About Mindful Mare Wellness
Mindful Mare Wellness is a holistic company offering Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy and Somatically Informed Womb Healing in Edmonton and Sherwood Park.
Finding Earth Mother
You and I and all of us are here now
Mother Earth lives around us and within us
We have silenced her voice, closed off to her
Whisperings.
It is time to listen again
We remember her presence
We claim our sacred bond to Earth Mother
We get back into our wildest selves again.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Horses are sentient beings capable of their own deep wisdom, reflections, emotions and agency. We respect their autonomy and their choice to partner with humans on their own terms, and we honor them for just being who they are.
We believe you already have the resources you need to heal and achieve your dreams. You are the one doing the healing, we are here to help facilitate that process in a transformative space with our herd.
The Mindful Mare Wellness Team
Dr. Shreyasi Brodhecker
MD, FRCP(C) Psychiatry, Royal College Subspecialty in Geriatric Psychiatry
I am Shreyasi Brodhecker, the Founder of Mindful Mare Wellness. I first encountered horses in 2017 and my heart connection with these intuitive beings was instant and electric. Mindful Mare Wellness was created in 2020 to offer a haven of natural healing and restoration during the pandemic.
Embodiment is a key aspect of our programs and we hope that each of our clients cultivates a sense of safety and feeling at home in their body. I am in deep devotion to Mother Earth- the Treaty 6 land I walk on, the trees and their stories, our herd of over twenty horses, and the other animal souls who form part of our family. I’m a multidimensional healer trained in psychiatry, psychotherapy, mindfulness and meditation, and energy healing.
I’ve sought out diverse ways to feel more grounded and at home in my body and in nature. My passion is to bring these holistic modalities into mental health and emotional wellbeing approaches for our clients. I am a certified Mindfulness and Meditation teacher, a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction group facilitator and a Joy Session™ facilitator. I have Usui Reiki training in levels 1 and 2, Animal Reiki training, Circle and Ceremony facilitator training with Alyssa of Inner State Collective, and am a certified companion animal/pet end of life coach and death doula. I am also a certified Womb Wisdom Practitioner and Cosmic Feminine training graduate, the details of which are available on our sister site Amrita Womb Healing!
Pertaining to horse medicine trainings, I am an Equine Assisted Learning professional certified by Equine Connection, an Equine Facilitated Practitioner certified in Hillary Schneider’s Horse Medicine Leadership Academy, and completed partial training in Equine Facilitated Wellness with the Professional Association for Equine Facilitated Wellness. My deepest learnings are of course from my horses, including my heart horse Stella (the original Mindful Mare) who transitioned in 2022 and is a spirit guide for me.
Frank is the Co-Founder of Mindful Mare Wellness. He is also Program Coordinator and a Mental Health Therapist/Equine Facilitated Wellness professional in the team. He brings to Mindful Mare Wellness his expertise of over 22 years working as a Geriatric Mental Health Social Worker, personal experience of being a foster parent and hockey coach, and years of horse experience. Equine Facilitated Wellness merges his coaching expertise with his experience and love for horses.
Frank’s mission, besides keeping the herd and humans at the farm in optimal health, is to support our clients’ resiliency so he leaves this world a better place than when he arrived! He encourages humor and ease, so people aren’t just focused on their struggles. Laughter and acceptance through tough times can make a huge difference.
EFW Program Staff
All our staff are Equine Connection™-certified facilitators in Equine Assisted Learning (EAL). They have also completed Eponaquest© workshops offered by Roxy Wright of Heart’s Haven Ranch, are certified in First Aid for humans and equines, and have extensive experience owning and caring for horses. We recently hired a third mental health professional to the team. She is a registered psychiatric nurse with expertise in dialectical behavior therapy and in facilitating therapy groups.
The Herd
Co-regulators, mirrors, companions, and guides.
At Spirit Farm, our Gypsy Cobs herd is an integral part of both Mindful Mare Wellness and Amrita Womb Healing. These horses are sentient beings with their own histories, temperaments, and medicine. They are not tools or interventions, nor are they therapists. They are partners.
Their presence creates a field of safety, attunement, and groundedness that supports deep emotional and somatic healing.
To meet some of the horses in our program, visit the Spirit Farm Gypsy Cob website by clicking below.
Why Horses Matter in This Work
Whether you are navigating anxiety, trauma, fertility challenges, grief, relationship patterns, or reconnection to your body, horses offer something uniquely powerful:
Co-Regulation & Safety
Horses offer a steady, attuned presence that allows your nervous system to settle. Their rhythmic regulation creates a felt sense of safety—helping you breathe, soften, and access emotions that may feel out of reach in traditional settings.
Emotional Mirroring
With honesty and compassion, horses reflect your emotional state—whether you’re guarded, overwhelmed, or open. Their mirroring helps you notice what’s truly present and where your system is ready to shift.
Boundary Wisdom
Through natural relational behaviors, horses model clear, respectful boundaries. You don’t just understand them—you feel them. This embodied experience helps you build authentic boundaries in your own life.
Attunement to Truth
Horses respond to emotional congruence. They invite you to return to what’s real—grief, desire, confusion, clarity—whatever truth is ready to be met. In their presence, your authenticity becomes safe to express.
Whether you come for therapeutic support or womb-centred healing, the herd stands beside you with steadiness and warmth.
How Sessions Work With the Herd
Clients may work:
- in the arena
- at liberty
- alongside the horses
- in structured somatic exercises
- or simply in their presence on the land
Not all sessions require direct physical interaction.
The horses participate in the way that feels natural to them and supportive to you.
A Note on Safety and Ethics
- All equine-facilitated work follows trauma-informed principles.
- Horses are never forced into interactions.
- Consent, choice, and mutual respect guide every session.
- Your emotional process is held with care by both Shreyasi, the team at Mindful Mare Wellness, and the herd.
