Brave Horse

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

If you currently are, or in the past have been, a Brave Horse client, we would appreciate you taking a few minutes to send us a testimonial. Your feedback helps other families feel more comfortable seeking support.

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Testimonial Guiding Questions (Optional)
• What concerns or challenges brought your child to Brave Horse?
• What changes (big or small) have you noticed?
• What has your child shared about sessions?
• What stood out about the staff or process?
• How has this experience impacted your family?
• What would you say to another parent?

*You’re welcome to answer as many or as few questions as you’d like.

Other Information
Child’s age: __________________________________________
Length of time in sessions: _______________________________
May we use this testimonial publicly? YES ☐ NO ☐
Preferred name for publishing: ____________________________

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Please e-mail your testimonial to [email protected].

Thank you again.

The chicks have all arrived. It’s been an adventure. ❤️

Officially introducing the chick crew.

They are so cute and fluffy!

I really resonated with this one. ❤️ The systems in place don’t necessarily support the helping professions, the funding often isn’t there, and sometimes you find yourself questioning everything.

Popped out of the back of the barn to see someone peeking at me! 😂

Therapy in motion. 😂

(Mentor Hazel doing a great job cleaning Spicy’s paddock.)

We got these beautiful hatching eggs last week.

They are spending their days in the cozy incubator, and the countdown is on.

Hatching mid-April!

💛🐣

Here are other ways childism might show up in the therapeutic environment...
-Expecting verbal responses from non-speaking or selectively speaking children
-Overlooking alternative communication methods
-Framing the child as “the problem”
-Not considering sensory, relational, or environmental factors
-Moving on quickly after a child feels misunderstood or upset
-Not acknowledging when the therapist got it wrong
-Using sticker charts or rewards without building internal understanding
-Ignoring intrinsic motivation and emotional meaning
-Simplifying too much or not offering opportunities for growth
-Talking down to the child
-Directing play too heavily
-Correcting or steering instead of following the child’s lead

Ways to shift away from childism in therapeutic environment…
-Adapt to the child’s communication style (AAC, play, movement, etc.).
-Ask, “What about this situation is hard for this child?”
-Hold a “presume competence” mindset while still supporting appropriately.
-Model repair—“I think I missed something there. Can we try again?”
-Let the child lead where possible—play is communication.

Instead of, “We know what’s best, so we decide.”

Let's focus on, “This child is a person with valid experiences—we’re here to understand and support them.”