Equine Psychotherapy in Ojai for Individuals and Couples
A ground-based form of psychotherapy for adults, teens and couples in Ojai, California. No riding and no horse experience required. Sessions are facilitated by a licensed therapist and an equine specialist.
What is equine therapy?
Equine psychotherapy is a form of experiential therapy in which clients work on the ground with horses as part of a structured therapeutic process. The horses are not there for riding or performance. They become part of a relational and reflective setting that can make patterns of emotion, avoidance, boundaries, trust, and attunement more visible in real time.
Who is this for?
Adults who feel stuck, anxious, emotionally overextended, or disconnected
Couples who want a different way to work with conflict, communication, and relational patterns
People who feel talked-out or want a more experiential form of therapy
Southern California clients who want to come to Ojai for an in-person therapeutic experience
Why Horses?
Horses are large, sensitive animals who respond to movement, posture, proximity, energy and relational shifts in observable ways. We observe interactions carefully and reflect on what they illuminate about boundaries, leadership, avoidance, attunement, and relational stance. The horses are not required to perform or produce a particular outcome. Participants are not required to disclose or experience anything beyond what feels appropriate in the moment. Equine-integrated psychotherapy can feel unfamiliar at first. The work is intentional but unhurried. We prioritize clarity, ethical practice, and thoughtful integration over intensity or spectacle.
What Happens in a Session?
Begin with conversation and intention
We start by getting oriented to what brings you in and what feels important.
Engage with the horses on the ground
This may include observing, moving near them, simple structured exercises, or other forms of interaction. No riding is involved.
Reflect and integrate
We talk through what emerged and connect it to emotional life, relational patterns, and therapeutic themes.
Why California Woodland Institute?
California Woodland Institute offers equine psychotherapy in a setting designed for careful, reflective work. Our approach is not built around spectacle, performance, or a generic wellness experience. It is a clinically grounded form of psychotherapy that brings together therapeutic attention, equine knowledge, and the particular qualities of working outdoors in relationship with horses.
A depth-oriented therapeutic frame
We approach this work psychodynamically and relationally, with attention to emotional life, recurring patterns, and what becomes visible when insight is joined by lived experience.
A structured, ground-based model
Sessions are facilitated by a licensed therapist and an equine specialist using a thoughtful, contained approach. The work is on the ground, with no riding and no prior horse experience required.
A setting that supports reflection
Ojai offers space, quiet, and a shift of pace that can help people step out of familiar momentum and encounter themselves differently.
A different kind of therapeutic encounter
For some people, working outdoors with horses allows something to emerge that does not come as easily in an office: more immediacy, more embodiment, and a different way of seeing relational patterns unfold.
Practical Details
Sessions take place in person in Ojai, California, on a quiet rural property about 25 minutes from downtown Ojai via dirt road. We work with adults, couples, and teenagers. Before you come up, we always start with a consultation call.
Equine psychotherapy sessions are 60 minutes and are conducted on the ground, with no riding involved. No prior horse experience is required.
The fee is $300 per 60-minute session. For clients who are coming from farther away or want a more immersive experience, it is sometimes possible to schedule multiple sessions in a single day or over the course of a weekend.
A limited number of sliding scale spots are sometimes available based on need.
To get started, you can reach out to inquire about fit, availability, and whether this format makes sense for what you’re looking for.
For more details on the process, you can review our FAQ’s.
