Lead Changes Recovery Center

Home
United States
Glendive, MT
Lead Changes Recovery Center

Equine Assisted Therapy programs, team building and Addictions Counseling. Equine-Assisted Therapy
Horses are powerful partners in healing.

About Us
At Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Therapy Center, we believe true healing begins when people rediscover their worth, rebuild trust, and find the courage to step forward with confidence. Our Why
We exist to create a safe place where individuals can heal, grow, and find hope. By walking alongside people in their recovery journey, we guide them to reconnect with themselves, others, and the w

orld around them. Every session is built on compassion, respect, and the belief that change is possible for anyone willing to take the first step. What We Do
Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) Services
As a DOT SAP provider, we help employees navigate Department of Transportation (DOT) and non-DOT return-to-duty processes with professionalism, clarity, and care. Our SAP services are designed to ensure compliance while prioritizing personal accountability and long-term recovery, while supporting them as they get back to work. Through guided equine-assisted therapy sessions, clients learn trust, communication, boundaries, and self-awareness in a hands-on, experiential way. Horses mirror human emotions, offering honest feedback that leads to breakthroughs in personal growth, leadership, and recovery. Addictions Counseling
We provide compassionate, evidence-based counseling for individuals and families impacted by addiction. Our approach combines clinical expertise with relational support, enabling clients to uncover the root causes of their issues, develop resilience, and create sustainable recovery plans. Our Approach
Healing is not one-size-fits-all. That’s why we combine professional counseling, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and equine therapy to meet clients where they are. Every individual is unique, and we design personalized pathways that honor each person’s story, strengths, and goals. Who We Serve
Individuals seeking recovery from addiction - First Responders, Youth to Adults

Employees and employers navigating the SAP process

Families affected by substance use

Community members looking for growth through equine-assisted therapy with their mental health professional

Team Building and Leadership Workshops

Education and Training in Substance Use, Safety, and Trends

We work with clients and families who are involved with CPS and the Courts. Why Horses, Why Us
The name Lead Changes comes from horsemanship, where a horse shifts its leading leg mid-stride. Just like in life, those changes can be difficult but necessary for moving forward smoothly. At Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Therapy Center, we help people make their own lead changes—transformations that allow them to live with purpose, freedom, and hope.

09/08/2026

💜 National Recovery Month: Addiction Is Not a Lack of Willpower

MYTH: If someone just uses enough willpower, they should be able to stop.

REALITY: Addiction can change the way the brain responds to reward, motivation, decision-making, and survival-related drives.

In everyday life, many rewards require effort and patience. We work toward something, wait for the outcome, and eventually experience the reward.

Alcohol and other drugs can disrupt that natural process. Repeated substance use can produce powerful effects within the brain’s reward and motivation systems. Over time, the brain adapts—and the drive to use can become increasingly intense and difficult to control.

This helps us understand something that can be incredibly confusing for families:

“Why do they keep using when they know what it is costing them?”

They may have lost relationships.
They may be facing legal consequences.
Their health may be suffering.
They may desperately want their life to be different.

And yet, they use again.

That doesn’t mean they don’t care.

It doesn’t mean they haven’t experienced enough consequences.

And it doesn’t mean they simply need to “try harder.”

Addiction can involve powerful cravings and changes in brain systems involved in impulse control, judgment, decision-making, learning, motivation, and reward. That helps explain why substance use can continue despite serious consequences.

Understanding the brain science behind addiction doesn’t remove personal responsibility. Instead, it helps us understand what a person may be fighting against and why effective treatment, skills, accountability, connection, and support matter.

Recovery involves rebuilding.

💜 Learning to tolerate discomfort without immediately escaping it.
🩵 Recognizing triggers and patterns.
💜 Strengthening decision-making and coping skills.
🩵 Creating new sources of healthy reward and connection.
💜 Developing accountability and support.
🩵 Building a life worth protecting.

During National Recovery Month, let’s move the conversation away from:

“Why don’t you just stop?”

and toward:

“What is keeping this cycle going, and what could help you begin changing it?”

People are more than their addiction. Treatment works. Change is possible. Recovery happens.

