The nightmares still come. The sudden flashbacks catch you off guard at the worst moments. You’re constantly on edge, unable to relax even in places that should feel safe. Or maybe you’ve gone numb, feeling disconnected from yourself and the people you love.
You’ve tried pushing through it. You’ve told yourself to just get over it. But trauma doesn’t work that way. The memories, the triggers, the way your body reacts without your permission, none of it is something you can just will away.
What happened to you changed your brain. But your brain can heal. And you don’t have to carry this alone anymore.
At Take Heart Counseling, healing happens through connection. That’s why our trauma therapy practice is built around something most counseling offices don’t offer: horses.
Our 52-acre ranch in Wernersville provides a peaceful, outdoor setting where you’ll work with licensed therapists specially trained in trauma-focused equine-assisted psychotherapy. Through gentle interactions with horses, you’ll process difficult experiences, regulate your nervous system, and rebuild trust without sitting in a traditional office.
This isn’t horseback riding lessons or recreational therapy. It’s evidence-based trauma treatment that addresses your mind, body, soul, and spirit. And it works in ways that traditional talk therapy often can’t reach.
Serving families across Berks, Lancaster, Chester, and Lebanon counties, we offer a path to healing that feels different because it is different.
What if you could process trauma without having to relive every painful detail in an office? What if your body could finally feel safe again? What if you could reclaim the joy, peace, and connection that trauma stole from you?
At Take Heart Counseling, we specialize in helping individuals and families in Berks, Lancaster, Chester, and Lebanon counties heal from trauma and PTSD. Through our unique combination of trauma-focused therapy and equine-assisted psychotherapy, you’ll find a path to healing that addresses your whole being, body, mind, soul, and spirit.
Our approach isn’t just talk therapy. Horses provide authentic, safe connection that literally rewires your brain for healing. At our peaceful 52-acre ranch, you’ll work through trauma in an environment where your nervous system can finally recognize safety.
Whether you experienced “Big T” trauma like abuse, violence, or life-threatening events, or “Little t” trauma from difficult relationships, grief, or overwhelming life circumstances, healing is possible.
You might benefit from trauma therapy if you’re experiencing:
Trauma can occur from single incidents or chronic experiences. Either way, these experiences put you outside your ability to cope and literally change the makeup of your brain. But connection creates healing in your brain, safe, repeated connection literally rebuilds and rewires your neural pathways.
Our licensed therapists at Take Heart Counseling specialize in trauma therapy. Each therapist is certified in trauma-focused equine-assisted psychotherapy through the Natural Lifemanship Institute and trained in multiple evidence-based therapeutic modalities.
We don’t just aim to be trauma-informed, we are trauma-competent. This means we understand how trauma affects your brain, body, and spirit, and we have the specialized skills to help you heal at every level.
Our therapists create a safe, compassionate space where you can process difficult experiences at your own pace. They meet you exactly where you are, never pushing you further than you’re ready to go.
Horses are incredibly sensitive to human emotions and energy. They live in the present moment and respond honestly to what they sense from you. This makes them powerful partners in trauma healing.
At our ranch, the peaceful environment cues your nervous system that you’re safe. Fresh air, sunshine, and the ground beneath your feet all signal safety to your brain and body. Then, the horses provide authentic, non-judgmental connection.
Sometimes, horses will nudge, yawn, stretch, or exhale to cue you to release tension you’re holding. Sometimes, they’ll wait to connect fully with you until you’re more regulated and able to connect with yourself. This real-time feedback helps you practice new skills for working through traumatic memories and experience safe connection.
Walking with a horse or riding provides bilateral stimulation to your brain, which cues safety and makes it easier to verbally process painful experiences. Instead of just talking about healing, you embody it through real interactions that create lasting change.
Trauma disrupts your brain’s natural development and functioning. Our approach aligns with the neurosequential model of healing: regulate first, then relate, then reason.
We help you regulate your nervous system so your body can finally feel safe. Then we build authentic relationships with the horses and your therapist. Only after regulation and relationship are established do we work on cognitive processing of traumatic events.
Connection is what creates healing in your brain. Safe, repeated connection literally rebuilds and rewires your neural pathways, producing new neurons and chemicals that facilitate physical healing for mental and emotional wounds.
Traditional talk therapy often stays in your head. Trauma lives in your body. Our holistic approach addresses every part of your being.
Being outdoors with the horses allows us to incorporate somatic movement, emotional regulation, cognitive strategies, and spiritual exploration. We help you reconnect with your body, process emotions safely, challenge trauma-based thoughts, and find meaning and purpose beyond what happened to you.
We integrate proven therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), play therapy, and mindfulness-based practices.
These evidence-based methods, combined with the unique power of equine-assisted therapy, create comprehensive trauma treatment that addresses the root causes of your suffering.
Faith is a crucial part of healing and long-term well-being. We integrate biblical principles and spiritual guidance throughout therapy, helping you understand your trauma and healing through the lens of God’s love and redemption.
