Meet Dr. Hallie Sheade | Therapist & Equine Professional

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Hallie Sheade and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Hallie, how does your business help the community?
There is a significant need for mental health services within our North Texas community and worldwide, with millions of people being affected by mental health disorders each year. In the United States, approximately one in five adults experience mental illness in a given year, and approximately one in six children aged 6-17 years experiences a mental health disorder in a given year (NIMH). Some of the most prevalent mental health disorders include anxiety disorders affecting 40 million adults in the U.S. and depression affecting 264 million worldwide. Despite such a high prevalence of mental health issues, only 43% of adults with mental illness received treatment in the past year (NIMH). COVID-19 has only increased the need for mental health services and, according to the Pew Research Center, a third of Americans have experienced elevated levels of psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness. Certain populations are more likely to experience mental health issues or be underserved when it comes to mental health care, including those in poverty, LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, and veterans.

At STEPS With Horses, we offer equine-assisted mental health services designed to meet the rising demand for mental health care. We specialize in addressing a wide range of concerns, including but not limited to trauma and PTSD, sexual assault and abuse, depression, anxiety, work and school issues, grief, social skills, anger management, and child behavior problems. Our services are geared towards reducing barriers to care as well as supporting individuals who require our support the most such as but not limited to military veterans, service members, and their family members, and non-military clients such as at-risk youth. We also serve others in the community with mental health needs. To best support our community, STEPS strives to offer accessible care by helping eliminate financial barriers via scholarships and grant-funded services for free or reduced cost to clients.

Equine assisted counseling (EAC) involves incorporating client-equine interaction into the counseling process as a form of intervention in counseling or psychotherapy. The goal of EAC is to reduce symptoms of mental health disorders and assist individuals in coping with life’s challenges, as well as fostering a greater sense of purpose in their lives. We have found this approach to be especially beneficial for clients who have not found traditional office based therapy effective or may be uncomfortable in that space. Our EAC program has yielded significant results. Generally speaking 80-90% of children and teens who received EAC show improvements in emotional and behavioral problems. For veterans diagnosed with PTSD, 82% experienced improvement, surpassing the 50-60% improvement rate reported in office- based settings. In addition, EAC has a lower drop-out rate compared to office-based therapies for veterans, with only 11% dropping out after completing 8 or more sessions, compared to the 20-50% drop-out rate for office-based therapies.

Our aim is to broaden our impact and make equine-assisted mental health services accessible to a greater number of individuals in our local North Texas community. We also seek to raise awareness of equine-assisted mental health practices by conducting seminars and workshops to inspire others to adopt this therapeutic approach in ethical and effective ways. Our ultimate goal is to foster growth of similar services worldwide and address the significant need for high-quality mental health care.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets STEPS apart from others in the equine assisted services industry is our exclusive focus on mental health services, with equine assisted counseling as our cornerstone clinical service. All our services are coordinated by licensed professional counselors to ensure our clients receive the most appropriate service for their needs and have their progress monitored over time. Our innovative STEPS model also provides nonclinical supportive services, such as therapeutic horseback riding, to help clients maintain gains made in counseling and reduce the risk of relapse or regression.

Personally, my own experiences with horses growing up fueled my passion and motivation for tapping into the power of human-equine relationships to promote healing. I have had several mentors who guided my growth and from whom I tried to learn as much as I could. Additionally, I have served and continue to serve in various leadership and volunteer positions within national and international organizations promoting effective and ethical equine assisted services.

The path to where we are today has not been easy, but we have overcome challenges by collaborating with partners like Hope 4 All to work towards establishing a permanent home where we can grow and expand our services to build sustainability and capacity. We are also continually working to increase awareness of our programs and build new relationships to increase funding through grants and donations for clients in need of mental health care who cannot otherwise afford it.

The lessons we have learned along the way include the importance of collaboration, perseverance, and the need to continually adapt to changing circumstances. We want the world to know that at STEPS, we are committed to providing high-quality mental health services that utilize the power of human-equine relationships to promote healing and growth.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was visiting the area, I would definitely take them to the ranch to meet our special herd of equines who make everyone feel welcome. Then we would head to the Water Gardens or Stockyards for a true Fort Worth experience.

For food, I would take them to some of my favorite places like Flower Child, which offers healthy, delicious food, Joy Macarons, where we could indulge in some sweet treats, and Hugo’s Invitados, where we could enjoy some delicious Mexican cuisine.

In addition to exploring the city, we would also take some time to appreciate the natural beauty of the area. We would go hiking at Dinosaur Valley State Park or check out the Botanic Garden.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to first dedicate my shoutout to STEPS hardworking staff, including counselors, equine professionals, and interns, who work tirelessly day in and day out to care for our clients and equines on a daily basis. Their dedication and commitment to our organization are what make our programs and services possible.

I would also like to recognize and thank our board members, especially my husband and co-founder, Paul Ziehe, for their support of our growth and sustainability as an organization. Their guidance and leadership have been invaluable in helping us achieve our goals.

Our volunteers also deserve credit and recognition for their contributions to our organization. They help care for our horses and make our programs and services possible.

I would also like to dedicate this shoutout to my father, Ron Sheade, who volunteers his time to manage many of the behind the scenes accounting and analytics that keep our organization running smoothly.

Finally, I would like to thank our partners and grantors who support our programs and operations through grants and donations. A special shoutout goes to Hope 4 All’s Dr. Taylor Bunn and Corey Johnsen, who have been instrumental in helping our growth and find a permanent home to expand our capacity to serve our community. Thank you all for your dedication and support.

Website: www.stepswithhorses.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stepswithhorses

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/s-t-e-p-s-with-horses

Facebook: www.facebook.com/stepswithhorses

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsal_0sls0U9otwo_j8EtAw/featured

Image Credits
Elliot Mayén