🐴 At Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Assisted Therapy Center, equine-assisted therapy is available as one option, but working with horses is never required.

Heal. Grow. Change. One step at a time.

09/07/2026

💜 National Recovery Month: Prescription Does Not Mean Risk-Free

MYTH: Prescription drugs are safe because a doctor prescribes them.
FACT: Legal status does not prevent a medication from causing physical dependence or being misused.

Prescription medications play an important role in healthcare. When appropriately prescribed and taken as directed, they can treat pain, anxiety, sleep disorders, ADHD, and many other medical conditions.

But prescribed does not mean harmless.

Some medications—including opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants, and certain sleep medications—can cause physical dependence. Others have the potential for misuse, particularly when they are:

💜 Taken in larger amounts than prescribed
🩵 Taken more frequently than directed
💜 Used for a reason other than their intended medical purpose
🩵 Mixed with alcohol or other substances
💜 Taken by someone other than the person for whom they were prescribed

It is also important to understand that physical dependence and addiction are not the same thing. A person can become physically dependent on a medication taken exactly as prescribed. Dependence means the body has adapted to the medication and may experience withdrawal symptoms if it is suddenly reduced or stopped. Addiction involves a broader pattern that can include impaired control and continued use despite harmful consequences.

Understanding that difference helps us replace fear and shame with education, appropriate medical care, and informed decisions.

If you are concerned about a medication you are taking, don’t abruptly stop it on your own. Talk with your prescribing healthcare provider about your concerns and the safest next steps.

During National Recovery Month, let’s continue having conversations that reduce stigma while also recognizing the risks associated with substance use—including substances that come from a pharmacy.

At Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Assisted Therapy Center, we believe education is part of prevention, treatment, and long-term recovery.

💜 Treatment works. People recover. Hope is real.

Heal. Grow. Change. One step at a time.

09/05/2026

💜 National Recovery Month: Let’s Replace Stigma with Understanding

MYTH: Addiction is a choice or a moral failing.
FACT: Substance use can change brain chemistry and affect areas of the brain involved in reward, motivation, decision-making, judgment, and impulse control.

Addiction is far more complicated than simply telling someone to “make better choices” or “use more willpower.”

While a person may initially choose to use a substance, repeated substance use can change how the brain functions. Over time, those changes can contribute to powerful cravings, compulsive substance use, and difficulty stopping—even when a person recognizes the consequences and genuinely wants something different.

That does not mean people are powerless.

It means we need to understand addiction differently.

When we move away from shame and judgment, we can begin asking more helpful questions:

💜 What happened?
🩵 What purpose has substance use been serving?
💜 What keeps the cycle going?
🩵 What skills and support are missing?
💜 What would make change feel possible?

Treatment can help people strengthen coping skills, recognize patterns and triggers, rebuild relationships, develop healthier ways to regulate emotions, reconnect with purpose, and create a life that supports recovery.

At Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Assisted Therapy Center, we believe people are more than a diagnosis, more than their substance use, and more than the decisions they made during some of the hardest chapters of their lives.

People can learn. Brains can change. Lives can change. Recovery is possible.

During National Recovery Month, let’s continue replacing stigma with education, judgment with curiosity, and hopelessness with the belief that change is possible.

🐴 Equine-assisted therapy is available but always optional.

Heal. Grow. Change. One step at a time.

09/05/2026

Kids are heading back to school, and more ni****ne pouch products are being authorized for the U.S. market.

On August 4, FDA authorized new On Plus ni****ne pouches in flavors including Rich Berry, Autumn Spice, and Cappuccino. Then, on August 21, the agency authorized 11 new ZYN ULTRA products, including varieties such as Citrus, Cool Mint, Menthol, Peppermint, Spearmint and Wintergreen.

That brings the total number of ni****ne pouch products authorized by FDA to 43.

And an important distinction: “authorized” does not mean “FDA-approved.” It means FDA is allowing these products to be marketed and sold in the United States.

Parents are concerned about the growing number of addictive ni****ne products available in appealing flavors and small, discreet formats that can be easy to conceal.

This back-to-school season, families deserve better.