While our foundation is a relationship with Jesus, we welcome clients of all spiritual backgrounds. You decide how much or how little to include spiritual topics in your sessions.
Non-Verbal Healing: Trauma often lives beyond words. Horses allow you to process and heal without having to verbally relive every detail of what happened. The experiential nature provides access to healing that talk therapy alone can’t reach.
Body-Based Processing: Trauma gets stored in your body. Working with horses engages your whole nervous system, allowing you to release trauma that’s been locked in your physical being.
Safe Relationship Practice: Trauma often damages your ability to trust and connect. Horses provide a safe, honest relationship where you can practice connection without the complexity of human relationships.
Immediate Feedback: Horses respond in real-time to your emotional state, helping you develop awareness of how trauma affects you and practice new ways of regulating your nervous system.
Faster Results: Many clients find that equine-assisted therapy produces breakthroughs more quickly than traditional methods. The experiential, whole-person approach often accelerates healing.
Children (Ages 3-12): Children learn best through play and experience. Our equine-assisted approach helps children process trauma without requiring them to have advanced verbal skills. Activities with the horses naturally bring up opportunities to practice emotional regulation, build trust, and develop healthy coping skills.
Teens (Ages 13-17): Adolescents often resist traditional therapy but connect readily with horses. The non-judgmental feedback from horses helps teens develop self-awareness, process difficult emotions, and build confidence as they heal from traumatic experiences.
Adults: Whether you’re healing from childhood trauma, recent traumatic events, or chronic traumatic stress, our approach provides the safe environment and authentic connection needed for adult trauma recovery. You’ll develop tools to manage triggers, process painful memories, and reclaim your life.
Families: Trauma affects entire family systems. Our family therapy sessions help everyone heal together, developing new patterns of communication, support, and connection that break the cycle of trauma.
Our Clinical Team is made up of Counselors first and foremost. Skilled in a variety of therapeutic modalities, our Clinicians are all licensed or pre-licensed in Pennsylvania, and have a minimum of a Master’s degree in their field. Each of our therapists are certified in trauma-focused equine assisted psychotherapy through the Natural Lifemanship Institute. Compassionate care, trauma-competent professionals, all whose lives have been changed by horses as well – our team is truly unique.
How long does trauma therapy take?
Healing from trauma is a journey, not a destination. Some clients experience significant relief in 12-16 weeks, while others benefit from longer-term support. Many clients feel change in the first few sessions. We’ll work with you to develop a treatment plan that fits your needs and goals.
Do I need horse experience?
No. You don’t need any experience with horses whatsoever. Our horses are gentle, intuitive partners, and our team ensures your safety and comfort. Many clients who were initially nervous about horses found them to be the most powerful part of their healing.
Will I have to talk about the traumatic event in detail?
Not unless you’re ready and want to. The beauty of equine-assisted therapy is that healing can happen experientially, without having to verbally relive every detail. You control what you share and when.
What if I’m not Christian?
Anyone is welcome at Take Heart, regardless of your spiritual background. While faith is the foundation for our team, we respect where you are on your spiritual journey and will never force religious content into your sessions.
Can equine therapy really help with PTSD?
Yes. Research shows that equine-assisted therapy can reduce PTSD symptoms significantly. The combination of safe environment, body-based processing, and authentic connection with horses addresses trauma in ways that traditional office-based therapy often can’t.
What about confidentiality?
Everything discussed in therapy is completely confidential, with rare exceptions required by law. Your privacy and safety are our top priorities. Sessions take place in private areas of our ranch.
Do you offer therapy without horses?
Yes. While we believe horses provide unique healing benefits, you have full choice in your therapeutic journey. We can meet in our office spaces, walk around the ranch, or provide virtual telehealth sessions if that’s a better fit for you.
Does insurance cover equine-assisted therapy?
We work with out-of-network benefits and partner with Thrizer to help you get reimbursed by your insurance company. We also accept HSA and FSA payments. Contact us to discuss your specific coverage options.
You are not your trauma. You are not your diagnosis. You are not defined by what happened to you or what was done to you. Your story may have been written by others’ choices or difficult circumstances so far, but you get to write the rest of the story.
At Take Heart Counseling, we walk alongside you to help you become all that you were created to be and live your life to the fullest. Our trauma-focused, equine-assisted therapy provides the safe space, authentic connection, and specialized care you need to heal.
Serving clients across Berks, Lancaster, Chester, and Lebanon counties, our peaceful ranch offers hope, healing, and wholeness for anyone struggling with trauma or PTSD.
Call Take Heart Counseling at (717) 917-7137 or contact us today to schedule your free 15-minute consultation. You deserve this. You are worth it.
Wherever you are at on your journey, we are here for you. Our human and equine team will walk alongside you so you can find hope, healing, and wholeness in your life. You are worth it. Reach out to us today.
