Louise Sutherland-Hoyt

About Louise Sutherland-Hoyt

Louise Sutherland-Hoyt is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who brings more than 22 years’ experience in the field of trauma to her work at LEAD with Horses. So many of the kids and families we work with have suffered such great losses in their lives and yet, we live in a culture that often overlooks our need to grieve these losses. When we are in the presence of horses with our suffering, however, the healing journey of the wounded soul begins. The horses seem to just stand by our side with strength and beauty and abide without judgment with our soul. Louise has been trained in the practice of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, is EAGALA certified, and is passionate about the magic that unfolds in the presence of the equine and human soul. She is an award-winning educator and earned her Master’s degree and subsequent Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies at Cambridge College, Massachusetts. Louise retired from the state of Nevada Division of Child and Family Services in 2013, is a Veteran of the United States Army, Vietnam War Era, and provides workshops in healing trauma and tending to wounds of the soul.

Mindfulness and Self-Awareness: Foundations of Self-Care

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It’s been a tough road since Covid came into our lives. With stress and other factors affecting our well-being, it’s no wonder we’re feeling the strain. Our physical and emotional states are intrinsically linked to the quality of our relationships with ourselves and the world around us. But, thankfully, more and more people are waking up to just how important our mental well-being is and giving it higher priority. There’s a wealth of research out there on how to improve and maintain well-being, and it’s heartening to see so many people taking it more seriously.

We can all understand that maintaining good mental health is closely tied to being mindful and self-aware, so we want to fully grasp the meanings of these concepts and how they are different yet interconnected. We also want to arouse our own curiosity to pause and get a closer look at our inner comings and goings. First, we go with the basics.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness not only makes it possible to survey our internal landscape with compassion and curiosity but can also actively steer us in the right direction for self-care. Bessel van der Kolk

Mindfulness is the state of being completely aware and present in this very moment. This involves being conscious of what you are thinking, feeling (emotionally), your surroundings, and your body sensations; especially, your body sensations.

A key aspect of practicing mindfulness is to notice what you are experiencing and to resist the urge to judge your thoughts as either good or bad. Mindfulness highlights the significance of being present at the moment rather than ruminating on the past or fretting about the future. You are very likely to find it hard to practice mindfulness because of being hard-wired to be connected with stress and anxiety. Emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, and other distractions may prevent you from sitting fully in the present. Trust that these are the exact signs that you are in need of developing skills in being mindful.

It’s common to see mindfulness and self-awareness used side by side and even interchangeably. But mindfulness is not the same as self-awareness.

What is Self-Awareness?

Self-awareness is when you have conscious knowledge and understanding of your own self, including your thoughts, emotions, personality traits, and feelings. It involves recognizing your strengths and weaknesses. Being self-aware allows you to anticipate situations that may cause negative emotions, so you can plan ahead and remain calm. Those who are skilled in self-awareness are able to align their thoughts and behaviors with their personal values.

Mindfulness Vs Self-Awareness

Mindfulness and self-awareness are closely related, but they are not the same.

Mindfulness is based on introspection, i.e. your own thoughts and feelings. With mindfulness, we acknowledge what is going on in our internal world at that very moment. No matter what thoughts, feelings, or sensations come to you, at any given time, you acknowledge their presence and then simply allow them to come and go. Being indifferent to your thoughts, feelings, sensations, or images that arise is the crucial property of mindfulness.

Looking inward while accepting the world around you is the essence of self-awareness. This means taking the time to examine your negative thoughts and emotions, understanding how they affect you, and learning how to keep them in a realistic perspective.

Mindfulness teaches you to take a non-judgmental approach to thoughts, feelings, sensations, and images at that moment. Self-awareness, on the other hand, is a skill that impels you to be objective about yourself, knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. Your thinking and acting are in line with your personal principles.

Why are These so Important?

Mindfulness and self-awareness are knowing yourself and fully understanding your inner world. This is undoubtedly a good thing. But are these really that central to the self-development of a person? The answer is overwhelmingly YES.

