SANFORD, Fla. — A local non-profit organization is taking a unique approach to helping veterans heal the mental wounds suffered in war.
Daniel Solis is a retired Marine who spent 12 years serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He says he’s always loved being around horses.
“With these animals, you can really connect with them. You can kind of really develop an appreciation,” Solis said. “I think, honestly, these horses have something to tell us about life.”
That connection is the goal at Crossroads Corral, a facility in Sanford co-founded by Lindsay Brim and Julie Hester that specializes in equine-assisted psychotherapy.
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“We don’t give them the answers. We let them find the answers for themselves,” Hester said. “And within that process, they discover a lot of things and patterns within themselves.”
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“We’ve had clients who have been in therapy for years, and then come here, and after eight sessions, they’re successfully able to go back into the workforce, go back to school. Their family notices a remarkable change in them, and we see that as extreme success,” Brim added.
Using horses alongside licensed mental health professionals, Crossroads works with a variety of patients, including veterans suffering from PTSD, to treat unseen injuries.
“They are such incredible animals…they’re so intuitive. They pick up on what’s going on within us, and they can almost kind of mirror our emotions a little bit,” Brim said.
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Crossroads recently partnered with the Camaraderie Foundation, hosting an event for veterans.
Neftali Rodriguez spent 30 years in the army and is now the CEO of Camaraderie. He hopes the event helps them reach more of the men and women who might be resistant to other types of therapy.
“One size doesn’t fit all,” Rodriguez said. “What one organization does may benefit a veteran easier, or better than what we do, and so we work together.”
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“Our Goal is for families to enjoy themselves on the farm, to meet the horses, spend time, and make memories together. We want them to remember Crossroads Corral as a place that their family came together and just had a great time,” Brim said.
Daniel Solis says he was fortunate his mental scars weren’t as traumatic as others, but he agrees, working with horses has benefits for everyone.
“It’s just nature, you know. You’re just absorbing the elements, and it just feels good for me,” Solis said.
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Crossroads relies on the community for support, including former Orlando Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy, who owns one of the horses and helped raise money for the covered therapy arena.
To learn more about how to how to contribute, click here.
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