Meet the Facilitators
Sophia
Sophia is a Sonoma County native who has spent most of her life surrounded by horses. After surviving Domestic Violence and becoming a single mother, it ignited a fiery passion in her to help others who have suffered at the hands of someone else. This traumatic experience made her view horses in a new light. Horses are not just for riding, but they are amazing at healing our souls as well. Working with horses has been such a beneficial part of her healing journey, so her dream when starting Lonepine Healing Hooves is to share that magic horses have for those facing hardship in their lives.
Sophia is trained and certified in Equine - Assisted Coaching with HorseDream USA and offers trauma informed care. Through the life experience gained through being a DV survivor and her trainings, Sophia learned how to intuitively read the interactions between you and our horse partners, cultivating a safe and therapeutic environment where self-discovery and self-healing can occur.
Lauren
Lauren is also a Sonoma County local who is passionate about strengthening the network of available mental health resources in the area. Lauren always knew she wanted to enter the field of helping others, she holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology with a minor in Psychology and Child Development from Cal Poly SLO. She also grew up loving, riding, and learning about horses and cites these experiences as what ignited her understanding of how profoundly powerful the healing presence of a horse can be when navigating trauma and mental health struggles.
When Lauren found out that she could pair her appreciation and love for horses with her passion for supporting others in their own healing journeys, she knew she had discovered her calling. Her education in social sciences as well as her personal history of enduring and overcoming interpersonal and emotional traumas empower her to lead with empathy and understanding while also acknowledging the benefits of a gentle nudge toward embracing the uncomfortable in the pursuit of growth and peace.
Meet our horse partners
Goldie
Goldie
Goldie
Goldie is a gorgeous girl who opens her heart and creates space to heal yours. She is 23 years young and dedicates her "retirement" years doing this meaningful work. She is a sweet pony with a gentle spirit!
Pete
Goldie
Goldie
Pete is a handsome man at 21 years old! He came to this program as a rescue, very underweight and neglected. Though humans have failed him in the past, he is unwavering in his ability to love and provide a supportive shoulder to cry on.