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Energy Healing with Soo, horses & nature
“Return to the truth of who you are. No fixing. Just remembering.”
Equine Therapy in the NSW Southern Highlands
Many people arrive here after searching for equine therapy or equine assisted therapy. Often they are simply looking for a different way to reconnect with themselves – with the help of horses.
What we offer here is not traditional equine-assisted therapy; It involves being with horses in a deeply attentive and body-led way. The sessions are ground-based and focus on nervous system regulation, presence, and subtle relational awareness between people, horses and the natural environment.
We describe this approach as somatic energy healing with horses.
If you are searching for equine therapy, you may find that our approach resonates, even though the language is slightly different.
It’s time to find clarity … to reconnect with yourself … to remember who you are … in a non-judgemental, supportive space.
“I’m passionate about helping you reclaim your authentic self.
Somatic Energy Healing with the herd is a tremendously powerful and beautiful way to help you do this.”
Soo Woods
WHY PEOPLE SEARCH FOR HORSE THERAPY
People often search for equine therapy when they’re feeling stretched beyond what talk-based approaches alone can reach.
Stress, burnout, trauma, and emotional overwhelm can leave the nervous system feeling constantly “on,” flat, or disconnected. Many people arrive simply knowing they need space to slow down and reconnect with themselves in a different way.
Spending time with horses can support this because horses respond to presence, tension, and intention rather than words.
In a calm, nature-based setting, interactions with the herd can help people notice what their body is holding, regulate their nervous system, and experience moments of grounding, clarity, and emotional release.
For many, it becomes a gentle way to reset and begin feeling more like themselves again.
"This exquisite experience will forever remain in my heart"
Even with an understanding of the deep, transformational energy horses embody, my session with Soo and her herd surpassed my expectations in the most profound way.
After experiencing devastating loss, I arrived open and profoundly grateful. I left the session in awe of the vibrant lifeforce of the land and the horses – it was palpable.
Throughout the session Soo was deeply aware, responsive, supportive and in sacred communion with me, the horses and the land.
This exquisite experience will forever remain in my heart.
KIM – Personalised Retreat, Mar 2026
HOW OUR APPROACH HELPS | WHO THIS IS FOR
Our sessions with the horses are for people who sense there is a more coherent, truthful way of being available to them — beyond effort, analysis, or working through old stories.
It is suited to those who are open to somatic, intuitive experiences and to working within a living energy field held by horses, land, and nature.
You may feel drawn to the quiet intelligence of animals, the restorative presence of the natural world, or to experiences that support deep attunement rather than structured exercises.
People who resonate with this work describe a sense of clarity, coherence, and life-changing release — a feeling of coming back into alignment with themselves at a fundamental level.
Our sessions support those who are ready to release what no longer serves, and embody their truth more fully.
Let’s talk
How Somatic Healing With Horses Differs From Traditional Equine Therapy
While often searched for as “equine therapy,” this session is distinct from conventional equine-assisted approaches.
Rather than following a structured program or focusing on problem-solving, Somatic Energy Healing with Soo, horses & nature is a client-led, intuitive, somatic experience within a living energy field.
The horses, land, and natural environment are active participants, supporting deep attunement, embodiment, and the release of stuck energy. Importantly, the horses are not tools in a process. They are intelligent sentient beings who are offered choices, and who participate willingly and naturally.
For many people this creates a deeper sense of connection, clarity and release.
Sessions are immersive and life-changing, designed to help you reconnect with your own coherence, freedom, and step into your next authentic expression — rather than simply addressing symptoms or challenges.
What People Say
My healing today with these horses was really profound, and in thinking back about it, the most beautiful thing is the love that they give. I just felt so much love from them, and their willingness to share it and step into my field and help me heal and release whatever I’ve got to release was just a beautiful experience. I’m so grateful to them and to you and to the beautiful energy that they and this place holds. So thank you so very much.
PRACTICAL DETAILS:
- Session type: 1:1, client-led, somatic energy healing with horses
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Location: Highlands Centre For Healing, Moss Vale, NSW Southern Highlands (approximately 90 minutes from Sydney, 60 minutes from Canberra)
- Booking options: Standalone session or as part of a retreat stay
- What to bring: An open mind and heart, comfortable clothing suited to variable weather, enclosed footwear for time with the horses
- Additional notes: No prior experience with horses is required. All sessions are ground-based, ie no there is no riding.
Let’s talk
A Note From Soo
My earliest sense of safety and belonging came not from people or words, but from nature and animals. They offered a kind of presence and truth that felt steady, non-judging, and real.
