Take Heart Counseling & Equine Assisted Therapy
When a family’s story changes — through divorce, loss, a new family structure, or a transition into foster or adoptive care — preteens are often the ones expected to just adjust. They’re old enough to understand more of what’s happening, but not always old enough to have the words for how it feels. You might notice your preteen pulling back, acting out, or going quiet in ways that are hard to read.
Whatever this season looks like for your family, there’s a place where your child doesn’t have to carry it alone — and doesn’t have to talk it all out to start feeling steadier.
Pathfinders is a six-week equine-assisted therapy group for preteens ages 8–13 who are navigating significant family change — divorce or separation, the loss of a loved one, blended family life, or foster and adoptive transitions. Led by a licensed counselor experienced in child and adolescent therapy, this group uses hands-on experiences with horses to help kids in this in-between stage process what’s shifted and find solid ground again.
No horse experience is necessary. Pathfinders meets preteens right where they are — old enough for real peer connection and insight, young enough to still need a space that feels safe rather than clinical.
Family change and loss often leave preteens holding feelings they don’t have full words for yet — confusion, loyalty conflicts, grief, anger, relief, sometimes all at once. This is also an age where kids are becoming more self-conscious about talking through emotions directly, which can make traditional talk therapy a harder sell.
Horses don’t ask for an explanation. They respond to energy and presence, offering honest, real-time feedback that helps preteens notice what they’re feeling in their body before it turns into a bigger reaction. Learning to stay calm and grounded around a horse — to communicate clearly, set a boundary, build trust — becomes a rehearsal space for doing the same thing at home, at school, and in new family relationships.
Pathfinders is experiential, not just conversational. Over six weeks, preteens work directly with the herd in guided activities that build:
Sessions are held by a licensed counselor alongside a certified equine professional, creating a space where preteens can be honest without pressure to perform or explain.
You know your child better than anyone, which is exactly why it can be so hard to watch them struggle and not know how to reach them. The preteen years already come with a lot of change — Pathfinders meets kids in that stage while they’re also processing loss or family transition, giving them a space outside the family to grieve and adjust at their own pace.
Pathfinders gives your child a place to be a kid first — not a mediator, not the “strong one,” not responsible for managing anyone else’s feelings. Just a preteen building the tools to move through a hard chapter and come out steadier on the other side.
Pathfinders runs as a six-week seasonal group for preteens ages 8–13, with evening sessions at our ranch in Wernersville, PA. It’s a non-riding, ground-based group — no horse experience necessary. We serve families throughout Berks County, Lancaster County, Lebanon County, and the greater Reading, PA area.
For current dates, pricing, and to register, visit our Seasonal Groups page.
Your child doesn’t need to have it all figured out to start finding steadier ground — they just need a place that meets them where they are. If your family is in the middle of a hard chapter, Pathfinders is here to walk alongside you.
To learn more or take the next step, reach out to us today.
At Take Heart Counseling, we’ve seen how meaningful progress can come from starting in calm, quiet spaces. For many families, this gentle approach helps children feel safer, more focused, and less overwhelmed. Wondering whether equine-assisted psychotherapy could support your child’s emotional growth? We’d be glad to talk through what might work best. Let’s find the right path together and start a conversation.
