WARWICK — The Amity Foundation for Healing with Horses’ Board of Directors were in the ring with their horses, learning the value of cooperation and communication and having a great time in the process. It was all in an effort to better understand one of the most valuable programs the not-for-profit offers – team building.
“We’ve conducted team building workshops for local businesses, but this is the first time we had our own organization participate,” explained Corey Demala, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Certified EMDR practitioner, who conducted the program with Equine Specialist and Co-Founder Christine Dykshoorn. The agreed-upon goal of the activities was to impact communication with others and improve collaboration skills.
The eight-member board first observed the herd, then visited each horse in the arena and together selected one to work with for group exercises. “You can have discussions with other board members about our group dynamics, but when you practice team building with the horses, you’re able to see firsthand how your team functions as a whole. The results can be surprising...and enlightening,” remarked Gloria Smith, president.
Spring, summer and fall are the best time for corporations and organizations to come to Amity for team building workshops that can accommodate as few as two people or as many as sixty or more. Just as there is flexibility with the number of participants, there is no set rule for length of time. Some workshops may last all day, others a few hours and weekend retreats can be arranged as well.
The Amity Foundation for Healing with Horses is a 501c3 non-profit corporation that specializes in using the healing and therapeutic power of horses. Primarily, we help people recover from the psychological, emotional and relational effects of trauma in their lives and relationships.
For more information visit the amity foundation.org. For scheduling information, contact DeMala at theamityfoundation@gmail.com.