Horses for healing: lessons from equine therapy | Rianne Sibma-de Vries | #021 Mastering Change

What if healing didn’t start with words – but simply with presence? 

This week on the Mastering Change podcast, we speak with Rianne Sibma-de Vries, a trauma-informed counsellor and equine therapist based in the Netherlands. Rianne’s work combines Internal Family Systems (IFS), systemic constellations, somatic techniques and equine-assisted therapy to help people reconnect with themselves in profound, body-based ways. 

Horses, Rianne explains, are instinctive, non-judgemental and deeply attuned. They help people access parts of themselves that have long been buried. Whether working with clients with complex PTSD or high-performing leaders, she sees the same transformation: “Once the body feels the sensation of being held… they will never forget that.”   

Horses don’t care about titles, trauma narratives, or words. They respond to energy and truth.  

And in doing so, they offer a mirror to our inner world – helping us regulate, reconnect, and heal. 

We explore

• How horses help us access the present moment and restore inner safety 
• Why equine therapy can reach places talk therapy can’t 
• The ancient, cross-cultural bond between humans and horses 
• What it means to be “held” without judgment 
• The power of self-love as a lever for societal change

Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive episodes related to trauma, mental health and potential distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support. 

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