NL Membership: A Constellation of Learning, Practice & Community

Animal Welfare Issues are also Clinical Issues

Tim Jobe and Bettina Shultz-Jobe discuss how to recognize animal welfare issues, including those that lead to behavior issues and burnout. They share how a lack of awareness in this area can impact our clients.

Distance Doesn’t Have to Mean Disconnection

Learn about the foundational role that detachment (physical distance) plays in forming a secure attachment. Learn how we can help ourselves and others get the relational experiences we didn’t get during development.

Doing Attachment-Based Work

Gain a concrete understanding of attachment-based work, why it is important, and why understanding attachment-based work is critical when doing telehealth or transitioning between in-person and telehealth sessions.

Introduction to NL

Learn the history and big ideas of Natural Lifemanship, how Natural Lifemanship principles are applied in relationships with horses, and how the NL principles facilitate connection and healing.

Introduction to NL and Trauma Informed Care for Service Organizations

This course lays a foundation for shifting organizational culture to become more trauma informed. Learn trauma-informed principles for building connected relationships that help to heal and reorganize the brain.

Natural Lifemanship Trauma Informed Care for Parents and Caregivers

NL co-founders, Tim and Bettina Jobe, teach parents relationship principles that help children learn to self-regulate and build healthy relationships, and why these are important especially when parenting children who have experienced trauma.

Support or Rescue

Bettina Shultz-Jobe discusses the difference between offering support and rescuing in the context of the therapeutic relationship. She discusses why this matters from a neurobiological and attachment perspective.

Trauma Informed and Developmentally Sensitive Schools

Learn science-based principles for creating trauma-informed and developmentally sensitive classrooms and schools. NL relationship principles provide a framework for translating principles into effective practices.

Trauma Informed Care and Trauma Informed Relationships are for Everyone

The truth is that most of us have experienced some level of trauma. Trauma informed care (TIC) is about becoming empowered to organize or reorganize the brain by understanding how the brain and body develop.

When Two Cultures Collide

Tim and Bettina discuss belief systems and principles that have historically prevailed in the horse world creating cultures that may collide or that may coalesce to bring about health and healing for horse and human, alike.

Catching Your Horse with Connection

Watch as Natural Lifemanship trainer, Tanner Jobe, demonstrates and explains how to catch and halter a horse with connection.

Centering

Learn a process for becoming more present to yourself and others. Shannon Knapp demonstrates a process of centering as a way to get in touch with yourself prior to engaging with a horse.

Connected Horsemanship Deep Dive Workshop

Learn how the process of building a connected relationship in Natural Lifemanship is guided by principles and by a particular responsiveness to THIS relationship, rather than by techniques uniformly applied to all relationships.

Determining if the Relationship is Ready for Riding

As the relationship between a client and horse progresses, the therapy team and the client may decide it’s the right time to explore connection while mounted; however, how do they know if the client’s horse is ready for this next stage of intimacy?

Developing Felt Safety with Attachment and Detachment

In this video, Tanner works with a new horse named Lizzie and demonstrates how to ask for connection through attachment and detachment. The goal is for Lizzie to stay connected, even in more stressful or unfamiliar spaces.

Equine Essentials: Body Language, Posture, Expressions, and Movement

There are a lot of opinions in the field about what various horse behaviors and physical cues mean; but in any relationship, and especially those with our equine companions, understanding body language and behavior is actually very nuanced. With this course, you will gain skill and confidence in your interactions with horses. Learn the essentials to better understand, care for, and connect with horses. This series is ideal for all equine-assisted/facilitated practitioners and especially those who apply the Natural Lifemanship process. To offer this series, we partnered with horse trainer and riding instructor, Callie King.

Facebook Live Collection – Connected Horsemanship

Each video in this collection was originally shot and shared via Facebook Live. Observe the many nuances of building connection in each encounter between a particular human and a particular horse at a particular moment in time.

Haltering with Connection

How might we approach a routine task such as haltering as an opportunity to build connection in our relationship with our horse? Tanner demonstrates how he asks Oreo to be connected and to say “yes” to being haltered.

Integrating Equine Bodywork in TF-EAP

Learn to apply NL principles while connecting with your horse through equine bodywork. Learn a simple technique to help your horse release tension and learn how the technique may be incorporated into work with clients using the NL process.

