We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christina Marz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Christina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I am an entrepreneur. Well, more succinctly, I am a “horsepreneur.” I have created and developed a world-renowned equine therapy program called Horse Guided Empowerment, which I have taught to more than 300 students in 26 countries. I didn’t start at this level of success. My growth trajectory has seen its peaks and valleys. Anyone that starts their own business, from the most humble of origins, like myself, is, by definition, a risk taker. You have to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and a clear plan of how to make that happen. The path can be difficult. But each and every entrepreneur begins by taking the biggest risk of all: believing in yourself. When I made the choice to trust in myself and my intuitive competence, which, for me, is psychology and horses, my horizons began to expand! I moved to Ecuador in South America from Germany. I began a family. I got my own herd of therapy horses. I bought land. This past year, I built my own custom home on this land that includes pastures for my herd and enough space to host wellness retreats for people from around the globe! The biggest risk I have ever taken is also the one that ended up paying me in dividends: giving myself the permission to speak my truth and follow my heart!
Christina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hello there! My name is Christina Marz.
I have lived for 20 years in the north of Ecuador, on my farm with my 3 boys, 6 horses, 3 dogs, and a cat who rules over all of us.
My mission in life is to help people find healing for themselves and others through the wisdom of horses.
As part of my work, I attend to counseling clients with complex trauma, teach Life Coaching with Horses worldwide, write books and serve as an advisor for institutions from Argentina to the United Arabian Emirates.
I am also a founding board member at the Galapagos Horse Friends Foundation, the Society for Ethics and Animal Welfare International (EAW), and the Vice-president of the Lexi-Drake Foundation.
My work is a result of everything I have learned and experienced in my life, including 18+ years as a mother, 30+ years of practice in rehabilitating horses, and 44+ years as a member of a dysfunctional birth family.
I am most grateful when I support others on their trauma-healing journeys, or when I help colleagues build a sustainable, 6-figure service offer with their herds.
In my private life, I can be found admiring the views of my farm, discussing Star Wars with my 3 boys, reading a lot, and avoiding grocery shopping.
Giving back and helping those in crisis has always been a big motivator for me. Therefore, my philanthropic project Sin Miedo© (“No Fear”) provides emotional support and trauma mitigation in Imbabura, Ecuador.
I am curious, self-directed, and a little obsessed with my two passions, horses and holistic psychology. My family is my motivator and my herd is my haven. I want to make emotional health accessible to everyone and when I want something, I usually make it happen. Stay tuned.
I am educated in Psychology, Mental Health & Coaching:
Bengston Healing Model©
Certified HeartMath® Trainer
TeleMental Health, Zur Institute
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, IATP
CBT Trauma Interventions, NCTSN/MUSC
Certified REBT-Mindset Coach, Transformation Academy
Positive Psychiatry & Mental Health, University of Sydney
Body Language, Science of People
Cognitive Processing Therapy, NCTSN
Systemic Constellations, Werkstatt Psychology
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I know I am not alone when I say a lot of what has come to define who I am today was through challenges and difficulties that produced my resilience. I have come to view this as an emerging from a cocoon, so to speak. Transformed, stronger, and more knowledgeable than ever before. This is what is known as Post Traumatic Growth.
As adult children from dysfunctional homes, one of the biggest questions most of us struggle with as we move into adulthood is, what now? I always thought I would never be able to maintain a fulfilling, healthy family life. I went as far as to think I shouldn’t have kids because I felt so flawed in my relationship skills. We often perceive that our fractured childhood has left us in such a state as being unable to take on the challenges with which life will undoubtedly present us. How can we be expected to manage this world if we were never given the tools?
Today, after years of learning, growth, introspection, and working with many other trauma survivors, I feel that I am successful in my family and work life BECAUSE my past has taught me a host of valuable skills.
Growing up in a traumatic environment, you had to be able to quickly adapt to dangerous situations to survive. Adaptivity is key in adulthood as you find yourself dealing with adversity. You instinctively know how and what you need to do to keep yourself safe in any given situation.
One of the first tenets of Buddhism is: Life is suffering. Our childhood traumatic experiences have created suffering for us at an early age. From that suffering, we are able to find growth. We are able to find a deeper level of self-awareness through this suffering that allows us to see ourselves and situations more clearly.
Have you ever heard about the concept of “Pronoia”? if not, Google it! I LOVE it and live by it. It is the belief that universal energy conspires to do one good. That the universe has our back. We may be tempted to believe that all of this pain was for nothing, that it only made us fragile and unable to find a healthy way to cope with the world around us. This, however, is not the case. Everything we go through can be turned into a wellspring of growth and instills lessons in us that will benefit us numerous times.
As Dr. Nicole tells us on her Instagram account @the.holistic.psychologist, “Even in pain, we are given gifts to cope.”
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
In Germany, everything needs to have a license, diploma, or certificate. When I started, I was “inventing it myself” and that felt “less than”. I felt that way for a long time until I learned I was innovative. This was one of the most helpful self-discoveries I have made. I have certified over 300 students in 26 countries in my method. My friends in Germany still say, “But you are not a school, you are just Christina! What allows you to certify anyone?” This is very much part of a German cultural mentality that I had to unlearn. People in different cultures throughout the world, for example in an innovative country like Dubai, react very differently. They understand the value of hands-on experience and see success through lives changed, not only a piece of paper. It is important to surround yourself with people who truly support you and what you are creating. This not only helps you to believe in yourself more but also helps you become immune to the critics.
Contact Info:
- Website: christinamarz.com
- Instagram: @marzmethod
- Facebook: facebook.com/marzmethod