Exploring the Healing Power of Equine Therapy: In Conversation with Maxime Willems

By Kate Love

Equine therapy is an innovative and impactful approach to mental wellness, and few practitioners are as passionate and dedicated to this field as Maxime Willems. Combining her extensive background in horse training with her deep commitment to mental health, Maxime has crafted a unique and effective therapeutic practice that resonates with many.

Maxime's journey into equine therapy began in Europe, where her work with horses offered solace during her own struggles with mental health. This experience, coupled with her studies in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), yoga, meditation, sociology and education, laid the foundation for her eventual specialisation in Equine Therapy. Today, Maxime is a leading practitioner at Sugar Beach Ranch in Australia, where she combines her skills to offer profound healing experiences.

In this exclusive conversation, Maxime shares her insights into the world of equine therapy, explaining how horses can help individuals cope with anxiety, stress, and other mental health challenges. She also provides a glimpse into the retreats and programs she offers at Sugar Beach Ranch, and the transformative effects she has witnessed in her clients.

Join us as we delve into the unique and healing world of equine therapy with Maxime Willems.

in conversation with Maxime Willems

Maxime, can you tell us about your journey into equine therapy? What inspired you to specialize in this field, and how did you come to work with Sugar Beach Ranch?

My journey into Equine Therapy started when I was still living in Europe and was training horses for a competitive dressage stable. I was struggling with my own mental health at that stage, and working closely with horses offered a sense of support. Besides working with horses, I started to delve into different types of therapy. The one that had the most profound impact on my life was Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, also known as ACT. I continued my journey with a variety of yoga and meditation trainings, besides my Master in Sociology and Education, and eventually found myself a job in Australia, as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner. That's where my interest started to grow around combining my background in horse training, with working in mental health. I bought myself two horses and met Stevey Arena from Sugar Beach Ranch. That's where the journey of Maxime Willems - Therapy and Training continued.

Equine therapy offers a unique approach to mental wellness. Can you explain how interacting with horses can benefit individuals struggling with anxiety, stress, or other mental health issues?

Horses are incredible at riding the wave from feeling anxious or stressed, to being calm and regulated again. Their minds don't offer them the mental stories that come with certain circumstances, which allows them to respond authentically to "what is," without the possible unhelpful story. For participants, it can be insightful to create more awareness around their own anxiety or stress when interacting with a variety of horses. Also, as horses are not judgemental and are authentic in their relationship with both animals and humans, participants tend to feel safer with horses when exploring their intense feelings of anxiety and stress.

Together with Sugar Beach Ranch, you offer a variety of retreats and programs incorporating equine wellness. Could you share some specific activities or techniques you use during these sessions and their intended benefits?

We are incredibly lucky to be able to facilitate our equine therapy programs and retreats at the magical facilities of Sugar Beach Ranch. The ranch is a 60-acre property right next to the beach, and it has amazing facilities that allow us to offer equine-assisted wellness retreats and professional team-building days, besides private equine therapy sessions. One of the things that comes up for me when I read this question is that horses are herd animals, so working with them allows us to use a relational approach. This brings us to activities around setting and respecting personal boundaries, healthy communication, and recognising our own and others' specific strengths and challenges.

Q: The concept of using horses in corporate wellness workshops is intriguing. How do horses help improve team dynamics and communication in a corporate setting?

Horses are a herd animal that live in authentic relationships with each other. Each herd consists of horses that tend to take leadership and initiative, while other horses in that particular herd might be more comfortable with following the other horses' decisions. Also, as horses respond instantly to human behaviour and provide immediate and honest feedback, this can help individuals understand the impact of their actions and words, encouraging them to adjust their approach in real-time. All of our workshops are a combination of reflecting and experiences, where the activities with horses might involve problem-solving tasks that require collaboration. These exercises help teams practice working together, leveraging each member's strengths, and finding creative solutions to challenges.

In your experience, what are some of the most profound transformations you've witnessed in individuals participating in equine therapy? Can you share a memorable success story?

In general, I've witnessed that participants who've experienced trauma tend to feel very safe at the ranch, with our practitioners and our horses. From some participants, I know that our equine therapy sessions are the only reason for them to leave the house. One participant who experienced severe domestic violence and does not tend to speak with people other than her family was able to have a full conversation with us during her third session. Another memorable success story was a lady who left an intense trauma support program feeling anxious and not able to verbally communicate. It took her three sessions for her to feel safe and regulated again and for her to start using her words again in a verbal conversation.

MAXIME WILLEMS

Maxime Willems, of Belgian origins, trained in Europe in dressage and completed two Master degrees. Upon her move to Australia she furthered her studies at the esteemed Equine Psychotherapy Institute in New South Wales and became a registered Counsellor. As an accomplished professional, with a rich background in Sociology, Education, Counselling, Gestalt Therapy, Yoga and Horsemanship, Maxime and her team bring a fresh perspective to Equine Assisted Learning, Equine Assisted Therapy & Equine Wellbeing Experiences that transcend traditional methods and are committed to personal as well as professional growth.

Maxime's training, enriched by a blend of personal insight and professional expertise, endows her with a remarkable capacity to craft transformative experiences that deeply resonate and foster personal growth. With extensive experience spanning diverse age groups - from early childhood to retirement-age participants - she excels in inspiring, motivating, and supporting clients grappling with a range of challenges.