9 LIVE HEALTHY & BE WELL
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Georgia Mountain Psychological Associates, Inc. By Dr. Mandy Pileski , PHD
Photos by Beth Loveland
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” Winston S. Churchill As a kid growing up in Rabun, I loved attending the rodeo and watching my friends (the Beck girls) barrel race at the old arena by the rec field. I just knew I could not go an entire lifetime without having a horse of my own, but my dad was/is a cattle farmer with the belief that horses cost too much and bring too little profit. I guess the flashy lights of the big city and a desire for independence redirected my goals as a young adult away from the simple pleasures of farm life and the satisfying smell of horses. It was not until 2012 when I was at a professional onsite visit for an eating disorder treatment center outside of Chicago that I was introduced to EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) and developed a plan to merge my two great loves in the service of helping others. At the time I lived in Baltimore, so this probably seemed a longshot, but I made a promise to myself that I would find a way to make it happen. After several moves, job changes, and successfully establishing a psychotherapy practice in Rabun, I decided to begin taking steps toward certification. I purchased a horse and signed up for EAGALA training because
90 www.gmlaurel.com - July 2021