Tell FDA and HHS to stop authorizing youth-appealing flavored ni****ne products. Add your name to our letter (link in bio): parentsagainstvaping.org/letter-to-fda-pouches

09/04/2026

💜 MYTH: “I need all the answers first.”
🩵 FACT: You can start with one conversation.

One of the things that can keep people from reaching out for help is believing they need to know exactly what they want, what treatment should look like, or even whether they are ready to make a change.

You don’t have to have it all figured out before you ask for help.

Sometimes the first step is simply saying:

“Something needs to change.”
“I’m worried about my substance use.”
“I don’t know what I need, but I know I need something.”
“I’m worried about someone I love.”
“Can you help me understand my options?”

That is enough to start a conversation.

At Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Assisted Therapy Center, we believe in meeting people where they are—not where someone else thinks they should be.

Recovery is personal. There is no single pathway that works for everyone. Counseling may include understanding substance use patterns, identifying risks and triggers, building coping and emotional regulation skills, strengthening relationships, developing relapse-prevention strategies, and finding supports that fit your life and your goals.

And no—you don’t have to work with horses. 🐴 Equine-assisted therapy is one option available at Lead Changes, but it is never a requirement.

September is National Recovery Month, and it is a good reminder that recovery doesn’t have to begin with having all the answers.

Sometimes it begins with one question, one conversation, and one next step.

💜 Recovery is possible. You don’t have to do it alone.

Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Assisted Therapy Center
🩵 Licensed in Montana & North Dakota
💜 In-person & Telehealth
🩵 Evening & weekend appointments
💜 Self-pay & sliding-fee options
🩵 Aetna, Cigna, BCBS, Allegiance & PacificSource accepted
💜 Montana Medicaid coming soon

Heal. Grow. Change. One step at a time.

09/04/2026

💜 Recovery is personal. Recovery is challenging. Recovery is a process. Recovery is progress. Recovery is learning. Recovery is growth.

And most importantly—there is hope.

Recovery rarely happens in a straight line. It is made up of choices, setbacks, lessons, boundaries, hard conversations, new skills, repaired relationships, and moments when simply choosing to keep going is progress.

Your recovery does not have to look like someone else’s.

For one person, progress may mean another day without substances. For another, it may mean asking for help before things fall apart. It may be attending a meeting, calling a sponsor, showing up for counseling, setting a boundary, rebuilding trust, learning to regulate emotions, or recognizing a trigger before acting on it.

At Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Therapy Center, we believe recovery is about more than stopping substance use. It is about building a life that supports continued recovery—physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

🐴 Equine-assisted services are available, but horses are always optional. You don’t have to participate in equine work to receive services at Lead Changes.

💜 Recovery is possible. You don’t have to do it alone.

Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Therapy Center
Licensed Addiction Counseling in Montana & North Dakota
• In-person & Telehealth services
• Evening & weekend appointments
• Individual addiction counseling & substance use evaluations
• Relapse prevention & continuing care
• Family support & education
• DOT/SAP & non-DOT services
• Equine-assisted therapy available
• Self-pay & sliding-fee options
• Aetna, Cigna, BCBS, Allegiance & PacificSource accepted
• Montana Medicaid coming soon

Heal. Grow. Change. One step at a time. 💜🩵

09/03/2026

One of my writings I feel I should share .

Breaking the Cycle: Growth, Purpose, and the Power Within

Human beings are creatures of habit. We naturally develop patterns, routines, and cycles that can shape the course of our lives. Sometimes those patterns provide stability and comfort; other times, they become the very chains that prevent us from becoming who we were meant to be.
Conformity can become the enemy of growth.
To truly accomplish any meaningful goal we set before ourselves, we must be willing to grow beyond the person we were yesterday. Growth requires change, and change often requires us to step beyond what is familiar and comfortable.
Addiction is one of the most powerful examples of this cycle.

For many people, substance use can gradually become more than a habit—it can become a way of escaping pain, fear, disappointment, or reality itself. Eventually, the numbness can become so familiar that a person may begin to lose sight of who they were, who they wanted to become, and the dreams they once carried.

But a person is more than their addiction.
A person is more than their mistakes.
A person is more than the circumstances that brought them to their lowest point.
There is always the possibility of growth, redemption, and a new beginning.

