Kelsey Herman can recite the research, explain the benefits of this type of therapy.
There is so much more to it, though, than data.
There is an aura.
“The healing with the horses? You can explain it with science. And then there is a little bit of horse magic you can’t explain. It’s just there,” Herman said. “The horse’s steps are the start of that magic.”
That is the idea behind Healing Steps.
“Healing Steps is a licensed therapy practice that integrates horses into treatment creating an unparalleled opportunity for individuals to grow and expand physical, cognitive, and emotional skills necessary to thrive,” its website said.
Or, as co-owner Kelsey Herman describes it: Horse magic.
Roughly 80 percent of your patients are children. Some have ADHD. Some have autism. Others are dealing with genetic syndromes. Some do not have a medical diagnosis but are not thriving like they should, Herman said.
There are also adults who benefit from the treatment. Those with Parkinson’s Disease, or those rehabilitating after strokes or brain injuries, for example.
Being on top of a horse can help people learn to walk, to improve balance. A rider can build one’s strength on a horse.
Interestingly enough, there are also many ways a therapist and a horse can help a patient’s social skills. Some children with behavior issues in a classroom, for example, can learn coping skills at Healing Steps.
Therapists and volunteers work with families to determine the correct path for treatment.
“We have an evaluation with the families. We learn what they need to be working on … and it’s the therapist’s job to create opportunities to work on that foundational skill in this environment,” Herman said.
“That’s the whole point. Everything we do is helping them in life,” Herman said. “What are the skills they need to thrive in their life? We can use the horse as that vehicle for laying those foundational skills so they can be more successful in their lives. It looks like play. It looks like they are having fun, but the kids are working really hard.”
Yes, that is part of that horse magic.
“A lot of the kids enjoy working with the horse. There is so much motivation and positives of the human-horse interaction,” Herman said. “For kiddos who grew up in therapy their whole life, being in a barn environment feels different. They have no idea they are in therapy. They are so excited to be here.”
Herman has a degree in health science and a doctorate in occupational therapy. She was working at a clinic in Hazel Dell when the pandemic hit. She was also giving riding lessons around this time. A friend suggested she combine her love for horses and her skills as a therapist.
The business immediately took off.
“Within a couple of months, I had a huge wait list,” Herman said.
Healing Steps is located at 14708 NE 100th Ave in Brush Prairie. Eventually, though, the business is expected to move. Herman said she and her husband Adam, co-owner, are looking for more land to expand the operation.
Today, Healing Steps has six licensed therapists, including Kelsey Herman. She, alone, sees close to 20 patients a week.
There are also more than 50 volunteers — all unpaid — who put their heart and soul into taking care of the horses, and being there, right next to the patients, while horse and therapist put the patients through challenging exercises.
“This doesn’t exist without the volunteers,” Herman said, noting that one volunteer last year was at Healing Steps for more than 1,000 hours.
Healing Steps relies on donors, too.
“We charge as minimal as possible for families and hope their insurance picks up (costs),” Herman said. “We fundraise for a scholarship fund so that we don’t turn people away. Having horses is not cheap.
“The more support we get, the more people we can provide services for,” she added. “I’d love to triple the size of this.”
Donations can be made at the Healing Steps website: https://www.healingstepstherapy.org/
Where are they now?: This business profile is also a Where Are They Now?-type of story.
Kelsey Herman (nee Asplund) starred in basketball at Prairie High School, graduating in 2012. She won a state championship with the Falcons before playing college basketball at New Mexico Highlands and then Cal State East Bay. Adam Herman was also a star at Prairie High School, graduating in 2010. He would go on to become the leading scorer in Concordia College’s history before playing professionally overseas.
