What Horses Teach Us about Kids in Foster Care: Part 1
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It turns out horses and kids in foster care have a lot in common.
Lottie Grimes and Dave Wyner are both longtime trauma counselors and co-founders of Groundwork Ranch which provides free equine-assisted learning programs for foster and adoptive parents.
Just As Special host Natasha attended this training before sitting down with Dave and Lottie to delve deep into how horses can teach us to better care for kids in foster care.
Featured Guests
Lottie Grimes | MA, EDS, LPC
Lottie received her Masters and Educational Specialist degrees in counseling psychology from James Madison University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional.
In addition to her role as executive director of Groundwork Ranch, she operates a private counseling practice where she helps people navigate difficult life transitions and reclaim their personal power.
Before offering equine-assisted services, Lottie spent years working with abused children and youth.
Dave Wyner | MA, LPC, NCC
Dave received his Masters in clinical mental health counseling from Regis University. He’s a National Certified Counselor, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and a Certified Grief Counseling Specialist.
In addition to his work as co-founder of Groundwork Ranch, Dave has a private counseling practice, called A Path Forward Counseling, where he offers office-based and equine-assisted counseling, specializing in helping people turn post-traumatic distress into post-traumatic success.
Dave is also a former foster parent.
Bios & Photos from Groundwork Ranch & Aere Photography.
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Podcast Sponsor
Cobbled Streets
Cobbled Streets is a Colorado nonprofit that provides customized support to kids in foster care and foster parents.
Photo Credit: Groundwork Ranch &
Aere Photography
Their creative support takes many forms including:
Free equine therapy for foster parents and at-risk teens through their partnerships with Groundwork Ranch and Foster Source
Guided nature walks for the whole family
Fulfilling custom foster family requests
And much more!
Cobbled Streets also partners with Just As Special to support our database of foster care resources that includes more than 250 resources across the state of Colorado.
We're proud to partner with Cobbled Streets because they treat each kid in care as an individual. Their innovative approach is what is truly needed to fight the foster care crisis.
Learn more about how you can get involved or get support at CobbledStreets.org.
Hope felt like she had way more help than she could use as a foster parent which led her to start thinking about how she could help other families who could benefit from even just one more friend.