Like many, I spent years navigating life from a place of depletion — coping, pushing through, and unconsciously carrying the imprint of experiences I didn’t yet understand. What I came to learn is that the body remembers everything — not just the big moments, but also the subtle, seemingly insignificant ones that quietly shape how we live, feel, and relate.
Over the past decade and more, I have immersed myself in understanding trauma, emotions, the nervous system, and holistic healing — not as theory, but as lived experience. Through this journey, what became clear is that healing is not about fixing what is broken, but about releasing what no longer belongs and remembering what is already whole.
Working with horses, land, and the living field of nature is not something I chose so much as something I returned to. This work reflects a way of being — attuned, embodied, and deeply respectful of each person’s unique path back to coherence and truth.
Soo Woods
If you know deep down there is more to life than your current reality and you’re ready to explore what somatic energy healing with horses can release for you, let’s begin this journey together.
Whether you’re travelling from Sydney, Canberra, the Illawarra or the Southern Highlands, and whether you’re looking to recharge, reconnect, or rediscover your inner balance, the herd and I are here to guide you.
I'd love to help you find your Authentic Self
Nothing gives me more joy than supporting others on their journey to wholeness, of remembering who they authentically are.
- Discover why you are who you are
- Heal the root-cause of underlying distress and dis-ease
- Learn how to support yourself moving forward.
- Get expert guidance on health, wellbeing and equine experiences
- Step into a life that you love; one that you thought was out of your reach
- Experience private sessions or a wellness retreat that makes you buzz with aliveness and gratitude
EQUINE THERAPY IN NSW
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is equine therapy for?
Equine assisted therapy can support children, teens and adults. Sessions are tailored to age, capacity and individual needs.
At Highlands Centre For Healing, we primarily work with high functioning adults, who are seeking and are open to change.
Who can benefit from equine therapy?
Anyone experiencing emotional dysregulation – stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, burnout, feeling stuck, life transitions or overwhelm can benefit. It’s also really powerful for personal growth, leadership development and nervous system regulation.
Is equine therapy effective for PTSD?
In a word, yes. Equine therapy is widely recognised as supportive for PTSD. Horses are highly attuned to nervous system states and provide immediate, non-verbal feedback that helps rebuild safety, regulation and trust.
How long is an equine therapy session?
Sessions at Highlands Centre For Healing run for approximately 60 minutes. Longer immersive experiences and retreat formats are also available.
What are the different types of equine therapy?
This is a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question! There are mounted approaches (which involve riding), and ground-based approaches (working alongside the horse). Ground-based work may include equine-assisted psychotherapy, somatic practices and nature-based healing.
Is equine therapy good for depression?
Yes. Time with horses in nature can reduce isolation, increase connection and gently support mood regulation. The experiential nature of the work often helps when talk-based approaches feel difficult. Equine Therapy is great for anyone experiencing emotional dysregulation.
What happens during equine therapy?
At Highlands Centre For Healing, sessions are ground-based and may include somatic awareness, observation, mindful interaction, and reflective conversation. There is no riding. Our focus is safety, presence, relational awareness and coherence.
What is another name for equine therapy?
It may also be called equine-assisted therapy, equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP), equine-facilitated learning, or horse-assisted therapy.
At Highlands Centre For Healing, it has evolved into ‘Somatic Energy Healing with Soo, the horses and the land.‘
How does equine therapy help with trauma?
Trauma is held in the nervous system and body. Horses are exquisitely sensitive to subtle shifts in energy and regulation, offering immediate, non-verbal feedback that brings unconscious patterns into awareness.
In this grounded relational space, clients can practise safety, boundaries and co-regulation in real time. Our horses also support the release of held or stagnant energy, offering healing and a restoration to flow, balance and a renewed sense of vitality.
Don’t therapy horses burn out?
Yes — they absolutely can if they are overworked, overhandled, or given no choice. At Highlands Centre for Healing, the wellbeing of our herd comes first. We have 15 horses who live as a herd with ample space to move, rest, graze, roll, and regulate naturally. Sessions are held at liberty — the horses are not haltered or required to participate. They are free to approach, stay, or walk away at any time. Sometimes one horse engages in a session, sometimes several, and sometimes very little happens externally at all. Their involvement is always voluntary.
Because they have choice, space, social connection, bodywork treatments, and time between sessions, they are able to restore themselves and remain balanced. Their autonomy is not just respected — it is foundational to how we work.
I am looking for horse therapy near me?
Our retreat is located in NSW Southern Islands and we are close to Sydney and Canberra.