Our Founders

Hallie Sheade, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S
Executive Director

I grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. I fell in love with horses at age 2, begging to ride a pony at a local carnival without my mother holding my hand. When I was 9, I would spend all day the barn doing chores in exchange for free riding time. The journey that led me to start  S.T.E.P.S. With Horses really began the day Cowman arrived at the barn. He had a reputation for being strong willed and uncooperative. I believed he was just misunderstood. At the time, I often felt very misunderstood by my parents, so Cowman and I had something in common. Every day, I would sit in Cowman's stall and groom him for hours as I told him all my troubles. Cowman and I soon bonded. When I would leave the stall, he would often grab the back of my shirt and pull me back in. Over the next few months, some interesting things started to happen. My relationship with my parents began to improve and Cowman started to cooperate with other riders. Cowman and I had formed a mutually beneficial bond that improved the quality of life for both of us.

My relationship with Cowman started me down a path that has led to:

• Achieving supervisor credentials as both a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor.

• Authoring recently-published book, Equine-Assisted Counseling and Psychotherapy: Healing Through Horses.
• Being named Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy Technical Editor for PATH Int.'s quarterly publication, Strides. 
• Having my equine assisted counseling models: Relational Equine-Partnered Counseling (REPC) and Equine-Partnered Play Therapy (EPPT) featured in Dr. Cynthia Chandler's, world-renowned expert in animal assisted therapy, textbook entitled Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counseling.
• Earning a PhD in Counseling at the University of North Texas where I pioneered two innovative models, REPC and EPPT. In my doctoral dissertation, I examined the effectiveness of REPC on the reduction of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in military veterans.
• Being named Chi Sigma Iota International's Outstanding Practitioner in 2015.
• Founding Equine Connection Counseling, a private practice for equine assisted counseling.
• Partnering with local universities to train interns and speak on animal assisted therapy in both undergraduate and graduate level courses at local universities such as University of North Texas, Tarleton University, Texas Woman's University, and Texas Christian University.
• Presenting at state, national and international conferences, and authoring manuscripts and articles on animal assisted therapy and Equine Assisted Counseling.
• Receiving certification through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) International as a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI) and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL). I am also an ESMHL Associate Mental Health Faculty Member and Evaluator for the ESMHL Workshops and serve on the PATH Intl. committees, Health and Education Advisory Committee and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
• Completing a Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Counseling at Georgia State University.
• Attending the University of Miami  for Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees in Psychology and Biology, where I also volunteered at a horse rescue facility and participated as a member of the University Equestrian Team.
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I have come full circle. My journey started with the mutually beneficial bond she made with Cowman that improved the quality of life for both of us. Now I as helping others tap into the power of the horse-human relationship to do the same.

​Credentials: Ph.D. In Counseling, Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) in the state of Texas (#67848), and a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S); PATH Intl. CTRI, ESMHL

Dr. Sheade's Curriculum Vitae

Paul Ziehe, USMC Veteran, PATH Intl. CTRI/ESMHL

​I am a Fort Worth native raised in Benbrook. I enlisted into the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1996, rising to the rank of sergeant. I was called to active duty and deployed with VMGR-234 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and again in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II in 2004. I was honorably discharged in 2005 and will be forever proud to be a US Marine.

To further my equine education, I worked with a local cutting horse trainer to learn how to get horses started under saddle. I have also worked cattle in west Fort Worth and even taken a trip to New Mexico in 2012 riding and working cattle in the mountains. My latest experience began in 2014 when I started serving as an Equine Specialist for Equine Connection Counseling.

I am  excited and proud to be a part of S.T.E.P.S. with Horses! I knows that veterans, their families, and at-risk youth are underserved populations, and I have seen how the REPC (Relational Equine- Partnered Counseling) and EPPT (Equine-Partnered Play Therapy) models have impacted lives for the better. I strongly believe in the S.T.E.P.S. with Horses mission and that S.T.E.P.S. with Horses will become an innovative leader in the equine-partnered therapy field.
Credentials:  Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI) and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL) ​

Our Staff

Laura  Hamrin, PATH Intl. CTRI/ESMHL, CHA Certified
Equine Manager

 At STEPS, I serve in the role of Equine Manager, Equine Specialist, and Therapeutic Riding Instructor. I work with all disciplines helping to build confidence in both the horse and the client. I am a CHA IRD clinic staff, CHA standard certified, and a  PATH CTRI/Mentor and ESMHL certified. I am committed to strengthening the equine-assisted services industries and enjoy mentoring and training new professionals.

Credentials:  PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI) and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL); CHA Certified 

Brittany Briswalter Kuqi, MS, LPC Associate/PATH Intl. ESMHL
Under the supervision of Hallie Sheade, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S

I grew up in Arkansas where my love for nature and animals started. I moved to Texas six years ago to pursue my undergraduate and graduate degree from University of North Texas. My love for working with horses and clients started as I took a role of a therapeutic riding instructor. I watched how the relationship between horses and their riding partners could flourish physical, mental and emotional benefits. When I discovered the possibility to work with them in a mental health capacity, I found my passion in life that combined helping people and getting to connect with these amazing creatures. I pursed my Masters of Rehabilitation Counseling and took an internship facilitating Animal Assisted Counseling and Equine Assisted Counseling. I currently am a PATH certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning, and LPC-Associate. 