Being immersed in both mindfulness and self-awareness will:

  • Have a positive impact on all aspects of your life, including interpersonal relationships, career, personal growth, etc;
  • Help you regulate your emotions;
  • Helps you in decision-making;
  • Allow you to improve your relationships with family, friends, co-workers, and everyone else in your life;
  • Boost your confidence and help you gain wisdom;
  • Improve your leadership and communication skills;, and
  • Help make you a better listener.

At LEAD with Horses, one of our primary objectives is to assist our clients in developing these skills in the presence of our Healing Herd. We have a multitude of tasks and games designed specifically for this purpose. Being prey animals, horses must be present at the moment while simultaneously being ready to bolt when a predator is sensed to be close by. So, the horses are naturally adept at being fully self-aware and in sync with their surroundings.

It has been observed that horses display remarkable skill in practicing mindfulness, as they have an innate ability to live in the present moment. Their perceptions are attuned to our subtle body language and emotions, which enables them to reflect our feelings. When we are beset by anxiety, stress, or intense emotions, horses tend to mirror these emotions back to us. This objective feedback from horses is a valuable means of gaining insight into our own selves and can help us to develop a deeper understanding of our own emotions and thought processes.

 

Self-Aware is the First Step in Self-Care

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We hear a lot about self-care, especially since the COVID pandemic. When we think about taking care of ourselves, it may conjure up images of wildflowers, the aroma of lavender bath salts, massages, relaxing water sounds, a self-gifted bouquet of flowers, new shoes, or an outfit from a high-end boutique. These things are really enjoyable in the moment.

Acts of self-care are significant deeds we undertake when we prioritize our own well-being, as in adopting a way of life that doesn’t compel us to constantly seek an escape (Brianna Weist). But how does that happen? We must learn that to fully and genuinely take care of ourselves we must first become Self-Aware and fully present with ourselves when we are distressed.

What is self-awareness, and why is it important?

Achieving self-awareness comes from doing the work to gain a deeper understanding of one’s own thoughts, emotions, impulses, and personality traits. This task requires us to dig deep to discover their root causes. In building a solid foundation of self-awareness we get to know ourselves and then learn how to sit and feel safe with some very frightening or toxic emotions from the past rather than hide from them as we have in the past.
By doing so, we then acquire valuable insights into the underlying reasons for our impulses, behavior choices, and thought processes.

Self care means adopting a way of life that doesn’t compel us to constantly seek an escape

The Healing Herd

Horses have been a big part of our lives throughout history, whether they’re running wild or being our loyal companions in different settings. Horses have helped us grow and change as people, and that connection we have with them goes back hundreds of years in time. At LEAD with Horses, we are often asked about how horses have helped us and our clients to learn so much about ourselves. By allowing a horse to be themself and do their thing, with guidance our kids learn much about being congruent.
Being congruent means that the stuff going on inside of us, say, anxiety or fear, matches our outer façade, while being incongruent means that we are masking our genuine emotions like fear and anxiety and trying to come off as cool and collected.

With the help of horses, we can learn to be honest with ourselves and others and strive towards being our most authentic selves. As we journey through life, horses will continue to provide a valuable tool for self-reflection. This is why we say that horses are “our mirrors.” Horses get us at our very core, and if we are not being real, they will let us know what they know.

BIPOC Mental Health Month

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As we turn to the month of July, we focus our awareness on black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) individuals and families and the state of UN-wellbeing that persists due to the systemic factors that obstruct access to mental health services within these communities.  Studies conducted over the past 20 years have concluded that even though we understand more about the challenges these groups face – poverty, trauma, gang lifestyles, and intergenerational trauma – the numbers and outcomes show very little to indicate improvement in wellbeing among BIPOC individuals.

By the Numbers

Here is a striking overview of how specific racial/ethnic groups fared compared to white individuals. This data can provide us a gateway to explore the detailed findings so that solutions can continue to be sought, validated, and implemented.

