 much of our training was moved online as we pivoted during the Pandemic.  This allowed for a depth and breadth of learning not possible before. 

The shift to online learning was great. . . mostly.  

As more and more connections and communications were made virtually, I felt untethered at times.  We found ourselves longing for an NL home like never before.  In our increasingly virtual world, we learned that place matters now more than ever.  

More than ever.

Not just any kind of place but one we can call home—and one we can build with you in mind.

(By the way, regional trainings at our amazing partner sites will certainly continue.)

 

Place Matters

 

Intuitively, we know that place matters, that the actual land on which we stand shapes us and that we shape it.  Eric Weiner, author of The Geography of Bliss, says that “Where we are affects who we are.” He has spent many years researching how our actual location affects our creativity, our spirituality, and our happiness.  

We find that at certain places time is expansive and connection is all that matters.  These places change us and gift us the inspiration needed to create; a work of art, a new relationship, a new life.  We are inspired to heal and guide others as they do the same.  

The wide open spaces in the Panhandle of Texas, the Grand Canyon, Hanging Lakes in Colorado, the waters of Juniper Run, the castles of Germany, and the mountains of Austria are some of these places for me––sacred ground that has the power to transcend our relationship with time, with ourselves, and with the Divine.  

I believe sometimes the very ground calls out “come here and be transformed.” These are the places that tether us to each other, to this life, to those who came before us, and those who will follow.  

We need places like this.

 

Place Deepens Connection 

 

Tim often tells the story of when his oldest daughter moved to Utah and he had not yet seen where she was living.  His mind was not at peace until he visited her and saw the places in which she moved on a daily basis.  He needed to see and feel her home.  He felt uneasy until he could place her when he thought of her.  

I too have felt this with our children. Sending our kids to school during the pandemic was just gut-wrenching, partially because we could not see where they would be spending their day.  

Both of our children have done better with separation when they have seen where we are working.  Our little girl once said with tears in her eyes, “but I don’t know where you’ll be!,” as I left for work.  Our internal sense of connection and safety is stronger when we can place others.

Eric Weiner cites research done in Finland that found that 82% of phone conversations contain some version of the question “Where are you?”  If I’m on a zoom call in a new environment, people almost always ask me “Where are you?”

Why do people ask this?  Why does it matter?

Why do people ask to train at “The Natural Lifemanship place?”

I think it’s because we can better connect when we can place the person with whom we are seeking connection.  For example, I find it harder to connect with a person who has a fake or blurred out background on zoom.  By contrast, at our virtual Grief and Love conference we wanted a very intimate, community experience so I met with attendees in our living room. 

We are not just individual beings wandering the world, but connected creatures existing in a specific context.  Our context matters.  Where we are, how we connect with the environment around us, the places that we belong to—all influence who we are, how we feel, and how we connect with each other.

Connection is predicated on finding our place and allowing ourselves to be placed.  It is our hope that moving forward, as an organization, you can always place us.

   

So, a Place Was Purchased

 

After a ton of searching, That’s the Dream Ranch, LLC closed on 73 acres just outside of Brenham, Texas in November of 2021.  The most magical creek you have ever seen splits and borders the property.  The main meeting place, with antique furniture and a wrap-around porch, overlooks a lovely pond and a hay pasture.  The covered arena is straight up dreamy and is overlooked by a conference room, full of windows and too many chandeliers.  A quaint 12 bedroom Inn is nestled up against the creek, and all I can say is that I am in love.  All kinds of intelligent and majestic trees create little spaces all over the property that call us to come, and sit, and be. 

However, there is plenty of work to be done, and so construction has been initiated to create a place for you–– a sacred and fertile place for healing, growth, change, and transcendence.  This place will be all about experience and all about home––the kind of home you carry in your heart, that connects you to your core self–– a self that is part of the landscape you occupy, part of a larger body committed to making the world a better place. 

Natural Lifemanship is a community with roots, and now we get to build a home.  A place where you can find us, be with us. A place where we belong together.

 

The Healing of Place

 

Place has the power to do all kinds of amazing things, but with power comes great responsibility.  

As clinicians, our personal healing is the foundation for doing healing work with others––the same is true of the land.  Place has the power to be the beginning of new life if our love of place is fierce, so fierce that we will do the hard work of restoration.  The hard work of healing. 

