Equine Assisted Psychothearpy
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is a powerful, effective and evidence-based therapeutic approach that has an incredible impact on individuals of all ages and backgrounds. By integrating horses into the therapeutic process, this innovative therapy allows participants to develop self-awareness, build trust and enhance emotional well-being.
The providers at River Trail Ranch are Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (Eagala) certified, ensuring they adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice and effectiveness in equine-assisted mental health therapy. This internationally recognized certification enhances emotional well-being. To learn more, email Sharolyn Wallace or Jami Cunningham.
What is equine assisted psychotherapy?
Equine Assisted Therapy is a form of experiential therapy where clients engage with horses under the guidance of a team of professionals. This approach uses the unique connection between humans and horses to facilitate therapeutic outcomes.
EAP helps individuals develop emotional regulation, self-awareness and interpersonal skills through interactive and trust-building activities with the horses.
What can participants expect?
EAP often involves grooming, handling, observing and engaging in groundwork with horses. No horseback riding is involved and no prior experience with horses is required.
Participants can expect a collaborative approach with a mental health professional and an equine specialist, ensuring the highest safety standards and meaningful progress in their therapeutic journey.
Why is EAP Effective?
Equine assisted psychotherapy is an experiential therapy focusing on shared experience and real-world applications in an action-oriented and interactive setting. EAP focuses on building a trust-based relationship between humans and horses, leading to improved therapeutic outcomes.
Working with horses helps individuals overcome fear, build confidence and handle challenges, as horses mirror body language and respond to behavior changes.
Who would benefit from EAP?
EAP addresses a variety of mental health and human development needs, including anxiety, depression, substance use, ADHD, PTSD, relationship concerns and communication challenges.
EAP at River Trail Ranch is designed for individuals, families and groups aged 4 years and older.
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Activities
Horses are biologically wired to constantly assess their environment for safety. With vigilance and herd adaptability, horses acknowledge multiple interactions simultaneously. This makes the horse uniquely equipped to partner with both individuals and groups to facilitate social, emotional, relational and cognitive well-being.
Horses can sense and interact with the emotions and actions of the humans they encounter. Sessions are tailored depending on the individual or group’s and therapeutic goals. All our Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) and Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) are ground-based, meaning no horseback riding is involved. Visitors can groom, walk and interact with the horses in a safe and structured environment under the guidance of a highly skilled and certified team of Mental Health Professionals and Equine Professionals.
- Individuals – River Trail Ranch can accomodate indvidulas ages 4 and up.
- Families – With 2-8 participants, the team offers family sessions, ages 3 and up.
- Groups – Services for groups with 4-8 participants, ages 4 and up are available.
- Seniors – With the aging population, seniors often find themselves isolated or withdrawn until something sparks a memory. Commonly older adults have early life expereinces with animals and nature. River Trail Ranch provides a sense of comfort and reminiscence.
Horse Powered Reading
Horse Powered Reading® integrates social emotional learning with academics. This allows students to experience reading with their entire mind, body and emotions by creating metaphors for the skills involved with reading.
Students interact with horses from the ground and use toys and props to identify obstacles and learn five critical reading skills: phonemic awareness, decoding, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.
The goals of each session vary depending on the needs of the individual or group. The Eagala model of equine assisted learning is used for Horse Powered Reading.
Sharolyn Wallace
Director of Equine Services
Sharolyn Wallace, PhD. LCSW, Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Infant Mental Health -Endorsed III ® has been the Professor of Human Services at Tulsa Community College for more than 30 years.
Dr. Wallace received the 2014 C.V. Ramana award for Outstanding Contribution to the Mental Health of Oklahoma’s Children and the 2016 NASW-OK Social Worker of the Year. Dr. Wallace was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for OKAPT in January 2023. She is the Past-President for OK NASW. She is past Board Member and the 2018 Chair for the Association for Play Therapy and former Region X Board Member National Association for Social Workers.
As a Governor appointee, Dr. Wallace served 12 years on the Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers. She is the first Oklahoma to be elected to the Association of Social Work Boards. She is the co-founder of the Oklahoma Social Work Summit where the 5,000 social workers in Oklahoma are able to earn their CE annually. Dr. Wallace has been in private practice for more than twenty-five years specializing in child sexual abuse and trauma. She is EAGALA certified Equine and Mental Health Specialist. Dr. Wallace has published articles on play therapy and relapse prevention with child welfare families. She is the author of a series of children’s books, “The Adventures of Bruce, Ben & Gerry.”
Contact Us
Director of Equine Services Sharolyn Wallace: sharolyn.wallace@creoks.org
Director of River Trail Ranch Jami Cunningham – jami.cunningham@creoks.org
Jami Cunningham
Director of River Trail Ranch
Jami Cunningham, LPC serves as Director of River Trail Ranch. Jami has worked for CREOKS for more than 14 years. Jami is a certified Eagala Mental Health Professional/Equine Specialist, who grew up in Inola, OK with horses, caring for equines, cows, chickens, goats, daily. She graduated in 2002 and attended NSU Tahlequah to pursue both BA and MS Psychology degrees. Jami began her career in Mental Health in 2008 at Bill Willis Chemical Dependency unit in Cherokee Co. There she first experienced Equine assisted work. Jami was adopted by CREOKS Health Services in 2011 as a Care Coordinator for Systems of Care and was promoted to Assistant Director for Cherokee, Wagoner, Adair, & Sequoyah counites in 2014 and tasked with enhancing CREOKS’ service delivery in Rogers, Tulsa, & Muskogee. Jami has a foundation deeply rooted in Systems of Care & Wraparound philosophies.
From 2016 to December 2024, Jami was Site Director for Wagoner and Muskogee CREOKS. She has been trained in Eagala, Horse Powered Reading, Play Therapy, T-BRI Nurture Groups, TF-CBT, CBT Foundational and many other modalities. With Dr. Wallace, Jami has presented on Equine-Assisted work at the 2024 Eagala International Conference, 2024 Zarrow Symposium, and 2025 Unite Care Conference. Jami is an active member of the ODMHSAS State Advisory Team.
In December 2023, Jami transitioned into her role as Director of RTR with her husband Josh starting as Ranch Foreman. Jami has provided equine assisted growth and learning opportunities to over 1000 children, youth, families, adults, & teams of professionals. Jami is passionate about sharing the power of what Equine partners can do for people of all ages!
River Trail Ranch
River Trail Ranch, operated by CREOKS Health Services, is a multi-purpose ranch spanning 40 acres in Haskell, Oklahoma. It offers a peaceful and serene environment ideal for growth and healing.
Find us
18891 S. 269th E. Ave.
Haskell OK 74436
