SCP Equine
(Horse Specialists and Therapists)
JIM
GILLESPIE
Equine Director
Equine Specialist (EAGALA)
Jim has had over 50 years experience with horses.
This has come from years of riding horses as a child, participating as a rodeo rider, working on stations with horses in Australia, and training horses for himself and others.
Jim is trainind as an Equine Specialist in the EGALA model of Equine Assisted Therapy, and is the manager of the horses welfare. He works in partnership with our horses and our people to provide a comprehensive equine service.
Edendale, Southland
NATE
ROBERTSON
Equine Herd Assistant
Nate is Jim’s junior assistant, and Jim and the team are teaching Nate good animal husbandry and life skills.
He is able to engage with and ride all of the horses at liberty (with no bridle or saddle).
He understands the feeding and care regimes so that the horses are healthy and happy.
Nate has engaged in intensive training with an experienced horse trainer, John Mark Payne, who engages in I-Thou practices with horses.
Nate loves teaching the horses new tricks and is able to go to sleep or stand up on some of them.
Nate undertakes his education in partnership with South Coast Psychology Equine Services as well as Te Kura and Aurora College.
Edendale, Southland
DIANE
GILLESPIE
Registered Psychologist
BA (Psych) MA (Psych) PGDip (PsychPrac)
Diane Gillespie is a New Zealand Registered Psychologist. She has a Bachelor, Masters and Post Graduate qualifications in Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy. She has over 20 years’ experience in the fields of domestic violence, disability, mental health, sexual abuse, trauma, child development, child welfare, youth advocacy, psychology and counselling.
Diane is trained in the Equine Psychotherapy Institute (EPI) model of Equine Assisted Therapy. She has understood the benifits of relational engagment with horses as long as she can remember.
Equine psychotherapy has allowed her to blend he knowledge of psychology and horses into a comprehensive working model of Equine Assisted practice. Her aim is to work with other professionals to provide comprehensive client-centric therapeutic psychological/mental health services to clients in the Southern districts of Aotearoa/New Zealand (and other areas where there is need).
Edendale, Southland
JEMMA
BOYLE
Equine Herd Assistant
Jemma has grown up with horses, is a horse rider, engages with horses at liberty, and has sound stock sense.
She has an undergraduate degree in psychology, has been working as an equine assistant for South Coast Psychology working with private, Oranga Tamariki, and WINZ clients, in relation to self-esteem, self-confidence, emotion regulation, anger management, and confidence horse riding for the past 6 months and is in training with EPI equine psychotherapy programme.
Jemma is also part of our team who provides group sessions to corporate groups.
Edendale, Southland
KATE
MCKAY
Counsellor, NLP, Time Line Therapist, Hypnotherapist
BA Soc Sci, PG Dip Rehab Applied, Ergonomics, Guidance Studies, MCDANZ
Kate is currently undertaking the Equine Psychotherpy Institute (EPI) training in Equine Assisted Psychotherpy (EAP).
Edendale, Southland
KIARA
MOORE
Counsellor and Equine Therapist
Kia ora, I'm Kiara. I'm a registered mental health clinician with a Bachelor of Psychological Science, Masters of Social Work, and training from the Equine Psychotherapy Institute in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy.
I provide compassionate and confidential mental health therapy to children, teenagers, and adults struggling with a wide range of emotional and behavioural concerns.
I believe that every person has the capacity for growth and healing, and I am committed to helping my clients develop the tools and skills they need to navigate life's challenges with greater ease and resilience.
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is a particular area of interest and expertise for me. Horses are sensitive and intuitive animals that can provide valuable insights into our emotions and behaviours.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is another evidence-based therapy that I offer. ACT is a mindfulness-based approach that helps individuals develop psychological flexibility and learn to live in the present moment. It teaches individuals to accept their thoughts and emotions and to take committed action towards their values and goals.
My practice is Neurodivergint affirming and LGBTIQA+ affirming, and I welcome clients from all backgrounds and identities.
I believe that everyone deserves access to high-quality mental health care, and I strive to create a safe and supportive space for all my clients.
Queenstown-Lakes District
CHANTELLE
HURST
Creative Life Healing / Counsellor
and Equine Therapist
My name is Chantelle, I am a Qualified Counselor located in Pukekohe, Auckland, I also do online telehealth sessions with clients nationwide.
My specialties are in the areas of anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, and pain management with adults, adolescents, and children.
I take a pluralistic approach to counselling, to ensure all sessions are person centered and client lead.
I introduce therapeutic tools and techniques that meet my client’s needs, utilizing Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Animal Assisted Therapy and Creative Expressive Therapy to work towards my client’s goals.
My work with children also involves Play Therapy, using the universal language of play with a focus on self-awareness, and emotion regulation. Ford is my Animal Assisted Therapy dog, as a therapeutic agent his work involves introducing interventions that are helping my clients to improve mood, decrease anxiety, support emotion regulation, and increase self-confidence. Ford works well with all ages including children
Auckland
PAM
POOLE
Equine Specialist (EAL)
Pam is the horse specialist facilitating our Trauma Focussed Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) and Coaching Group along with an ACC accredited counsellor who has experience with horses.
About me:
I am a qualified Life Coach and Equine Psychotherapy Institute (EPI) trained Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) facilitator.
I have many other relevant qualifications and many years’ experience working in the personal Growth and development area.
I love using my skills, knowledge, and experience to help others.
