RHEST Counselling and
Equine Assisted Therapy
Personal and Community Empowerment for All Abilities
Regaining Peace of Mind, Reclaiming Inner Strength
Welcome to RHEST Counselling & Equine Assisted Therapy, where we offer strengths-based, person-centred counselling and clinical equine assisted therapy services.
Our registered and experienced professionals provide short-term solution-focused counselling sessions as well as medium to long-term evidence-based therapeutic interventions tailored to individual needs and situations.
RHEST Counselling and Equine Assisted Therapy is a subsidiary of RHES (RunningHorse Equestrian Services),
serving the community and indivduals since 2005.
....
Our experienced practitioners are registered and dual-qualified with professional backgrounds in mental health, the equine industry, high performance and recreational competition, Riding for the Disabled, and vocational education, training and assessment in both community education and the equine industry.
RHEST practitioners are MACA Level 4 registered and Equestrian Australia Coaches.
Private health fund clients accepted and NDIS participants welcome.
Short-term Solution-focused Sessions
Our short-term sessions aim to provide immediate relief and effective coping strategies tailored to your specific challenges.
Medium to Long-term Counselling & Psychotherapy
Our medium to long-term therapeutic interventions are designed to sustain growth and recovery, providing enduring solutions for deeper issues, in addition to evidence-based trauma recovery interventions, coping with physical and psychosocial injury and illness, and managing life transitions.
Services
RHEST Counselling and Equine Assisted Therapy provides:
- Counselling - Equine Assisted Rehabilitation Counselling - Equine Assisted Therapy - Equine Assisted Arts Therapy Sessions and Workshops - Therapeutic Riding Sessions - Educational Programs - Accredited Training & Assessment
Short-term Solution-focused Sessions
Our short-term sessions aim to provide immediate relief and effective evidence-based coping strategies tailored to your specific challenges.
Wrap-around Support
We offer comprehensive wrap-around support services, encompassing a range of resources and therapeutic approaches to support your holistic well-being. Our extensive referral database means we can provide connections to services in the community to help you address your needs in a timely manner.
Medium to Long-term Interventions
Our medium to long-term evidence-based therapeutic interventions are designed to sustain growth and recovery, providing enduring solutions for deeper issues and provide real-life applications for personal injury and psycho-social rehabilitation. Room-based, telehealth, or equine assisted rehabilitation counselling sessions are available by appointment.
Clinical Equine Assisted Therapy
Clinical Equine Assisted Therapy, Mental Health, Rehabilitation, and Counselling: why is our model 'clinical'?
Because our qualified, registered, highly trained and experienced practitioners are using evidence-based, proven clinical counselling interventions during sessions with the horses, with regular ongoing clinical supervision, training and professional development.
Equine Assisted Therapy is known to effectively address Trauma, C-PTSD and other types of psychosocial conditions, disabilities and challenges, using evidence-based interventions, with statistically shown improvements on clinical outcome measures, and significant positive changes in physiological responses including heart rate variability, lower cortisol levels, and increases in oxytocin.
Equine Assisted Therapy is also useful for people to combat stress and to explore life path decisions. In addition, it used by elite athletes to enhance performance, and for those seeking professional and personal development, as the sessions also focus on tools for empowerment such as body awareness, emotional agility, safety, boundary setting, relationship building and restoration, and accessing personal strengths. The experience is often accelerated by the facilitation of the horses, bringing people into harmony in mind, body and soul.
The providers at RHEST Counselling and Equine Assisted Therapy are experienced and certified Mental Health and Equine Industry Professionals and deliver client-centred interventions and ongoing assessments.
What is provided: Short, medium, and long-term Counselling, Clinical Equine Assisted Therapy and Telehealth sessions.
What sessions can include: Counselling for trauma and injury related issues; motivation and self-esteem; crisis management; grief and loss; mental health issues including anxiety and depression; emotional regulation; personal, team and workplace relationships; building resilience; work, study, competition and training performance optimization; dealing with difficult relationships; difficulty in adjusting to change and disappointment; difficulty in balancing personal, relationship and work/study/health commitments; distressing life events and grief; pain and chronic condition management; vocational education and career planning; competition preparation, confidence building for nervous riders; capacity building and community engagement assistance, social skills development and training, and referrals to additional support services.
When: Weekdays 9-5, by appointment only. Waiting lists apply at times. The sessions are 1 hour and are non-riding. Additional Therapeutic Riding sessions are available. No horse experience is necessary.
Fees: Private billing, private health fund, NDIS, subsidised billing, funded, and annual tithe applications welcome. Contact RHEST Counselling and Equine Assisted Therapy for fee information and referral information. Payment required prior to/ upon confirmation of appointment. Cancellation fees apply with full fee charged if less than 24 hrs.
Your Provider: Meredith Torpey MACA Level 4, EFLC L2, EA/NCAS L1.G, Cert IV TAE
Meredith specialises in Equine Assisted Mental Health, Therapy, Rehabilitation, Counselling and Trauma Recovery, and Equestrian Coaching in the Cardinia Shire and South Gippsland regions, and she provides programs and sessions for individuals, groups, and the Equine Industry and Community Services sectors. Meredith has over 40 years of professional equine industry experience, is the founder of The Horses For Life™ secondary school program, and founder of Sanctuary Equus Inc. an Equine Assisted Trauma Recovery charity, is a trainer and assessor for accredited equine industry and vocational certifications, and previously held the position of Counsellor, Wellbeing and Performance Planner for Equine Pathways Australia Ltd in its early years, supporting Para-Olympic equestrians and recreational riders with a disability. Meredith runs a busy private practice at RHEST Counselling and Equine Assisted Therapy based at Tooradin Estate, and also provides consultation to business owners, employees and professionals in both the equine industry and human services sectors.
