Continuing Education Seminar #1

Join us for this CEU opportunity! Heather Kirby is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC) and holds a Master’s degree in Special Education. Heather has worked with teens, tweens, young adults and their families for over 20 years in a variety of treatment and education settings. She uses a direct, compassionate and creative approach to connect with clients that others have found difficult to reach. She draws upon alternative interventions (equine therapy, recreation, sand tray, music, and art) to effect life changes in those resistant to more traditional forms of therapy. Heather has a private therapy practice in Fairfax, VA and offers equine therapy at Project Horse Empowerment Center in Loudon County. Heather has a deep passion and appreciation for horses. In college, she rode with the William and Mary riding team. After college, she spent three years as a dedicated volunteer with the National Center for Therapeutic Riding. In 2010, she was among the first class to graduate from Melisa Pearce’s certification program in the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™. In 2012, Heather was recruited to develop an equine therapy program at Child Help East, a residential treatment program for abused and neglected children. While there, she was quoted on CNN as saying that 4-legged therapists are better than those with two legs. Heather is proud to have authored the award-winning, “Wild At Heart: Adolescents, Horses and Other Kindred Spirits” in which she shares her unique perspective that adolescents and horses are very much alike. A dynamic speaker, Heather uses humor to convey her innovative approach to connecting with adolescents by using strategies known to be effective with horses. Heather is a life-long learner, continually adding to her arsenal of clinical tools. She completed advanced training in Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy under the guidance of Tim and Bettina Jobes and is currently working toward certification in EMDR. She swears, however, that animals and her courageous clients have been her greatest teachers. www.heather-kirby.com