Canterbury
SCP Equine
(Horses and Friends)
HANNAH
Clydesdale Cross
Hannah is the matriarch of the herd, and has the respect of all the members.
She is super grounded and will stomp a foot to get the younger herd members to see that she means “stop it”.
She loves attention, and is very direct with what she wants.
She has a beautiful, calm, and gentle nature, and loves her rump and chest scratched, and she will sometimes give you a hug.
GAIL
PANOUTSOS
Counsellor / Social Worker and Equine Therapist
Gail is a registered Social Worker with a number of years of experience working with children, adolescents and clients from various backgrounds. Gail has lived alongside horses for many years and has long believed in and drawn from the immense peace and wisdom they offer.
Gail can provide adjunct Equine Assisted Psychotherapy to clients on the ACC ISSC contract.
Whangarei
CASTLE
Suffolk Punch Clydesdale Cross
Castle, while a gentle giant with people, likes to play boss with the other horses (second of course to Hannah).
Castle enjoys his ridden work and picks new things up easily.
Castle is always one of the first to meet you in the paddock and is always where the food is.
He is a Suffolk punch Clydesdale cross and very big. His bred are built to pull ploughs and cart.
LATTE
Arabian
While still relatively young, Latte is social and sensitive who is very clear with what he does and doesn’t like.
Being more sensitive his temperament, he can swing easily from being playful and flighty to very quiet and gentle. He is very in tune with the others (both human and equine) around him.
Latte does get ridden and is still learning and building his confidence in his ridden work.
LEO
Miniature - Appaloosa Cross
Leo is a big personality in a little body.
He is always hunting out food and treats often using his small size to sneak in where the bigger horses can't go.
He loves playing with the toys in the arena and is very inquisitive and social with all around him.
He also enjoys some one-on-one pampering.
PALLE
Clydesdale Cross Filly
Palle is still very young and inquisitive, making her very social with both horses and people.
She is generally quiet and accepting; however, can still have baby moments where she finds her tasks a little difficult or scary.
Possum is Palle's mum. Sometimes she likes the security of mum, but also likes to play with Leo and Latte.
PANDA
Thoroughbred
Panda is an elegant lady, who very much minds her own business. If you are greeted in the paddock by Panda, you are truly fortunate.
Panda is in tune with the herd, the quiet observer, happy in her own company as part of the herd, but is not frightened to hold her ground when she needs too.
When Panda is well she loves playing with Leo and Latte.
POSSUM
Bay Welsh Mountain Arabian Cross Pony Mare
Possum is generally quite social with the other horses, but a little more reserved with people, and will wait to be approached.
She is lovely and quiet to groom and handle with a friendly nature.
She has been mistreated in the past and gets triggered into anxiety responses quickly. If you are calm and reassuring, she will appreciate the support.
SWEETPEA
Miniature
Sweetpea typically likes to spend her time alone on the outskirts of the herd.
She is quiet, sweet and gentle.
While she spends most of her time quietly grazing, she loves her belly being scratched.
She is a rescue pony who has founded and needs to have medicine each day to keep her well.
She likes gently riding and gets excited with little people.
SMOKEY
American Quarterhorse
Smokey is an American Quarterhorse.
She seems to be snappy most of the time on the ground, prefers just being on her own with one other horse and is a one mans horse - Jim's horse.
She is very well trained, loves being ridden and loves treks and mustering cattle.
She reminds Britta, our horse therapist, of a 'helicopter mum', micro managing the herd when she is in the herd.
TOBY
Standard Bred
He is a standard bred, and is more used to being in a sulky, than being ridden.
He is 6 years old and retired from racing now, having done well on the track, he is now a lovely riding horse, just recently broken into his saddle.
He is inquisitive and loves human contact, but is certainly bossy towards other horses.
TACO
Thoroughbred
Taco is a Throughbred who is bred for playing Polo.
He is very inquisitive and kind, and loves doing Equine Assisted Therapy, especially with children.
RICCO
Arabian
Ricco is a pure Arabian.
He is Latte's half brother, they both have the same mother. He gained reserve champion Arabian in the show ring.
He is beautiful, placid and kind, and always keen to make friends.
His mother was known as a very quiet calm horse, and the blood line comes from a line of tent horses from the desert.
These horses were so calm that their owners would bring them into the tent for warmth and company on the cold desert nights.
RUPERT
Clydesdale cross
Rupert is our latest edition, he is just a baby.
He is a Clydesdale cross and is just a yearling.
He was initially a rescue, but then we bought him.
He has a lovely friendly nature And has a strong sense of trust
MILLIE
Hungarian Visler
I began my life running through the paddocks in the Te Anau area, luckily for me, I was born as a Hungarian Vizsla – the most wonderful of breeds!
Since living in Edendale, I’ve got the coolest place to sleep and rest in the hay, Jim sometimes takes me for bush walks and runs on the beach, he has clocked me running just over 40kph!
I like other dogs and animals and I love helping people feel calm when they are anxious, I have the most gorgeous expressions (everyone says so!) and I am able to come along to individual therapy sessions to help people feel supported and loved while they are processing their experiences, and at the very least, I can be a lovely distraction!
In my spare time I like to explore every part of nature that I can find, have cuddles with people, and play with my piggy and horsey friends.
TIGER
Cat
Tiger's mum is Nate's cat, and Nate gave Tiger to Di as a present.
He loves therapy, he can often be found in the waiting room looking to play with people or a pat.
He is also curious and spends lots of time with the horses, teasing Millie, or chasing mice in the hay barn.
