Eudaemonia Equine Connections, Inc.®
Equine-Assisted Mental Health (EAMH) Treatment & Research
A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization
Awareness. Accessibility. Affordability.
Welcome to Eudaemonia Equine Connections!
Thank you for your interest to learn more about Who We Are and Our Programs.
If you are in need of Mental Health Services, thank you for taking the courageous step to seek counseling for yourself, your partner, or a loved one.
You have come to the right place.
Eudaemonia Equine Connections, Inc.® (EEC, Inc) is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt USA domestic nonprofit (EIN 85-2173506) located in Portland, Oregon. EEC, Inc. offers multiple horse/equine assisted services (EAS) through our local, national, and international programs.
Our overarching mission is to contribute to the betterment and sustainability of humankind, and we hope to reduce suffering for both humans and animals through positive and mutually beneficial human-animal interactions via our charitable public health benefit services.
Program and Public Service Goals
Our programs and services are expansive, and our program goals are to provide:
(a) Safe and effective equine-assisted mental health (EAMH) psychotherapy treatment, equine-assisted learning (EAL), and related activities. Following government COVID-risk guidelines and standard hygiene protocols for public health in outdoor environments, EAMH and EAL sessions are conducted in-person by qualified and state licensed professional staff at a private barn located in Sherwood, Oregon;
(b) Advancing the science, professional practice, knowledge, and growth of equine-assisted mental health (EAMH) field and scientific body of knowledge and assisting researchers through rigorous research design and consultation, research focus groups and spear-heading original research projects; in addition to adding an independent Institutional Review Board (IRB) for researchers who include human participants in their study; and publication of articles and papers in our peer-reviewed academic journal, Journal of Equines for Mental Health.
(c) Increase public awareness, access, and advocacy for the need for these beneficial and unique equine-assisted services through creative and viewer-friendly public outreach endeavors through our “Let’s Talk Horses!” media channel and “Let’s Talk Horses!: May the Force of the Horse Be With You” podcast show.
Overall, our mission is to help as many people as we can who suffer from the pain and challenges of mental health and life stressors with the soothing, grounding, and powerful connection that horses can provide.
Business Name Meaning
EUDAEMONIA is a Greek word commonly translated as happiness, blessedness, wellbeing, self-actualization, and prosperity.
EQUINE, or equines, are ungulate (hoofed) land mammals that include horses, mules, and donkeys. Equines have both consciousness and sentience, and are capable of autonomy, intention, agency, emotions, memory, cognition, perception, fear, and pain. Their ability to attune and accurately read humans makes them remarkable in the work of psychotherapy.
CONNECTIONS with self and horses in equine-assisted mental health (EAMH) counseling may assist integrating the layers of changes needed in your life, may reduce suffering, expand consciousness and authenticity, and allow for healing and self-growth. The horse-human bond is a powerful healing agent that may produce positive experiences that aid in facilitating deeper connections with self, others, and produce a greater sense of interconnection with Nature and the world.
The combination of eudaemonia and connections represents the purpose of our nonprofit to help aid and serve the public who are in need of healing from their suffering and distress and encapsulate a therapeutic milieu style of mind-body-spirit holistic, transpersonal healing.
We are a strong advocate for ending mental health stigma and increasing the accessibility of EAMH services.
Donations & Sponsorship
Eudaemonia Equine Connections, Inc.® is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt USA public benefit charity nonprofit organization (EIN 85-2173506) specializing in equine-assisted mental health (EAMH) treatment services and clinical research activities.
We appreciate the support of our all our donors and sponsors–THANK YOU!–whom with their monetary and non-monetary donations greatly aid in helping us meet the high demand for access to safe and quality equine-assisted mental health (EAMH) services in our local community to vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, and help fund clinical treatment research designs and distribution of evidence-based treatment inquiry of the effectiveness of horse-human interactions’ healing modalities in equine-assisted services in mental health and learning.
We would be so grateful if you or your business considered donating today–any amount helps (even $5!)– as a one-time or recurring contribution.
Your contribution gift(s) would aid our nonprofit organization’s growth and sustainability and successful delivery of quality human-and horse-centered clinical treatment and research services, programs, and public benefit outreach endeavors.
Your generosity will help make a difference in the lives (both humans and horses) of those we serve, and under IRS section 501(c)(3) gifts are tax deductible as the law allows. Thank you for your consideration!
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any additional questions or to learn more about donating and sponsorships or about our programs.
Dr. Rebecca Wara-Goss, LMFT, Ph.D., AAMFT & OR Approved Clinical Supervisor, PATH Intl. CTRI & ESMHL, is the Founder & Executive Director of Eudaemonia Equine Connections, Inc., Lead Therapist for equine-assisted mental health (EAMH) direct clinical services; and principal researcher and consultant for EAMH research design and consultation services.
Dr. Wara-Goss is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Oregon, USA. Her approach is to create a safe and supportive environment and a therapeutic space where potential for healing, growth and self-transformations are possible through acceptance, warmth, respect, and collaborative participation with client treatment goals.
Dr. Wara-Goss specializes in transpersonal psychology, humanistic and client-centered psychology, somatic and holistic psychology, psychosynthesis, animal-assisted therapy (AAT), equine-assisted services in mental health (EAMH), in addition to evidenced-based practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-focused (TF)-CBT, trauma work, solution-focused and strengths-based psychotherapies.
