We are currently accepting new clients for In person and Virtual Therapy with immediate availability.
We are currently welcoming new clients for assessment services, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessments. Connect with our team today!
Nature Based Therapy
Some of the best therapy happens outside the office.
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is a form of clinical therapy that takes place outside the office — on the ground, alongside a horse. Guided by a Registered Social Worker (RSW) or Registered Psychotherapist (RP), sessions involve grooming, leading, and simply being present with the horse, while your therapist helps you explore what comes up along the way. There's no riding involved, and no experience with horses is needed.
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What makes it so effective is simple: horses respond to what's really happening in your body and emotions, not the words you've rehearsed. That makes it easier to build self-awareness, regulate difficult emotions, and practice trust and connection in a way that traditional talk therapy sometimes can't reach — especially if sitting and talking has never quite worked for you.
What is Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP?)
Horses have a way of reaching what words can't.
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy offers a unique and experiential approach to mental health support that combines traditional therapeutic techniques with the healing presence of horses. It can be a meaningful option for individuals who are looking for a different way to explore their emotions, build self-awareness, and develop new coping skills.
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No riding
Every session is ground-based and accessible
Facilitators
A registered therapist will always be present
Ages 8+
Individuals, children, and adolestent/ teens,
What can it help with?
Anxiety
Grief and loss
Life transitions and
adjustment challenges
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ADHD
Attachment
and trust issues
Relationship and
communication challenges
Depression and
low mood
School-related challenges
Building healthy boundaries
and assertiveness
Trauma and PTSD
Low self-esteem
and confidence
Low self-esteem
and confidence
HOW A SESSION WORKS
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy offers a unique opportunity to engage in therapy through connection, reflection, and experiential learning. Sessions combine traditional therapeutic approaches with guided interactions and activities involving horses, allowing you to explore emotions, build awareness, and develop new skills in a supportive environment.
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During your session, you can expect to:
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Meet with a registered mental health professional who will guide you through the therapeutic process
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Participate in activities with horses that encourage self-reflection, communication, and emotional awareness
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Explore patterns, strengths, and challenges in a way that feels natural and engaging
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Develop coping strategies, confidence, and a deeper understanding of yourself
Two barns, one calm place to begin.
Daurio Counselling is proud to offer sessions at trusted partner facilities across the region — each one chosen for the same quiet, grounded feeling that equine-assisted work needs.
Our Caledon Partner
Twisted Equine
Twisted Equine, a full-care equestrian facility in Caledon East, Ontario. It's a place built around one standard: exceptional care, for every horse, every day. That same attention to detail — calm, well-managed grounds and horses who are genuinely well cared for — creates the kind of steady, grounded environment therapeutic work depends on.
You'll be stepping into a space where the horses are settled, the setting is peaceful, and everything is designed to support connection.
CALEDON, ONTARIO
PARTNER FACILITY
EQUINE-ASSISTED SESSIONS
R&J Stables
Our Kawartha Lakes Partner
R&J Stables, a 60-acre farm in Woodville, Ontario and home to Sami's Place Therapeutic Riding Centre. Sami's Place has long specialized in 1:1, individually tailored programs supporting people navigating anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other mental health or behavioural challenges — building confidence and self-regulation not through laps around an indoor arena, but through games and time spent exploring natural trails.
It's a setting built around exactly the kind of work we do: real, individualized, and rooted in connection rather than routine.
PARTNER FACILITY
KAWARTHA LAKES, ONTARIO
EQUINE-ASSISTED SESSIONS
Our Kawartha Lakes Team
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Lorna Anderson
Coming Soon
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Coming Soon
Rebekah Olsen
Coming Soon
Lauren oversees the clinical side of our equine assisted psychotherapy programming, bringing the same evidence-based, goal-oriented approach Daurio Counselling is known for in Toronto — now out at the farm.
Meet our Therapists
GOOD TO KNOW
Questions we hear often.
Can I come to the barn for a tour?
How can I book?
What is the minimum age?
Are your services covered by OHIP?
Do we ride the horses?
What should we wear/ bring?
Do I need to be diagnosed?
What happens in a session?
What is the cost per session?
Let's Get Started!
Ready to book Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP)?
We’ll start by connecting you with our patient care coordinator for a quick phone call to answer your questions, talk about our services and help guide you through the next steps if you’re ready to move forward.
**Please note: Equine-assisted psychotherapy is available for clients 8 years of age and older.**