Practitioners
Meredith Torpey
Director, Senior Counsellor and Clinical Lead
Meredith is a qualified counsellor who specialises in workplace injury, trauma and psychosocial recovery in the Equine Industry, and psychosocial disability. She is a Level 4 ACA registered counsellor, Arts Therapist, Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching practitioner, and an Equestrian Australia Coach, and her background includes over 20 years' experience counselling, working in disability and teaching at risk youth and young offenders in Community VCAL. Meredith has worked for 40 years professionally in the equine industry, in addition to holding positions in education, training and assessment in vocational and equine industry accredited training. She is also a skilled and empathetic equine assisted therapist who utilises the healing power of horses to facilitate emotional and psychological growth in clients. Her approach focuses on integrating experiential learning with traditional evidence-based therapy. Meredith provides face-to-face and telehealth counselling, clinical equine-assisted mental health services and arts therapy. She works with adults, teens and children impacted by stress; burnout; work, study and performance anxiety; trauma; injury and illness recovery; disability; psychosocial rehabilitation; career transitions; managing high sensitivity; and compassion fatigue recovery. As well as holding counselling, wellbeing and educator roles in diverse sectors including schools, workplaces, and the equine industry, Meredith brings 40 years of professional equine industry experience as a coach, competitor, trainer and assessor. This allows her to offer a unique perspective into the world of competitive and recreational horse sports and the challenges facing those who work and manage enterprises in the equine industry. In addition to providing general counselling services, Meredith supports employees and professionals in various industries including the equine industry, as well as high performance athletes with a disability, Para-equestrian riders and recreational riders. As an Equestrian Australia Coach, as well as a registered counsellor, Meredith is able to assist clients who may be struggling with performance and training issues relating to their mental health, wellbeing and their horses and she can provide valuable tools and interventions specific to their needs in this sector. Meredith's passion is trauma recovery and post-traumatic growth, facilitating change through connecting people with their strengths and values, providing a safe space for exploring options and resources, empowering individuals and communities through journeys of self-discovery, with practical, useful, tried and tested evidence-based interventions. Over her extensive career, Meredith has been fortunate enough to train and work with many incredible people, trailblazers, and visionaries, including Manolo Mendez, Linda Kohanov, Kathy Pike, Barbara Rector, Sandra Wallin, Mary Longden, and Sally Francis OAM, and is engaged in continuous professional development and training to ensure best possible practice and delivery of quality services. In addition to her existing qualifications in Counselling, Arts Therapy, Equine Facilitated Learning and Coaching, Equestrian Australia Coaching, Vocational Education, Training and Assessment, Meredith is currently completing the Master of Rehabilitation, Counselling & Mental Health, specialising in Sports and Athlete Services and Mental Health. Away from the office and equine assisted therapy facilities, Meredith is often found adventuring with her dogs, riding her own horses, beach combing, making art, enjoying sound healing, nature, and quality time with loved ones.
Razzy
Equine Partner
Razzy is an experienced equine assisted therapy team member with many years of successful outcomes in sessions and continues to support clients with his exceptional ability to make people feel a deep sense of belonging and self-acceptance.
Iris
Equine Partner
Iris is gentle and loving and particularly good at nurturing and giving hugs. She grew up in the herd and her mother Allie was also a wonderful equine assisted therapy team member, guiding Iris to develop good boundaries and sensitivity to the needs of their clients.
Fudge
Equine Partner
Fudge is a miniature pony with a big personality and is very gentle and smoochy. He is able to fill people with confidence and helps clients develop mastery in many areas of horsemanship in addition to developing emotional agility skills. Fudge particularly appreciates it if people remember to make eye contact and connect with him at his level before getting busy with activities.
Angelica Donatella Versace aka 'Jelly'
Equine Partner but really the CEO
Jelly also grew up with the herd and is the calm one in the midst of events that get everyone excited, such as the zoomies. She also likes to conserve her energy. Jelly has the ability to help clients find their inner anchor no matter how difficult life is.
Raphael
Equine Partner
Raphael is tall and gentle, loves a scratch but will patiently wait until clients are ready to approach. He is polite, very grounded and exceptionally good at helping people regulate their nervous systems. Raph is all about honouring deep feelings, love and connection.
Oakey
Equine Partner
Oakey is a gentle and quiet guy and has recently discovered humans after living in a bachelor herd for the first 10 years of his life. Although he has had little interaction with people up until the last couple years, and is quite shy, he is particularly interested in those on the autism spectrum and has begun to work in the team at liberty and has the choice to engage or not at all times.
Contact
- Tooradin VIC, Australia
- +61-0472631068 - RHEST Counselling & Equine Assisted Therapy
- admin@rhest-counselling.com
- Mon-Fri - 09:00-17:00
Please note: Contact request information is visible to RHEST admin staff. Keeping sensitive details private is advised until you have been triaged and assigned your counsellor.
Articles and Useful Links
Equine Pathways Australia
EQ Article
Sanctuary Equus Inc
Horses Healers Article
In Consideration of Ethics and Animal Consciousness
The Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness
Research
An Exploration of the Mechanism of Action of an Equine-Assisted Intervention Linked with permission from author