The Next Stage Story
Our mission at Next Stage is to help people step into their uniqueness with courage and confidence by working with horses as partner coaches.
After a long, diverse career, engaging with people and building relationships, I shifted to independent practice. Since 2010, I have focused largely on leadership and organizational development, working with individuals and teams. As a lot of my practice included mentoring and coaching others I decided to complete a certified coaching program. While enrolled in the program, a friend mentioned equine-facilitated coaching (EFC) and thought I should try it. She thought I should bring my love of horses and coaching together to create a unique offering. I had never heard of equine facilitated coaching or therapy. When I investigated it, I concluded that it wasn’t for me and could think of many reasons as to why it did not seem like something I should pursue. Looking back on it now I realize that most of the reasons had to do with fear.
Soon after my executive coaching program, another colleague asked me about EFC. I still was not ready. Same excuses. Same unwillingness to investigate the possibilities. That changed in 2015, when I was exhausted from extensive work-related travel and too much time away from home, and EFC began invading my dreams.
This seed of an idea would not go away!
I checked it out and found a program that piqued my curiosity. I booked a telephone appointment with the program facilitator all the while trying to convince myself that it was just about getting information. Once I spoke to the facilitator something shifted and I knew I needed to pursue EFC. I still wasn’t sure that I wanted to create an equine facilitated practice and was satisfied that exploring it could be just for me. The program offered the perfect opportunity to explore a new way of growing, to be challenged, and to step far out of my comfort zone. I enrolled with the Academy of Coaching with Horses, summoned the courage to start a year-long program, got on a plane, and went to the United States to learn.
The magic of working with horses!
I’d never attended anything like this. Equine-facilitated learning is profound work. The mysterious, majestic “way of the horse”, coupled with expert coaching and facilitation, provided for a complete shift – in consciousness, in paradigms, and ultimately in ways of being. Horses are sentient beings, acutely aware of their surroundings and everything that goes on in their environment. Because they are so sensitive, they quickly attune to the energy that a human brings into their space. They respond to whatever shows up. Their response creates a perfect opportunity for self-examination. The human in their space can be guided to explore their inner being and grow their self-awareness. With the new knowledge, the human can make decisions about how they will manage the self and engage with others. The possibilities are endless.
Blow past the reservations and embrace the possibility!
Next Stage Equine Facilitated Coaching emerged out of a place of possibility. Starting Next Stage wasn’t easy. It involved a journey that had me facing fears, working through many reservations, effectively managing change, and ultimately charting a new course that serves others.
Partnering with the horses to work with people who want to make a change in their life is sacred work. Watching what happens when people open to moving into the unknown and working with the horses is such a privilege. It never ceases to amaze me when people talk about what they’ve discovered and the shift that’s happened for them. Clients say, “It’s helped me grow my confidence,”… “I now have the courage to ask for what I need,”… “I’m not afraid to step in to the space and claim what I deserve.” Creating the opportunity for helping to make this kind of a difference in a life has to be what it is all about.
Just go for it!
If something in your being is curious or just knows that you need to step into it and come away with the possibility of embracing transformation, I look forward to working with you and supporting your journey.
-GAIL BOONE, COACH & FACILITATOR
