ABOUT DR. REBECCA

Since 2011, Dr. Rebecca has worked with a variety of individuals, couples, and families in mental health counseling treatment in both traditional office-based and equine-assisted services settings. Her approach is to create a safe and supportive environment, in addition to creating a therapeutic space where potential for healing, growth and self-transformations are possible through acceptance, warmth, respect, and collaborative participation with your treatment goals.

Dr. Rebecca's clinical approach includes integrating evidence-based treatment modalities, such as CBT, MBSR, Motivational Interviewing, Strengths Based, Seeking Safety/self-harm reduction, with holistic/transpersonal psychology and humanistic/client-centered treatment approaches, such as mindfulness, present-moment awareness, deeper sense of self, and life purpose. In addition to equine-assisted interventions in psychotherapy treatment mounted (i.e. horseback riding) and unmounted (i.e. no horseback riding) modalities. 

She looks forward to the possibility of meeting you, your family, and/or partner, and working with you to assist in the process of reducing impacts of life stressors and increasing your sense of well-being, life mastery, and eudaemonia.

**Oregon Clinical Supervision for Postgraduate and State Licensed MFTs & LPCs**-

Dr. Rebecca is an Oregon Registed Supervisor, and is currently, accepting Oregon MFT and LPC Registered Associates clinical supervision hours needed for licensure; and Oregon state licensed LMFTs and LPCs who need clinical supervision for competency or consultation in an area I specialize in, or for additional professional or academic supervision requirements. 

Education:

Ph.D. East-West Psychology (May 2020)

M.A. Counseling Psychology (June 2012)     

B.A. Psychology, Industrial-Organization Psychology specialization (June 2008)       

Minor, Business Administration (June 2008)

  
Qualifications:

As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Dr. Rebecca is trained to work with children, adolescents, families, and couples. Her clinical training includes a variety of complementary approaches, such as transpersonal psychology, humanistic and client-centered psychology, somatic and holistic psychology, psychosynthesis, expressive arts and play therapy, equine-facilitated psychotherapy and equine-assisted interventions, and animal-assisted psychotherapy; and evidence-based practices such as trauma-informed care (TIC), in-patient psychiatric crisis stabilization; suicide prevention and self-harm reduction; trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), solution-focused and strengths based psychotherapies, Seeking Safety, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, and Collaborative Problem Solving.

Dr. Rebecca’s clinical experiences include children, adolescents, and adults in individual, couples, family, and/or group treatment; with 7-years in private practice, 2-years in public school-based mental health care; 1-year in in-patient psychiatric crisis stabilization; and 13-years in equine-facilitated psychotherapy and therapeutic riding.

Dr. Rebecca has 15-years of higher education experience oriented towards clinical counseling skills and clinical research in mental health treatment. She has completed original applied research for her Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) in East-West Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies with her focus on the lived experiences of equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) treatment for female veterans with military-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); conducted research design and implementation as a Research Director at an at-risk youth program; and worked as a research assistant on various research projects.

Certifications:

-AAMFT Approved Supervior Candidate (June 2022)

-Oregon State Approved Registed Supervisor (January 2024)

-Oregon State Registered Supervisor Candidate (June 2022)

-Certified Clinical Trauma Professional- International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP)

-Seeking Safety- Santa Clara County

-Protecting Human Research Participants Certificate- National Institutes of Health (NIH)

-Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI)- Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.)   

-Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL)-Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.)   

Professional Activities and Memberships:

Clinical Supervisor 

Founder and Editor of the Journal of Equines for Mental Health 

Clinical research and research design consultation

Business Member, The Federation of Horses in Education & Therapy International

Clinical Fellow Member, American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

Clinical Member, Oregon Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

Affiliate Member, American Psychological Association

Member, International Association of Trauma Professionals

Member, National Alliance on Mental Illness

Member, Professional Association for Therapeutic Horsemanship International

Eudaemonia Equine Connections Inc. (EEC, Inc.):

-Founder & Executive Director, Clinical Supervisor, Principal Researcher and Research Consultant 

Eudaemonia Equine Connections, Inc. (EEC, Inc) is a USA domestic nonprofit (EIN 85-2173506) located in Portland, Oregon. EEC, Inc. offers multiple horse/equine assisted services (EAS) through our local, national, and international programs.

(www.equineconnections.org)

EEC Inc.'s Equine-Assisted Mental Health (EAMH) Programs include:

1. EAMH Treatment for Stability and Wellness Clinical Program is a behavioral health program offering outpatient psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and groups.

2. EAMH Research Program is dedicated to helping advance the knowledge and growth of the EAMH field through research project design and consultation, research focus groups and original research, and with the peer-reviewed academic journal, Journal of Equines for Mental Health.

3. EAMH Professional Membership Development Committee Program is a small membership committee that includes a variety of professionals across the USA who are interested in assisting in creating a national, USA-based professional membership association for practitioners who work in equine-related mental health care.

4. "Dr. Rebecca’s Let’s Talk Horses: May the Force of the Horse Be with You!" new podcast channel (new recordings and episodes coming soon in September 2022!) and medium includes recorded and live feed discussions on horse-human interactions in mental health, the phenomenon of the horse-human connection, and the unique attributes and healing qualities of equus. All content is provided free for users.

January 2024- **We are currently accepting new clients to our direct clinical EAMH treatment services at a private barn located in Sherwood OR**

Contact: 

Dr. Rebecca Wara-Goss at info@equineconnections.org or 503-862-7906

Visit/Follow Us: 

Website: www.equineconnections.org

Meta/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/equineconnectionsinc/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eudaemonia_equine_connections/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnP6TE_XsoiGaRwmeOBzRFQ