  • Among adults with any mental illness, Black (39%), Hispanic (36%), and Asian (25%) adults were less likely than White (52%) adults to receive mental health services as of 2021. (KFF, 2023)
  • 2020 data reflect that AIAN (American Indian/Alaska Native) people had the highest rates of drug overdose deaths compared with all other racial and ethnic groups. Drug overdose death rates among Black people exceeded rates for White people as of 2020, reflecting larger increases among Black people in recent years. (KFF, 2023)
  • Black and Latinx youth were 14 percent less likely than white children to receive treatment for their depression in 2020. (SAMHSA, 2020)
  • The suicide death rate for Native/Indigenous people in America between the ages of 15-19 is more than double that of white youth. (CDC, 2023)

In another finding, the prevalence of mental illnesses among BIPOC individuals was similar to the prevalence among white people. However, when it came to accessing mental health services, racial/ethnic minorities were either less able or declined to access the help available due to mistrust and fear of treatment, the stigma surrounding mental health, racism and discrimination, and differences in language.  This suggests that peoples of color carry a greater burden of disability from mental illness, e.g. more likely to suffer from prolonged, chronic, and severely debilitating depression that affects them, as well as family and community members compared with whites because they often received less care and poorer quality care.

Changing the Narrative

Community is vital to well being. Inclusive communities create a sense of support and belonging, psychological as well as physical safety, and strong connection. Historically, BIPOC communities have created culturally responsive spaces, advocated for community resources, and been at the forefront of social change. It is critical to include the people within the community being served when considering behavioral health and education.

LEAD with Horses provides quality, inclusive services, and we are working toward making these services more accessible. This work is not easy, and it starts with creating welcoming, safe spaces for all of those we serve. We have the benefit of a Healing Herd of horses who assist us with building trust to create connection and community, the foundation of inclusion. Youth are invited to create the guidelines for their time at LEAD with Horses and encouraged to share their stories. We will continue to partner with others and examine our offerings, our approach, and our team to remove barriers to care and to continue to nurture all of our youth so that they will thrive.

The Intersection of PTSD and Pride

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We know that June is Pride month. It is also Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month. It is important that we care and demonstrate concern for our fellow humans’ struggle in achieving equity and acceptance, as well as healing from wounds inflicted by angry and ignorant others.

In this post we are going to take a closer look at the history of Pride and PTSD Awareness month and how they are interconnected. We’re also going to become more aware of how we can all practice kindness, compassion, and empathy in the company of the Healing Herd that resides at LEAD with Horses.

Pride:

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer + (LGBTQ+) Pride Month is celebrated annually in June to honor the accomplishments of LGBTQ+ individuals as well as to recognize this community’s struggle for rights, opportunity, and justice.

June is the chosen month for Pride because of the 1969 Stonewall riots, six days of protests that galvanized the gay rights movement. This uprising was a catalyst for the movement to eliminate discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ+ Americans. The first Pride march in New York City was held on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

PTSD Awareness:

In 2010, the U.S. Senate declared June 27 to be National PTSD Awareness Day, and then in 2014, it designated the whole month of June to be observed as National PTSD Awareness Month. Anyone can develop PTSD at any age after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.

Often associated with combat veterans, PTSD symptoms were described by Hippocrates in 50 BC. Historically the “unseen” wounds of war have been described as shell shock, soldier’s heart, combat fatigue, or war neurosis. It came to be known as PTSD years after the end of the Vietnam War. Within a few years the diagnosis of PTSD made its first appearance in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and interventions to treat the condition began to evolve.

PTSD can be the result of a single event. More often it occurs from an accumulation of ongoing exposure to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect from early childhood. Complex Trauma, which is the current term, can appear as an absent sense of self, recurring memories or nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, distorted sense of self, self-critical beliefs, extraordinary level of shame or guilt, anxiety, and/or difficulty with relationships.

How are Pride and PTSD (Complex Trauma) interrelated?  

LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely to experience trauma due to higher rates of victimization and discrimination across the lifespan, including child abuse, sexual, and physical assault. For the BIPOC (black, Indigenous and people of color) community, and gender diverse BIPOC individuals in particular, this is compounded by the discrimination they already face in our society. As a result, LGBTQ+ people are at higher risk of developing PTSD. Up to 48% of lesbian, gay or bisexual individuals and 42% of transgender and gender diverse individuals meet the criteria for PTSD, compared to 4.7% of the general population. Our youth are at great risk. LGBTQ+ youth experience high rates of PTSD and other mental health issues like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and suicide.