Incorporating animals into sessions brings a deeper connection, genuine acceptance and an awareness that stimulates growth. Enter an environment that encourages self-reflection, grounding from life stressors and connections that will always be remembered. I fully believe every person has the innate ability to heal when given a safe place to process. Horses give us that safe space that allow us to explore our own solutions. I work with clients across the lifespan and who have a variety of physical, intellectual and mental disabilities. Horses only see the intentions we have and fully accept us exactly how we are. They are my partners and my friends; whatever you might be seeking we are here waiting with open hooves. 

Juliet Mary Amelia Moss, MS, Equine Specialist-in-Training
Under the supervision of Hallie Sheade, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, PATH Intl. ESMHL

 I recently graduated with my MS degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Memphis. I was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas and always knew this place had a special place in my heart. I have grown up with constant exposure to horses but did not pursue any lessons until graduate school. I have always known I wanted to tie animals into mental health but was never quite sure how to do it. Coming upon this field has changed my life for the better. I was a trail guide at Shelby Farms Park throughout the duration of my courses in Memphis and noticed that the days I was able to be around the horses, and simply spend time practicing my horsemanship skills, I was slowly showing confidence in other areas of my life. I was also noticing I was becoming more patient in my studies and in other stressful areas of my life. I believe animals have the ability to sense human emotion and that emotion can reach deep inside and touch people in their soul. If you can connect, you can start a new journey whether it is healing, love, comfort, decreased stress and or anxiety.

Samantha Garrad, BA, Graduate-Level Counseling Intern and Equine Specialist
Under the supervision of Hallie Sheade, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, PATH Intl. ESMHL

Sam is originally from Georgia and grew up as an Army Brat. Shortly after graduating high school in Savannah, she joined the Army. Once that chapter was complete, Sam transitioned out of the field and into the classroom earning her B.A in Psychology in Naples, Florida. She is currently a counseling intern attending Nova Southeastern University. Her military service has given her a deep understanding of the challenges and trauma that can come with that experience, providing her with the empathy and insight to connect on a more profound level. She understands the importance of trauma-focused care, and is dedicated to helping clients heal and overcome the challenges they face. Ultimately she is dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals and improve their lives.

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Lauryn Mann, Equine Assisted Services Intern

Lauryn is a Texas native and have had a passion for equines since she was a little girl. She was a bit anxious as a child but through connecting with horses in her youth, she gained confidence and the ability to apply that confidence throughout the rest of her life. She also has a passion for the mind, especially the mind when it is affected by trauma. She is fascinated by the ways we choose to cope with trauma and how the body and brain interact to help us survive adverse experiences.

​Lauryn feels so blessed to be working with STEPS as she earns her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of North Texas, and eventually her Masters in Counseling. She wants to be a therapist that specializes in Equine-Assisted therapy, but she is starting as an intern in equine assisted mental health services to gain a deeper understanding of equines as animals and co-therapists. We are all connected whether we realize it or not and the intrinsic abilities of equines to connect us to ourselves, others, and the world around us is something she does not take for granted.

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Amara "Mara" Yachimski, BA, Graduate-Level Counseling Intern and Equine Specialist
Under the supervision of Hallie Sheade, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, PATH Intl. ESMHL

​I was born and raised on the East Coast, just outside of Boston, MA. My mom enrolled me and my sister in horseback riding camp when I was only 5 years old, and I've been on the back of a horse ever since! My mother became a horseback riding instructor and I got to tag along and spend all day, every day at the barn. I got my first horse, a 5-year-old sorrel mare named Dyman when I was 8 years old. We brought her down to Texas in 2007 when we moved and my friends even convinced me to try barrel racing, which didn't last too long. During my time as an undergrad pursuing my love of music at Southwestern University, I took a Psychology course and was immediately hooked. Since it was too late to change my degree, I graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. 

In 2016, my mother passed away from Leukemia, and we had to sell both of our horses. I retreated from horses and took a break after graduation.  After a few years, I found my way back to horses and it was only then that I was able to start healing. I learned that there was an entire world of healing with horses, and I dove headfirst into every avenue I could find to learn more about the link between mental health and horses. I began my graduate degree at Southern Methodist University in Fall of 2020, pursuing a Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I bought my own horse, a wild mustang named Raven, in 2021. He has taught me more about myself than I ever thought he could, and I am still learning every day.

In my free time, I enjoy gardening with my partner, traveling, playing video games, and cuddling with my cat. Most days, however, you can find me at the barn!

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Ruth Abigail "Abbi" O'Leary, BA, Graduate-Level Counseling Intern
Under the supervision of Hallie Sheade, PhD, LPC-S, RPT-S, PATH Intl. ESMHL

I was born and raised in North Carolina and will always feel most at home when in the Appalachian Mountains. I moved to Fort Worth in 2019 and have enjoyed building a home here as I have pursued a career in counseling. My love for nature and animals goes hand-in-hand as they have both taught me how interconnected we all are. One of my fondest memories during what was a hard time in my life is hiking hundreds of miles along the coast of England alongside the wild horses that live there. They became peaceful and steady companions for me along the cliffs of the coast. 

Since my distanced but meaningful time with those horses, I have wanted to learn about equines and their empathic nature in a more intimate way. I am excited and honored to be working alongside horses as it is evident that they are deep, empathetic animals who foster unconditional acceptance and genuine compassion. Through my own experience of seeing how impactful a relationship with an animal can be in my healing journey, I am excited to be working alongside horses to help others find their own healing.