We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Angela Schmitt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Angela below.

Hi Angela, thanks for joining 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.

Risk:

That is what got me here.

It was about 7 years ago that I went to network with a local equine therapy program that was presenting at Aurora Behavioral Health Campus for their monthly lunch and learns. I was hoping to get an opportunity to maybe work with this woman and her organization. After her presentation and all the crowds of people that were speaking with her finally filtered outside, I gave her a few moments and then I approached to introduce myself. She was a bit dismissive and basically told me to go to the website and sign up to volunteer. I was a bit confused and hurt. I went outside to see their demo with their horses. I watched and I thought I could do this better! I began creating an idea and talking with my mentor and a few trusted people and began to put my plan on paper. A few months later I reached out to that hospital and asked if they would be interested in an animal-equine-assisted therapy program. They were open and wanted to speak with me. I had a couple of interviews with a few directors and the COO at that time. Then I had to present to a senior team of about 12 people that included the CEO, CFO, HR director, and every director in the facility. It was me, my amazing dog Skyebear, my video of my dolphin-animal-assisted therapy work in this large conference room, NO PRESSURE. I didn’t have my own horse or horses and never own a horse before, however, a woman that I worked with at my other job, said she would volunteer herself and her horse. So, needless to say, “What the hell was I thinking”!! I am asking this hospital to take a chance on my idea and trust me. Was I crazy… maybe. The powerful work with the horses is what drove me, it gave me the strength to move through my fear and trust the risk I was taking. No one had taken horses to a behavioral health facility and worked with all their patients, not in Arizona, and at that time nowhere in the country, maybe the world.

After 2 hours of presenting, and answering questions, the CEO, Bruce Waldo said, “I will give you 90 days to prove yourself and your program”. What I was in utter disbelief! Then reality set in and doubt would show up on a daily basis. This June will be 7 years at Aurora Behavioral Health and now with multiple contracts, staff, interns, 6 horses, my own horse trailer, and horse property of my own! Had I not stepped into my dream willing to take a RISK I wouldn’t be here writing this article.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started working with dolphins when I was 19 in dolphin-assisted therapy programs. I worked with dolphins to help kids with varying needs, dolphin training, and stranding work. I worked in this industry for 16 years. After the 2 programs I worked for closed, I went to grad school and I came into equine-assisted therapy work.

In the summer of 2011 in grad school and I signed up for a class that was Gestalt Equine-assisted therapy class and I thought I worked with dolphins for years, I can work with horses.

It was set in this beautiful ranch up in the rocky mountains with the smell of beautiful pine trees, clean-smelling air, and a bit of snow still covering the tops of the mountains. There were about 20 horses at this ranch and about 14 of us. There was a sense of excitement and fear all rolled up into one. On one of the first days of class, Duey had us find a horse that we connected with, we had to halter and lead our horses around this big arena in a big circle. I was excited and thinking, “well this is cool and we are to just walk around with our horse and do what”? As I kept walking I noticed my body, my voice inside, my experience of feeling this special being walking next to me, and I began to feel sad and my heart ached. I was confused because everything was “OK ” a bit ago. I was tapping into the sadness of the horses and then my sadness and I was overwhelmed with emotion. The tears were starting to come down my face and I heard a message … and at point Duey, my cowboy professor who is rugged in the most gentle way walked up to me and said “Ang, what is happening”, I began to sob and here that message louder and it said, ” You need to grieve the dolphins and work with us”. Once I could finally catch my breath, I told Duey, ” am I crazy or am I really that message?”. He looked at me and, ” yes you do, and how profound”. It was that day the horses touched my heart and I knew this was the work I had to do.

I have a masters in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology and I am trained in gestalt and gestalt equine-assisted therapy work.
I work with children, teens, adults, families, and couples. I work at the many sites that I have contracts with as well as at my home.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Being true to myself. There were times when people didn’t think what I doing was OK, and didn’t like me or my style of work. I leaned into myself and really listed and trusted my intuition, which the horses help foster that piece. I really worked on healthy boundaries and saying “NO” when I needed to. The more I stepped into my work the more I began to get noticed by other colleagues, therapists, and clients who wanted to work with me and my horses, and that contributed to my reputation.

In addition, to strengthen my reputation while I am working and networking with people I hold a safe space, I listen, I meet people where they are and I truly stay in my authentic self. In that presence, I build relationships with people and always stop by and check in. Whatever site I am working at, I always make it a priority to go around to say, “Hi” to the CEO, CFO, HR, office staff, maintenance crew, and anyone that I work with to make contact and build genuine connections with the people. I also feel this is the best and free marketing … building relationships.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Referrals!!! I only have LinkedIn. I believe that building relationships are the strongest referral stream you can get. I drop in and genuinely connect with people. People feel that… we may forget what was said during a talk, yet they will remember how they felt when we connected.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.animalswithheart.com
• Linkedin: Angela Schmitt, MA Animals With Heart,LLC

Image Credits
Samantha Neal