Unfortunately, society does not always make that journey easier. From childhood, many of us are encouraged to dream without limits. We imagine becoming presidents, astronauts, inventors, leaders, or anything else our minds can envision. Then, somewhere along the way, we are told to "be realistic."

We are encouraged to lower our expectations, accept limitations, and settle for what society considers attainable.

But history was changed by people who refused to accept those limitations.

The Wright brothers were told that human beings could not fly. They continued pursuing their vision until the impossible became reality.

Throughout history, many of the people who changed the world faced extraordinary obstacles, personal struggles, failures, and circumstances that could have convinced them to give up. Yet they continued forward because they refused to allow their circumstances to define the limits of their potential.

Their greatest achievement was not simply proving others wrong.

It was refusing to stop believing in what was possible.

The same principle applies to those struggling with addiction, poverty, homelessness, hopelessness, or any other circumstance that tells them their future has already been decided.
Your past does not have to become your prophecy.
Sometimes recovery begins when we stop asking, "What is wrong with me?" and begin asking, "What can I become?"

We cannot always overcome life's battles alone. Human beings need one another. We need accountability, compassion, encouragement, opportunity, and people who are willing to believe in us when we temporarily lose the ability to believe in ourselves.

Perhaps that is one of the greatest lessons of humanity:

We rise by helping one another rise.
Across generations and throughout countless faith traditions, humanity has been reminded that we are created with something greater within us—that life itself carries purpose, that our spirit has value, and that we possess the ability to create, rebuild, learn, forgive, and begin again.

To believe in a higher power while also believing in the potential placed within ourselves is not to deny the difficulties of life. It is to recognize that difficulty does not have to be the final chapter.
Faith gives us the courage to believe.
Determination gives us the strength to continue.
Purpose gives us a reason to keep moving forward.
And the people around us can give us the support necessary to make that journey possible.
Anything is possible when faith, determination, purpose, and action come together.
We may not be able to change yesterday.
We may not be able to control every circumstance that tomorrow will bring.

But we can choose what we do today.
We can break a cycle.
We can choose growth over conformity.
We can choose purpose over numbness.
We can choose hope over hopelessness.
And we can choose to become the person we once believed we could be.

Perhaps the greatest victory is not proving that we were never broken.

Perhaps it is proving that being broken does not mean we cannot be rebuilt.
Never allow society, your past, your failures, your circumstances, or even the opinions of others to convince you that your dreams are too big.

Dream.

Believe.

Grow.

Help someone else rise.
And never stop becoming who you were created to be.

09/01/2026

🧠 Why Does Addiction Keep Coming Back?

One of the most important things we can do in addiction recovery is learn to look beyond the behavior.

It can be easy to think that if someone simply stops drinking, using drugs, or engaging in another addictive behavior, the problem is solved.

But what happens when the reason the behavior became necessary is still there?

Addiction often serves a function. For some people, it provides temporary relief from:

• Stress and overwhelm
• Trauma or painful experiences
• Anxiety or fear
• Loneliness and disconnection
• Shame and guilt
• Feeling like they aren’t enough
• A lack of safety or control
• Emotional or physical pain
• Feelings they don’t know how to manage

The substance or behavior may have become a way to cope, escape, numb, connect, or simply get through the day.

That doesn’t mean the behavior isn’t harmful. It means sustainable recovery requires us to understand what the behavior was doing for the person — and then develop healthier ways to meet those needs.

This is why recovery is about more than just stopping.

It’s about learning:

What am I feeling?
What do I need?
What triggers me?
What helps me feel safe?
How can I cope differently?
Who can I connect with?

At Lead Changes Recovery & Equine Assisted Therapy Center, we believe people deserve to be understood—not defined by their addiction.

Recovery can involve addressing substance use while also working on coping skills, relationships, boundaries, relapse prevention, emotional regulation, trauma, family dynamics, and the underlying needs that contribute to addictive patterns.

And you don’t have to do it alone.

🐴 Individual Addiction Counseling
🐴 Substance Use Evaluations
🐴 Relapse Prevention
🐴 DOT SAP Services
🐴 Family Support & Education
🐴 Equine-Assisted Therapy & Wellbeing Coaching
🐴 Life & Wellbeing Coaching

Appointments are available in person or through Telehealth, including evenings and weekends.