Learning about Connection with a Wild Horse

NL co-founder, Tim Jobe, demonstrates how he begins to work with a wild horse in ways that build connection. He discusses how he applies the NL principles throughout the process.

Relationship Basics with Frieda

In this series of 19 videos, Tim and Bettina build a connected and cooperative partnership with their rescue horse, Frieda. Learn the nuances of the NL process through this series of demonstrations.

Tanner & Nina: Preparing for Mounting

Tanner builds his relationship with Nina starting with asking her to attach in the pasture to follow him into the covered arena. Once in the arena, they work on refining their attachment and detachment and positioning around the mounting block.

The Complexity of Touch

NL is a practice of restoring and repairing connection in our relationships whenever and however it is lost. Trust and intimacy are built through thousands of micro-repairs. Bettina and Tanner work on restoring connection around touch with Apollo.

The Process of Mounting at Liberty

Tanner works with Lady to help her become comfortable positioning her body around the mounting block. Through working on connection they build the trust and communication needed for mounting.

NL for Groups

NL Trainers, Sara Sherman of Discovery Horse and Reccia Jobe of Pecan Creek Ranch, teach and model just how easy and effective it can be to incorporate NL principles into a variety of group settings.

NL for Veterans and First Responders

This course includes content on how to apply NL principles to working with veterans and first responders. The presentations cover important skills for working with each population.

Telehealth with Children and Families when they have been doing EAP

How does one move an equine-assisted practice indoors, or even virtual via telehealth? Learn some helpful ways to transition to telehealth with clients who are accustomed to working outside with you and with horses.

The Disease of Disconnection: Applying Natural Lifemanship Principles to the Treatment of Substance-Use Disorders

Addiction is a disease of Disconnection. Its symptoms: Isolation, Fear and Loneliness. This workshop introduces you to a trauma-informed understanding of addiction to reveal the underlying factors that create and perpetuate the addiction cycle.

Breathing Practices for Nervous System Awareness and Regulation

This practical and engaging two-part workshop explores how bringing awareness to our breath can help us better understand ourselves, and how we can use breath deliberately to support our wellbeing and navigate challenges.

Conversation with Bonnie Badenoch, Author of The Heart of Trauma

Bonnie Badenoch, PhD, LMFT is the best selling author of The Heart of Trauma. This rich conversation ventures deeply into the science of what it means to be a healing presence for others.

Finding Your Rhythm: Therapeutic Drumming

Enhance connection through rhythm while enriching therapeutic work with people and horses. Learn a specific healing protocol including exercises for wellness, connecting to the rhythm of the group, expressing feelings, and guided imagery.

Healing Attachment Wounds through Movement

Our attachment style and way of relating in the world is developed preverbally. As such, attachment wounding must be addressed somatically. Learn how connecting to the way an embryo moves and develops can help us sense into our bodies powerfully.

Introduction to Equine Connected EMDR (EC-EMDR)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective, extensively researched method for helping people recover from trauma. Learn how Trauma-Focused EAP supports and enhances EMDR in Equine-Connected EMDR (EC-EMDR).

Mindfulness Practices to Build Connection

NL Trainer, Shannon Knapp, presents on Mindfulness Practices to Build Connection. Following the presentation, a small group gathers at an experiential workshop to learn and experience how these practices may look in session with a horse.

Preparing the Horse and Client for (Mounted) Trauma Processing

Rhythmic Riding is utilized to build an internal sense of connection and a level of integration in the brain prior to processing traumatic events. Learn to prepare horse and client for this powerful work.

Processing Trauma with the Help of Horses

How do we process trauma in a connected way with a client who is deeply dysregulated, doesn’t desire or feel connection, isn’t ready to make requests for relationship, has deep attachment wounding, and who has experienced severe trauma?

Rainy Day Activities

Have you ever wondered what to do in your sessions on a rainy day or during the long winter months?  Learn how one can still do Natural Lifemanship when circumstances prevent partnering with horses.

Rhythmic Riding Demonstration

This video demonstrates how mounted work may facilitate regulation of the brain, integration, and modulation of the stress response. Completion of the Fundamentals of NL training is recommended prior to watching.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) is a trauma and attachment therapy model that focuses on the body to connect with and process traumatic material. Learn foundational tenets of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, founded by Pat Ogden.