With the help of That’s the Dream Ranch and in partnership with Leopold Land Management and the National Resources Conservation Service (a USDA agency) a major transformation is underway––demolition or repurposing of the things that no longer serve us, pruning, planting, and lots and lots of nurture.  We are committed to the messiness and the absolute beauty of healing.  We are committed to you.   

At Natural Lifemanship, it has always been about a way of being in the world. About principles and values.  

Therefore, we are building a place, a home, with the same intentions.  Our place—guided by our values where connection is seen and felt in everything we do.

And in our place, we are preparing a place for you.

 

Save the Date!  

The Natural Lifemanship Conference “Sacred Landscapes: Honoring the Places Within Us and Around Us” will take place April 12th – 15th in 2023. Registration opens soon and we hope you can join us.

 

 

Meet Your NL Membership Guide: Clair Gose

Meet Your NL Membership Guide: Clair Gose

by | Jun 22, 2022 | The Latest in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

Our membership circle is growing—so we found a guide to help lead the way. 

Meet Clair Gose, a lifelong horse woman born and raised in Texas, who combines her love for horses, people, and organization in her new role as Natural Lifemanship’s Membership Services and Event Coordinator. 

We recently sat down with Clair and reflected on her new position with NL, her experience in working with people and horses, and what it means for her to lead our vibrant community.

 

Getting to Know Clair Gose

 

How did you come to know Natural Lifemanship? 

My sister, Kate Naylor, has been part of the Natural Lifemanship team for about a decade. She spoke often about NL’s unique principles, which gave me a lot to think about when it came to my own relationships with horses. 

Because of her experience and my own desire to form more connected relationships with horses, I took the Fundamentals course and started incorporating it in all of my work. Prior to joining NL, I was an equine sports massage therapist and worked with traumatized horses at an equine rescue. 

I was able to successfully apply the principles I learned, with the horses I worked with and experienced firsthand the value of NL’s approach. 

What was your knowledge of equine assisted services prior to working with NL?

While I had worked with horses in the past, I had never worked with them in a psychotherapy or learning realm or as a mental health practitioner. As a Reiki practitioner, I focused more on body work and energy work—and my perspective was purely from the physical. 

Once I delved deep enough into the physical realm, I was able to understand the impact of emotional health on the physical body and used this when focusing primarily on the horses. 

What is your role with NL? 

My formal role is event coordinator and membership services. This encompasses my love of people, horses, and organization. Before I got into my career with horses I was doing production coordinating for film and television in New York City. 

I was always drawn to roles that revolved around organization. I love taking a big mess of information, straightening it up, and telling everyone where they need to be and when. 

One of my roles with NL will be coordinating the trainings and the conference coming up in March.  (Save the Date!  We’ll be together March 22nd – 25th.)

Perhaps my favorite role is membership services. Membership has grown so much that there needs to be one contact between Natural Lifemanship and everyone who wants to learn the process. 

My job is to guide new and existing members towards the resources designed to deepen their own personal and professional work. 

How does your previous work with people and love of connection play into this new role?

My hope is to get to know our existing members who have grown so close to the NL team and open new connections to those looking to join. This is also a great opportunity for me to come in as someone who is still learning the process and connect with others who are also learning the process. 

I am not too far ahead of the new people and so I can be a direct guide, learning along the way and helping people to get closer to where they want to go. 

What’s your favorite part about this role? 

Working with the incredible Natural Lifemanship team! It honestly makes me emotional because I’ve never experienced this level of support from colleagues. This feels like a place where I can really grow, and help others grow as well. 

What does the work of NL mean to you?

Natural Lifemanship feels like the most ethical way to build relationships with horses. They seek their consent and take into consideration their thoughts and learning abilities instead of forcing them into unwanted situations. Everything I’ve learned from NL puts a different lens on the way I interact with the horses I know and encourages me to do better.

 

Lightning Round 

 

What did you want to be when you grow up? An actor or a pastry chef. 

If you could go to any city, state or country, where would you go? France—right on the Mediterranean.

What do you believe about people? Everyone has a form of genius that they contribute to the world. 

What does your ideal day look like? Get up early…have coffee….there’s always going to be a book involved…eggs benedict for brunch…time by the pool…a ride somewhere…and a steak and pasta dinner with red wine and a movie. 