📞 406-939-1263

Licensed in Montana & North Dakota

Heal. Grow. Change. One step at a time.
Recovery is possible. You don’t have to do it alone.

08/22/2026

🚨 FIRST RESPONDERS: TAKE A MOMENT TO GROUND YOURSELF.

The job can ask a lot from you.

Calls, accidents, emergencies, difficult conversations, long shifts, constant vigilance, and the responsibility of taking care of everyone else can leave your nervous system running on high alert.

Sometimes you don’t need to “fix” everything in the moment. You just need to come back to the present.

Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise:

👀 5 things you can SEE
Notice colors, shapes, light, and details around you.

✋ 4 things you can TOUCH
Notice temperature, texture, pressure, or the feeling of your feet on the ground.

👂 3 things you can HEAR
Listen intentionally to the sounds around you—near and far.

👃 2 things you can SMELL
Notice two scents, even if they are subtle.

👅 1 thing you can TASTE
Notice the taste in your mouth or take a drink and really pay attention to it.

Then take a slow breath.

You are safe. You are here. You belong.

Grounding isn’t about pretending the stress didn’t happen. It’s a tool for helping your body and mind recognize that you are in this moment—not back in the call, the scene, the argument, or the difficult situation.

At Lead Changes Recovery, we understand that first responder life can affect more than just the person wearing the uniform. As the wife of a law-enforcement officer with 23 years in the profession, I understand the stress, demands, schedules, and lifestyle—and how those demands can affect the entire family.

We work with law enforcement, first responders, adults, youth, and families through a variety of services, including addiction counseling, substance use evaluations, relapse prevention, life and wellbeing coaching, and equine-assisted services.

Appointments are available in person or through Telehealth, including evenings and weekends. Equine sessions are available but are never required to work with Lead Changes.

📞 406-939-1263

Heal. Grow. Change. One step at a time.
Recovery is possible. You don’t have to do it alone.

08/15/2026

🌿 Cannabis can affect people in ways they may not expect.

Have you ever heard of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS)?

A recent study highlighted by George Washington University looked at people experiencing CHS—a condition associated with frequent, long-term cannabis use that can cause recurrent nausea, uncontrollable vomiting, and severe abdominal pain.

Some of the findings are important:

🔹 85% of people surveyed reported at least one emergency department visit related to their symptoms.
🔹 44% reported at least one hospitalization.
🔹 Daily cannabis use was very common among those experiencing CHS.
🔹 Earlier initiation of cannabis use was associated with higher odds of emergency department visits.

One of the challenges with CHS is that people may not initially realize their symptoms could be connected to cannabis use. Emergency treatment can help manage the acute symptoms, but stopping cannabis use is currently the only known way to prevent the recurring episodes.

At Lead Changes Recovery, we believe education matters.

Our goal isn’t to shame people for substance use. It’s to help people understand what is happening, why it may be happening, and what options are available for change.

If cannabis—or another substance—is beginning to interfere with your health, relationships, work, school, or daily life, you don’t have to wait for things to become a crisis before reaching out.

Lead Changes Recovery offers:

🐴 Individual Addiction Counseling
🐴 Substance Use Evaluations
🐴 Relapse Prevention
🐴 Equine-Assisted Therapy & Wellbeing Coaching
🐴 Life & Wellbeing Coaching
🐴 DOT SAP Services
🐴 Family Support & Education

Heal. Grow. Change. One step at a time.
Recovery is possible. You don’t have to do it alone.

Educational information only. If you are experiencing severe or persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration, or other concerning symptoms, seek medical care.

Read the George Washington University article⁠

Address

285 Highway 200 S
Glendive, MT
59330

Telephone

+14069391263

Website

https://bigskyshires.wixsite.com/bigskyshires/lead-changes-recovery, https://leadchangesrecovery.clientsecure.me/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Lead Changes Recovery Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Lead Changes Recovery Center:

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Glendive?

Lead Changes Recovery Center

09/08/2026

09/07/2026

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

09/01/2026

08/22/2026

08/15/2026

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request