She utilizes various psychotherapy methods and techniques to help people experiencing psychological distress to achieve stability and emotional wellness.
Dr. Wara-Goss’ clinical approach includes integrating EAMH treatment and evidence-based treatment modalities with holistic-transpersonal psychology and client-centered treatment approaches to achieve stability, symptom management, deeper sense of self, and life purpose.
For additional information about Dr. Rebecca click here.
Services
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROVIDED
Life is a beautiful journey we travel our own unique way, with memories behind us and dreams up ahead and a brand new beginning each day – Anon.
Testimonials
PATIENT TESTIMONIALS & PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
“Victory Ranch Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit that has been in operation since 2006. We provide various equestrian-related therapy programs for disadvantaged/at-risk youth with an emphasis on culturally-diverse, underprivileged, and underserved youth. We also offer and conduct a Homeless Veterans Ranch Visit Program. There is no charge for our programs.
Dr. Wara-Goss has been a great research partner, directing the research conducted between 2008 to 2015. She was instrumental in helping the Executive Director of Victory Ranch create, conduct and manage professional research that has validated that through our programs, we are able to change many participant behavioral disorders for the better.
She worked with me on two successful research projects, the Victory Ranch Inc’s Kids & Horses Education Program Research Study (2013-2015) and the Thematics Analysis Study (2008-2011). Both provided valuable feedback. The comments and observational research both reflected positive behavioral changes in children participants as a result of the program.
She has been a key contributor to the success of our operation, and now serves on our Advisory Staff. Her people skills, professionalism, enthusiasm, attention to detail, and work ethics are stellar.
Dr. Wara-Goss always has wanted to be successful in what she does academically and in a business environment. She has a passion to want to help others and always has a positive attitude.
I would recommend her for whatever she pursues. Her skills, cheerful attitude, and commitment will help her be successful in her new private practice and any future academic endeavors.”
Doug Hutten, Executive Director and Founder, Victory Ranch, Inc.
“Since the middle of the 20th Century the scientist-practitioner paradigm in psychotherapy and clinical psychology has promoted a two-pronged approach emphasizing the importance of the connection between research and praxis in psychotherapy to ensure that: a) clinical practice is scientifically validated, and b) the latest findings in clinical research are incorporated into the practice of psychotherapy. While a scientist-practitioner is an ideal embodiment of this approach, today very few psychotherapists actively conduct their own research. Dr. Rebecca Wara-Goss is among those rare researcher-practitioners whose passion for learning, combined with her compassionate dedication to healing, growth, and transformation makes her stand out among the current generation of equine-assisted mental health practitioners. Rebecca’s unique clinical approach integrates evidence-based treatment modalities with holistic-transpersonal psychology and client-centered treatment approaches. Although equine-assisted therapies have been around for some time, the field is relatively new and in need of further research and development and standardization of well-established, empirically validated therapeutic approaches that can be recognized and supported in the field of mental health. Through a well-integrated set of initiatives via the non-profit organization Eudaemonia Equine Connections, Rebecca intends to help advance the field of equine-assisted mental health by various means including promotion of research and advancement of the knowledge base for equine-assisted mental health, and publication through the Journal of Equines for Mental Health.
It has been an honor and a great joy to work with Rebecca as her doctoral research committee chair and to see her accomplishments and new initiatives in the last few years!”
Bahman A. K. Shirazi, Ph.D., California Institute of Integral Studies
“It is my honor to write a professional reference for Dr. Rebecca Wara-Goss. Rebecca and I were fortunate to meet and work together at DreamPower Horsemanship. During our 4 years of working together within the equine-facilitated psychotherapy field, I witnessed Rebecca learn, grow, and flourish as a clinician. Rebecca successfully completed an outstanding qualitative dissertation study exploring the lived experience of EFP for female veterans. Rebecca has keen, yet gentle, equestrian skills. She is an avid rider who has entered and won multiple horse shows. She strives to be an equestrian that any horse can trust and feel safe with. Clinically, Rebecca has worked with many clients from all walks of life and enters the field with strong clinical skills and a nurturing and warm presence. Whether it is within her personal, professional, or equestrian life, Dr. Wara-Goss maintains a beginner’s mind, has a thirst for knowledge, a drive and determination to accept challenges, and an openness to continue to strive to improve herself, her clinical aptitude, her equestrian skills, and the lives of the clients she works with.“
Cherié E. Page, Ph.D., ESMHL, Child & Clinical Psychologist, DreamPower Horsemanship
CURRENT & UPCOMING VOLUNTEER JOB OPENINGS
We are currently hiring equine specialist/horse handler and general volunteers.
Contact Us if interested!
How to apply
Please submit a Letter of Interest for a position of interest, or if more than one position please indicate which ones, CV, and Resume to Dr. Rebecca Wara-Goss at:
info@equineconnections.org
EAMH Clinical Program
EEC Inc’ s EAMH Treatment for Stability and Wellness Clinical Program is a behavioral health program offering outpatient psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and groups.
EAMH Research Focus Groups
EAMH Research Program is dedicated to helping advance the knowledge and growth of the EAMH field through research project design and consultation.
EAMH Professional Membership
EAMH Professional Membership Development Committee Program is a small membership committee that includes a variety of professionals across the USA.