Want to become an NL member and walk with Clair and the rest of the NL team? 

We’d love to welcome you. 

Visit our membership page for more information or contact us or schedule a customer service call now and we’ll help guide you.

 

 

Just Released: Nourished by Meg Kirby

Just Released: Nourished by Meg Kirby

by | Jun 7, 2022 | Applied Principles, Basics of Natural Lifemanship, Case Studies, Personal Growth, The Latest in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

We are so pleased to announce that our Natural Lifemanship team has been published again! 

A lovely new resource is now available for a variety of practitioners – Nourished: Horses, Animals & Nature in Counselling, Psychotherapy & Mental Health, edited by Meg Kirby, is out now!

 

 

Not only do we share our lives with nature and animals, they are an integral and influential part of our well-being. Within the pages of Nourished is wisdom collected from respected professionals across the globe (of whom we are honored to be a part!) on how we can intentionally incorporate the natural and animal world into mental health, wellness, and personal growth.

 

Working With Horses to Develop Secure Attachment

 

Natural Lifemanship’s CEO and co-founder Bettina Shultz-Jobe and  I are thrilled to have contributed a chapter in Nourished titled “Working With Horses to Develop Secure Attachment”. In this chapter we offer theory as well as a case study discussing how attachment wounds can be brought into awareness, gently explored, and healed through authentic engagement with equines.  

We ventured not only into the cognitive aspects of attachment, but the embodied ones as well – for much of our relational patterns are held in the body. As this NL community knows, being in relationship with horses is a unique opportunity to transform ways of being, even when deeply held in the unconscious body.

If you are a practitioner in the field of equine assisted services, this is a chapter, and a book, not to be missed!

 

Psst…when you order the book through the links in this article, we earn a small affiliate commission. This transparency is important to us, but since we contributed to the book, you know we recommend it whole-heartedly!

 

The Evolution of NL and What it Means for You

The Evolution of NL and What it Means for You

by | May 20, 2022 | The Latest in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

Natural Lifemanship® has evolved—and our new branding reflects these changes.  It is my deepest hope that these changes stir a transformation in you.  For decades, we have shared our unique principles with clients and practitioners around the world, teaching the power of connected relationships and watching with awe and wonder as our world heals and grows one relationship at a time.  While our practice and teaching is ever-evolving, moving with each new shift in the universe, and adjusting to the impact of those shifts on the mental health and wellness of our communities, the platform from which we shared our work became outdated. Our website did not offer enough guidance for professionals to find the tools and trainings that would best meet their needs. Although many have found what they needed, and began a journey with us, we often received feedback that the process of committing was time-consuming and confusing.  This has changed.   The breath that comes into my body when I say that is lovely, so I’ll say it again.  THIS. HAS. CHANGED!

Our Tagline is an Invitation 

As we move into this exciting chapter, we invite you to “walk with us.” Our tagline acts as an open invitation for those who wish to build their life and practice on a foundation of essential principles. With a principle-based process, the journey of learning is ongoing – we will walk with you every step of the way. Our trainings are designed to meet you where you are and guide you to where you want to go – there is no “one size fits all” approach. Our seasoned trainers are ready to support your unique personal and professional growth.  

Our Logo is a Symbol of Who We Are, Together 

Developing a logo is a process of exploring one’s identity – when we began creating our new logo, the NL team members each saw something different.  It was intended to be a hoof, but the image allowed us to also see a thumb print, ripples in the water, as well as a representation of movement in general. The abstract nature of our logo is intentional – we have created something we hope you will identify with, no matter where you are on your journey.   Whether you see the hoofprint of the remarkable equines with whom we share this process, or the ripples of healing that we as practitioners initiate in our field of work, or something else entirely…we do not just welcome you to NL, we are building our organization with you in mind.

The Look and Feel is Grounding

The earth tones we have incorporated into our brand are reflective of our love of and belonging in nature, and our continual pursuit of a grounded approach to healing. The feel of our new site is a reminder of the landscape that shelters us, the plants and animals with whom we share our lives, and in particular, the equines with whom we have the privilege of being partnered.  We are committed to continuing our evolution – to always growing so that we are better prepared to nurture your growth.  Together, we can create ripples that spread far and wide.  

