Horses for Mental Health with Lynn Thomas

Lynn Thomas is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, receiving her Master’s of Social Work from the University of Utah in 1995. She first developed a program integrating horses as a primary treatment component while serving as Executive Director of Aspen Ranch. Lynn co-founded Eagala, the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, in 1999 and co-founded and presently serves as CEO of Arenas for Change (ARCH), an organization focused on a values-based community learning and supporting one another in facilitation concepts that increase emotional safety.

Thanks to the work over the years of Lynn and her team, involving horses in psychotherapy sessions has gone from a little-known approach to a widely accepted and credible mental health option, backed by research.

With Lynn’s experience, vision, and passion for the impact horses have on well-being, she co-founded Horses for Mental Health (HMH) in 2021 to build momentum, expand the movement, and uplift programs worldwide to impact and strengthen global mental health through horses.

In This Interview:

- The transformational power of being in the heart field with horses

- What is Horses for Mental Health?

- How taking better care of ourselves helps our communities

- Why we need to bring awareness to the struggles we're facing

- Why work with horses for your mental health?

- Horses for Mental Health resources to support your mental health journey

Interview Resources:

Arenas for Change: arenasforchange.com

Horses for Mental Health: horsesformentalhealth.org

YouTube: YouTube.com/@horsesformentalhealth

VCP Restorative Retreat 2026: https://www.veterinarycompassionproject.com/retreat/

At Veterinary Compassion Project we believe that those who dedicate their lives to caring for animals deserve the same compassion and care they give to others. We are committed to raising awareness about the extreme emotional toll that comes with animal caregiving while providing essential support for your wellbeing. Through our resources, community, and guidance, we aim to empower veterinarians and animal care professionals to thrive both personally and professionally.

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More about Dr. Erin Holder:

At the heart of our mission is Dr. Erin Holder, a compassionate healer and esteemed veterinarian dedicated to supporting animal caregivers. With a passion for holistic care and a deep understanding of compassion fatigue, Dr. Holder leads our efforts to empower those who devote their lives to helping animals.

In 2004, Dr. Holder founded one of the largest integrative veterinary hospitals in North America where she pioneered a holistic approach to animal care. Certified in Veterinary Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine, Food Therapy, Chinese Tui-Na, Animal Ozone Therapy, and Animal Reiki, Dr. Holder’s hospital provided comprehensive care to a wide variety of animals, including cats, dogs, birds, exotics, and wildlife.

After nearly two decades of serving animals and their caregivers, Dr. Holder made the difficult decision to sell her hospital in 2022 to address her own experience with compassion fatigue. In her own personal healing, she immersed herself in studying why compassion fatigue happens, how to prevent it, and ways overcome it. She completed certifications in meditation instruction and compassion fatigue training for healthcare professionals, dedicating herself to helping others navigate the emotional toll of veterinary work.

See you on the next one!