Berks ranch looking to use equine therapy to help veterans

Nov. 10—Animals often bring out the best in us, says Meagan Good, who has seen that occur many times with the horses on her Take Heart ranch.

The 50-acre facility in Heidelberg Township offers equine assisted therapy and counseling to people dealing with mental health issues, and it specializes in helping those who've suffered trauma.

Good is a licensed professional counselor, and she has long been concerned with veterans trying to cope with the emotional wounds of war. Her dad was deployed with the Air Force for much of her childhood, she said, and she had other relatives who have served in the military, so she knows the price they pay for their service.

So a few weeks before Veterans Day, Good led a group of local veterans advocates and officials on a tour of Take Heart to discuss a program she is planning for veterans there in the spring.

In 2019 there was an average of 17 veteran suicides per day, according to the VA. Good said this is a tragedy she hopes to lessen.

She and her staff have treated veterans at Take Heart before, but never in the group setting that she's planning for the spring, when an eight-week program will be held there and sponsored by Braver Together, a Womelsdorf-based veterans charity.

The idea is that from about March to May, between four and eight local veterans would go to the ranch for 90-minute sessions together once a week for eight weeks. They'd learn basic horsemanship skills, such as grooming, and eventually work their way up to riding.

They'd also be partnered with counselors who'd give them the opportunity to discuss their troubles, Good said.

Some people aren't comfortable receiving counseling in a clinical environment, but the peaceful, relaxed nature of the ranch, along with the connection many feel with the horses, often prompts them to open up and get help, she said.

Good plans to have individual therapy sessions for veterans, and that also would be sponsored by Braver Together. For some veterans, though, the group setting will be more advantageous, as it will help them realize they aren't alone in their struggles, she said.

Take Heart, which was located near Mohnton for six years before moving to its current spot on Wooltown Road in March 2020, has 11 horses and one donkey in its therapy program.

Among those who got to meet them during the recent tour were Berks Veterans Affairs Director Ken Lebron and James Stafford of the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, who spoke with Good about the potential they saw for veterans dealing with issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder to get help at Take Heart.

Steve Mannino, Berks veteran benefits educator and outreach coordinator, said he's hoping local veterans will sign up for the spring program, which would come at no cost to them.

On a scientific level, there is a lot of proof that therapy of the type that Take Heart provides is effective in rewiring the brain to heal from trauma, Good said.

But on a more down-to-earth level, it's easy to see how people feel better about themselves around the horses, she said.

And so much of trauma recovery involves nonverbal communication, which is what clients exchange with the horses, she said.

Carrie Landis, who is part of the Take Heart staff, said it's amazing to see how people bond with the animals.

"The horses can tap into places in us that people can't," she said.

Lebron said his office regularly assists veterans trying to cope with PTSD, anxiety, depression and other psychiatric issues, and he is excited about the potential for Take Heart to be another resource.

For veterans, having the opportunity to do everything from feeding the animals to taking therapeutic rides can help them reduce stress, increase their confidence, build their relationship skills, get in touch with their emotions and increase their ability to trust others, he said.

"It's a great program," he said. "And this type of support is another tool for us to help veterans."

For more information about Take Heart, email Meagan Good at Meagan@TakeHeartCounseling.com or call her at 717-917-7137.