We Have a Path for You

When you visit our site, you will see a deep commitment to the Equine Assisted Services (EAS) field and an opportunity for you to start or continue your EAS journey. A quiz has been designed to help you better understand your needs and how Natural Lifemanship can support you.  We’ve designed an interactive experience on our training page where you can choose one of four designated training paths, or create your own.  Our certification path is simplified and clear, and NL membership is offering more community and live contact and support from our trainers (including Tim and me) than ever before. Additionally, we’ve included videos and testimonials throughout the site to explain what sets us apart, and why that matters to your life and practice.  See our evolution for yourself and learn how we can support you on your own unique and sacred journey.  We are so honored to get to walk with you!

Natural Lifemanship Terminology

Natural Lifemanship Terminology

by | May 9, 2022 | The Latest in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning, Uncategorized

In any professional field, there are always going to be a slew of terms and acronyms that are routinely used that are unfamiliar to those not in the field.  It can unintentionally create an “insider” and “outsider” feel for a person. 

We don’t want “insiders” and “outsiders”.  

While we do need to be accurate and ethical in our description of services and qualifications, it is our sincerest desire that you feel welcomed, that you feel you belong here, and that you can find your way around. It is also of utmost importance to us that our clients and consumers have the same experience when seeking a professional. 

At The Natural Lifemanship Institute, we believe that how we talk about what we do matters.  The language we choose to use reflects our intentions, based on our values of connected, healthy relationships.    

In order to help you orient not only to the field of equine assisted services at large, but to how Natural Lifemanship specifically speaks about these services, we have created this table. Below you will find the terminology NL uses and our recommendations for how you use this terminology in your practice as you grow with us.

The following diagram explains the collective term of TI-EAS, as well as the more specific modalities of TI-EAT, TF-EAP, and TI-EAL.  

TI-EAS is the unifying term we use for all the modalities we certify professionals to practice through Natural Lifemanship.  TI-EAS stands for Trauma-Informed Equine Assisted Services and encompasses all the myriad ways professionals can partner with horses in healing or learning environments.   This is a collective term––so there are subsets when we get into the specifics of scope of practice and skill sets of the individual professionals guiding the sessions.  

Scope of Practice is one’s own limit of skills, knowledge, and professional experience––made up by the activities routinely performed within one’s professional role.  One’s scope of practice evolves as new knowledge and experience is acquired through continuing education.  

This means that within the umbrella term of TI-EAS, there are a few options for how you would describe your work, and these descriptions are entirely dependent upon your other skills that you bring outside of your training with NL.  Natural Lifemanship training alone does not prepare you for doing ethical work with people – it is a perspective and an approach that supports you in being trauma-informed for both humans and horses (and other animals) as you provide the services your other skill sets allow you to provide.  

For example, an equine professional can become a Trauma-Informed equine professional (aka Natural Lifemanship certified equine professional) through our training, and will be prepared to assist a therapist, coach, educator, etc in bringing horses into healing/learning sessions with people – or the equine professional can obtain additional training in coaching/education/therapy/etc to provide services solely on their own.  Natural Lifemanship training will not prepare an equine professional to become a coach, therapist, or other kind of educator. Visit our certification page to dig deeper into the different paths offered.

A certification with NL does provide a trauma-informed lens for partnering with humans and horses, and pairs with any number of other professions (examples are in the table above) to offer healing/learning sessions to humans.

We use the term “Trauma-Informed” no matter the scope of the professional we train, because our expectations of trauma competency do not change from one practice to the other–– it is our belief that being trauma informed (the details of which you will learn throughout your training with us) is a basic requirement for providing competent and ethical care to anyone.  A foundation of knowledge in the science and research that has created trauma informed practices are essential to effective and ethical healing work – therefore our approach to equine assisted services is always trauma informed, no matter who is conducting the session. 

How you specifically apply your learning with NL (whether it be therapy, coaching, learning, etc) is largely addressed through practice and consultation, as well as discussion with mentors and supervisors during and after training.  Throughout your certification process you will be supported in applying your learning to your specific skill set and scope of practice.  The knowledge needed and taught during our trainings will be the same for everyone; the applications of what is learned will be unique to you.

All this terminology can be a little dizzying.  Ultimately, it is our hope that this evolution of language in our field will help you find your place here in Natural Lifemanship – one that is relational, ethical, and clear. 

We will walk with you every step of the way.

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