#64 Chris Chapman on healing through the eyes of a horse

Chris Chapman didn't realize the effects of sexual trauma until she gave birth to her daughter. The birth process triggered her cellular memory and thus began a long road of remembering things she'd rather forget. Years pass and after surviving breast cancer and a brain injury from a horse riding accident, Chris uses her pain to heal through horses, who are "bigger than her broken heart." Now she's a certified equine gestalt coach ("gestalt" is a German word for wholeness). She's also an artist. The work she does with leather is amazing, but she also uses brokenness to create beautiful things. She brings coaching clients into her barn to smash dishes as a somatic alternative to talk therapy. With the pieces, they go back inside and create a work of art. After our interview, Chris invited me to her ranch to meet the horses and it was beautiful to watch how much they love her, how gentle they are with her, especially the paint horse who stepped on her head seven years ago! I know this is too much to take in, so you'll just have to listen. You can find more on Chris's coaching with horses at https://throughtheeyesofahorse.com/or stay in touch with her on Facebook.