Somatic Experiencing, Attachment and Touch

Learn how Somatic Experiencing®, Attachment and Touch interweave in trauma treatment involving humans and equines. Includes presentation and experiential workshop.

Tapping into Peace: Percussive Tapping Techniques for Self-Regulation and Soothing

Learn the origins of EFT and the ways it can be effective in helping our bodies regulate around physical and emotional stress. The presenters show the tapping points involved in the technique and lead the audience through EFT.

The Journey into Self-Leadership: Integrating the Internal Family Systems Model with EAS

This presentation by Jenn Pagone, LCPC provides a fundamental understanding of the IFS model and how it may be effectively integrated with an equine-assisted practice informed by Natural Lifemanship.

Animal Welfare Issues are also Clinical Issues

Tim Jobe and Bettina Shultz-Jobe discuss how to recognize animal welfare issues, including those that lead to behavior issues and burnout. They share how a lack of awareness in this area can impact our clients.

Business Building 101

Building a business in equine-assisted services can be daunting. Let industry experts, Shannon Knapp and Bettina Shultz-Jobe be your guides! Learn about the multiple considerations that can make or break an EAS business.

Ethical Dilemmas Specific to the Field of Equine Assisted Practice and Psychotherapy

This webinar discusses the many ethical dilemmas specific to Equine Assisted Services. It is critical for practitioners to embrace strong ethical values and guidelines as they navigate the inevitable complications that arise.

Research, Program Evaluation & Documentation: A Collection of Resources

This compilation provides information and resources related to research, program evaluation, and documentation in equine-assisted services, particularly services informed by the Natural Lifemanship.

Support or Rescue

Bettina Shultz-Jobe discusses the difference between offering support and rescuing in the context of the therapeutic relationship. She discusses why this matters from a neurobiological and attachment perspective.

Take Your EA Practice to the Next Level with PonyTracker

Learn about PonyTracker: a web-based tool to help business owners of equine-assisted services stay organized with barn management, therapeutic client management, rider/student tracking, and scheduling.

The Top 5 Things Every Equine Assisted Practice Needs to Know for Business Success

Shannon Knapp and Bettina Shultz-Jobe are passionate about helping equine-assisted practitioners build businesses across the country and throughout the world. They discuss the top 5 things you need to know to be successful in this field.

Transforming Trauma: Resiliency and Healing through our Connections with Animals

Philip Tedeschi reviews some of the important ways that animals are being incorporated into clinical responses to trauma highlighting findings discussed in his book, including the neurobiological mechanisms of change in AAI.

Trauma Informed Care and Trauma Informed Relationships are for Everyone

The truth is that most of us have experienced some level of trauma. Trauma informed care (TIC) is about becoming empowered to organize or reorganize the brain by understanding how the brain and body develop.

A Journey from Parts to Self

This guided meditation led by Jenn Pagone is aimed to assist you in identifying any activated parts that are calling for your attention, and to help you attune to your body to build resiliency and increase resources.

Breathing Practices for Nervous System Awareness and Regulation

This practical and engaging two-part workshop explores how bringing awareness to our breath can help us better understand ourselves, and how we can use breath deliberately to support our wellbeing and navigate challenges.

Building an Internal Safe Place

Learn a practice to support you in moments of acute stress and routinely throughout the day. Using psychodrama, Kate Naylor guides us as we explore and draw upon our own internal resources for strength, soothing, and support.

Chakra Balancing

Chakra balancing is based on the ancient Indian belief in a series of seven chakras, or energy centers. Chakra balancing is believed to promote health and resilience by maximizing the flow of energy in the body. Led by Michelle Holling-Brooks.

Connecting to Nature through Music

Experience bottom-up regulation as we connect to the elements of air, earth, water, and fire through music. Led by Mary Oliver.

Orientation: Moving into Presence

Meeting with novelty or threats in the environment, our bodies normally react with a stress response, preventing us from being fully present. Orienting and re-orienting through our senses increases the comfort we experience in our bodies and spaces.

Spiritual Memoir: Where a Life Meets Mystery

Memoir becomes spiritual with intention. Writing spiritual memoir, we look for holiness within the details of our personal stories, opening ourselves to transformation in the process. Presented by Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew.