Horse Spirit Journeys

Horse Spirit Journeys Equine Psychotherapy, PTSD & Traumatic Grief Therapist, EMDR Therapist, EquiLateral Protocol (Equine Assisted-EMDR), IFS-EMDR Equine Psychotherapy.

Approved VAC/CAF/BlueCross/WSIB provider- Military/Veterans/First Responders Lyndsey McKeown is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from York University. Professional Experience
Her personal experience has spanned twenty years and has included t

raining in a range of approaches, including trauma-informed approaches: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS)- Informed EMDR, EMDR Equine Assisted Protocol (EA-EMDR), and Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), as well as Equine Psychotherapy and mindfulness training. She has worked in both Community Mental Health, Private Practice, and for the Department of National Defence as a Clinical Social Worker. Extensive experience working with Active Military Members with the Department of Defence in Mental Health Services - Psychosocial Team and General Mental Health Team. She worked at York University as a faculty advisor and a liaison between the university, students, and practice site, supervising their placements. She also served as a volunteer debriefer (Mental Health Provider) with the York Region Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM) providing ICISF Individual/Group and ASIST support to York Regional Police, Paramedics, and Fire Service after critical incidents. Areas of specialization include addressing trauma from the past and present, with a specific focus on military and first responders, veterans, relational trauma, traumatic grief, attachment trauma, and antagonist relational stress. Additional Professional Training
EMDR Military and First Responded Informed (Dr. Hurley, Retired USA Armed Forces)
EMDR Therapy and Somatic Psychology - Interventions to Enhance Embodiment in Trauma Treatment (Dr. Arielle Schwartz)
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) Levels 1, 2, and 3 (Dr. Frank Corrigan)
Flash Technique (Dr. Phil Mansfield)
Attachment-Focused EMDR (AF-EMDR) (Dr. Hurley)
IFS Informed EMDR Levels 1, 2, 3 (Syzygy Institute)
Using IFS with EMDR Phases I-II Military Informed (Beau Laviotte, LCSW)
Certified Narcissistic Abuse Treatment Clinician (NATC) (Dr. Ramani Durvasula) – qualifying
Equine Psychotherapy Training
Facilitated Equine Experiential Learning (FEEL)
The Neuro-Equine Model Certification (Dr. Allan Hamilton, USA Retired Military)
Equine Assisted Therapy using Polyvagal Principles (Equine Polyvagal Institute)
EA-EMDR (Equine Assisted-EMDR) / Equi-Lateral Protocol™ (Sarah Jenkins, LPC CPsychol.) Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Training Externship Program – Integration of Mindfulness, Gestalt Therapy, Somatic Therapy (Equine Psychotherapy Institute)
Equid-Nexus™ Facilitation Model / IFS-Informed EMDR with Equine Engagement for healing relational trauma (Jenn Pagone, LCPC)
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) with Equine Engagement (Sarah Jenkins, LPC CPsychol.) Many additional Continuing Professional Development courses have been undertaken. "Let a horse whisper in your ear and breathe on your heart. You will never regret it."
~ Author Unknown

🐾 FOUND DOG — MOUNT ALBERTThis friendly and playful dog was found on Centre Street in Mount Albert.We’re trying to find ...
08/17/2026

🐾 FOUND DOG — MOUNT ALBERT

This friendly and playful dog was found on Centre Street in Mount Albert.

We’re trying to find their owner and get them safely home. ❤️ If you recognize this dog or know who they belong to, please reach out to me.

Please share to help us find their family! 🐶

Great opportunity for peer support training by two fabulous front line lived experienced facilitators, Brad McKay and Dr...
07/27/2026

Great opportunity for peer support training by two fabulous front line lived experienced facilitators, Brad McKay and Dr. Barb Anschuetz on Oct. 1-2, 2026.

Here is the link: https://mdsc.ca/patss-registration/

Mark your calendars! Back by popular demand, our Mindfulness for First Responders group is returning on September 11th!O...
07/21/2026

Mark your calendars!

Back by popular demand, our Mindfulness for First Responders group is returning on September 11th!

Our program combines experiential mindfulness training, practical skill-building, and the magic of equine-assisted therapy. The horses and mini donkeys will once again be helping participants practice presence, strengthen connection, and develop skills that support resilience both on the job and beyond the uniform.

We still have a few spots remaining, so don't wait to reach out and reserve your place!

06/23/2026

What most people don't realize is that the inner child isn't something you leave behind. It's something you carry — and if it never got what it needed, it starts running things.

I've worked with incredibly high-functioning people. Successful careers, relationships, full lives on the outside. And underneath it, a constant low-grade hum of "something is about to go wrong." They can't name it. They can't trace it. It just lives there.

That's almost always the anxious inner child. Just a younger part of you that got stuck at the age when anxiety became the dominant response to daily life. When you had to scan the room to know if it was safe to speak. When apologizing was the fastest way to end something scary. When being good, being invisible, being helpful were the strategies that kept you protected.

That part didn't disappear when you grew up. It just got dressed in adult clothes and kept going.

Here's what makes it so hard to spot: it doesn't feel like fear. It feels like being responsible. Like being considerate. Like being realistic. Over-explaining feels like being thorough. Shrinking feels like being humble. Monitoring other people's moods feels like being empathetic. Apologizing first feels like taking accountability.

That's the child who needs your attention. Not fixing it. Not silencing it or pushing it deep down. Just attention. Because the moment you can recognize which version of you is reacting, you stop being run by it and start having a conversation with it instead.

That shift is where the actual healing begins.

WHY USE IFS-INFORMED EMDR?IFS-informed EMDR can be especially helpful for people with complex trauma, dissociation, or p...
06/22/2026

WHY USE IFS-INFORMED EMDR?

IFS-informed EMDR can be especially helpful for people with complex trauma, dissociation, or parts that are highly protective. For example, if a person has a part that’s afraid of “going toward the hurt” or believes it's unsafe to feel certain emotions, traditional EMDR might feel overwhelming or even shut things down. Alternatively, if a person has a part that is eager or has a sense of urgency to be fixed or healed, standard EMDR might also feel stuck or blocked.

With an IFS-informed approach, these parts are welcomed rather than bypassed. The therapist helps the client create safety and trust with those parts first. This process may extend across multiple sessions. Memory processing starts through this parts work, since these parts are often connected to the pain of the past. This approach can make EMDR feel more accessible, especially if someone has had difficulty with more directive or invasive EMDR or trauma therapy approaches prior.

When working with an IFS-informed EMDR therapist, you might hear more questions about readiness of specific parts in your system, fears of the parts, and what your system needs to continue healing something difficult. While readiness and discomfort are also addressed in traditional EMDR, the approach is different. An IFS-informed EMDR therapist tries to attune to the parts first in order to improve the parts-to-parts or self-to-parts relationship. Permission is powerful. Parts are asked for consent to move toward pain or discomfort, which emphasizes consent over speed.

IFS-informed EMDR modifies the traditional EMDR protocol in unique, person-centered ways.

https://ifsemdrtherapy.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-ifs-informed-emdr-traditional-emdr

06/12/2026

Triggers, triggers everywhere ... and yes, they're impossible to avoid, and yes they're awful to experience. So what to do?

To find out, listen to my podcast episode #21: 'Learning to tolerate positive emotions' at
https://www.carolynspring.com/podcast/learning-to-tolerate-positive-emotions where you can also find a full transcript.

Or search for 'Conversations with Carolyn Spring' on Audible, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

06/12/2026

Dr. Elizabeth Warson, EMDRIA member, and Sifu Kurtis Tilley discuss an innovative way to deep nervous system regulation in Phase 2 of EMDR therapy.

Fall groups rolling out!
04/29/2026

Fall groups rolling out!

The Equine/RO-DBT Group is an 8-week Equine Skills and Support Group designed specifically for first responders, combini...
04/02/2026

The Equine/RO-DBT Group is an 8-week Equine Skills and Support Group designed specifically for first responders, combining experiential work with horses and principles of Radically Open DBT.

Running Fridays from 1–3 pm beginning May 1, this small group (6–8 participants) offers a supportive space to build emotional flexibility, connection, and resilience.

Participants will engage in ground-based equine activities—no horse experience required—while developing skills in openness, social connection, and managing stress in a unique, hands-on environment.

For more information, please reach out to Joelle or Lyndsey, and feel free to share this opportunity with any first responders who may benefit.

Address

Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON

Telephone

+19054782226

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