Unexpected Healers

By Laurie Ingebritsen M.S.

Unexpected Healers is a compilation of true stories about six women (and one adorable child) and the horses who changed their lives. It’s about the horse-human bond and how it opens doors to self-discovery, healing, and forgiveness. Each story invites you into the intimate details of how being in relationship with a horse fosters new levels of growth, learning, and self-understanding.

Part I tells the stories of female clients who participated in equine-assisted psychotherapy programs and the horses who played critical roles in their healing. Each of these clients struggled in traditional therapy, unable to undo the damage done in abusive relationships. You will feel as if you are standing at the window of their souls as you witness the courage it took for them to trust, to face their demons, to love, to leave, and to change. The way in which horses brought each of these women to a place of life-changing insights and the ability to start anew is truly awe-inspiring.

In Part II, the focus shifts to intimate stories of women and horses outside structured therapy. Experienced horsewomen and novices alike share their poignant memories of horses who taught them to see themselves and the world around them differently.

Finally, Part III is a collection of the author’s own stories. As a way of thanking all the women who contributed to this book, she shares her most vulnerable and life-changing equine experiences. She brings the reader along on her journey of overcoming fear, self-doubt, and childhood trauma.

As you virtually walk alongside these women, you are bound to feel their struggles, accomplishments, and ultimately, their joy as they heal old wounds and find new ways of being. And without a doubt, you will be touched by the mastery of these horses…the unexpected healers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fulton Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781649524065

Reviews for Unexpected Healers

[rodraglin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Succeeds as testament to equine-assisted psychotherapy, stumbles as a work of literature Unexpected Healers is a collection of easy to read, feel-good short stories primarily about horses as mediums for psychological healing. Author, Laurie Ingebritsen, a therapist and avid horsewoman has recounted touching episodes where women and children suffering from the trauma of abuse make rapid and remarkable progress toward positive behavioural change with equine-assisted psychotherapy.Though her grammar is flawless, Ingebritsen’s prose leans toward being didactic. She sets up the scene and then tells the reader what the character is feeling, not unlike a psychologist’s case book, leaving no room for reader interpretation. She even summarizes the endings making sure nothing is left to our imagination. And when it comes to imagination, there’s not much of that with each story similar to the next; a person arrives with a problem and a horse resolves it. No surprises. Presented in a linear fashion, all the stories are narrated in a passive voice, told rather than shown, denying the reader the opportunity to experience events as they unfold. Indeed, two stories have no dialogue whatsoever.Unexpected Healers succeeds when read as a testament to equine-assisted psychotherapy and a tribute to the beautiful and noble horse, but stumbles as a work of literature.