Protective Factors

Everyone needs spaces free of harassment and discrimination. As scary as the statistics and trends are right now, we know that we can make an impact. Positive environments, supportive adults and peers, and increased self-esteem are some of the protective factors that can help youth thrive. LEAD with Horses provides safe space and opportunities for youth to gain skills and confidence. We look to our Healing Herd as an example. Practicing openness can help create a safer, kinder, more accepting world.

 

The Silent Language of Holding Space

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During this past month we have posted valuable information about Mental Health Awareness as part of the LEAD with Horses’ mission to improve the social, emotional, and behavioral development of children of Western Nevada through quality therapeutic and educational equine programs. 

We have addressed grief and the benefits to our health of practicing kindness as well as forgiveness. We know the importance of breathwork, especially in the presence of horses, and its role in helping us to ground ourselves when we detect the presence of a trauma state. In this week’s blog I am going to talk about Holding Space.

Holding Space

Holding Space is a term that originated from clinical research on the effects of complex trauma and what we can all learn to help one another in emotional distress. We must be present and abide with others’ BEing, in the moment. The acts of BEing present and Holding Space can be difficult to learn, but with practice you can compassionately abide with another’s pain by simply sitting close by, self-aware, in silence. While it takes us humans a lot of practice and self-awareness to acquire the skill of Holding Space, the horses in our healing herd are masters of this phenomenon.

A girl squats on the ground hand out to touch a sleeping horse's face. What does it mean to Hold Space?

  • Holding Space means being physically, mentally, and emotionally present for someone. It means putting your focus on someone to support them as they abide with their internal upheaval.  
  • The Tao of Holding Space: An act that is at once totally present and totally invisible.
  • At the heart of Holding Space is a willingness to sit with ambiguity, loss, struggle, darkness, uncertainty, joy, anger, fear, anticipation — all other complexities of what it means to be human.
  • It’s about having the courage to peer into shadows, while not getting in the way of the light.
  • It’s about resisting the urge to contextualize the pain of another as something that you need to fix or

For horses, these qualities are embedded into their instincts. While this is true for many different types of animals, research recognizes horses as exceptional and possessing the qualities necessary to bear witness to our stories, pain, and suffering, and our ability to tap into our own resources for walking through trauma, grief, or loss.

When trauma-driven emotions arise during an equine assisted psychotherapy session, we observe that our horses may surround that person; their bodies grounded, heads low, ears relaxed, and breathing slowed.  Often one or more of the horses will make a blowing sound through their noses, or shift their weight off of one of their hind legs, yet more clues that this is a powerful joining and holding space moment. This is a reckoning that creates a circle of centeredness for our clients in which there is balance, strength, courage, compassion, and confidence. One of our LEAD with Horses staff affirms that when our healing herd and human are abiding with one another, she herself, approaches a meditative state and gets a sense of quiet joy. She smiles, as she silently witnesses this quiet dialog. There is a felt sense of vicarious soothing and comfort in being present with such tenderness.

People, on the other hand, tend to respond to another’s distress in ways that are neither comforting nor validating of the other’s story. We don’t like to be around others’ pain and suffering, and we tend to guess at what our role is in effectively holding space for them.  We put our own story out there assuming it will help the other gain some perspective. Or we start giving advice, suggestions, or anecdotes about what we did in a similar situation. Often, we will say, “If there’s anything I can do for you just let me know.” This is NOT holding space. We are, in fact, nullifying the other’s experience and minimizing the weight of its impact.

To Hold Space not only for another, but also for yourself, means that you are attuned to the other, plain and simple. It means that you have developed the emotional strength to listen in silence to the story unfolding before you. It means that even though you disagree with the other person’s logic or dislike what they are doing to themselves, you sit and abide in silence. Understanding is not a requirement. Acceptance is. It means sitting and being still with your own discomfort in hearing another’s story so that you can hold space for, and abide with, yourself. It means to invest all your energy into listening to the story without judgment, opinion, advice, or discounting what you have just heard. Present and silent. As it is with horses.

Resources

There are many resources available for parents, educators, and others in our communities who wish to learn and apply the very powerful gesture of Holding Space with another.

Zen H. Coaching. https://zenhcoaching.com/blog/f/holding-space

The Tao of Holding Space. https://b-m-institute.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Tao_of_holding_space.pdf

What "Holding Space" For Others Really Means + How To Do It  https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/holding-space