This is so important: “2 Broke Girls” star Beth Behrs uses equine therapy to help sexual assault survivors
Beth Behrs, AKA Caroline Channing on 2 Broke Girls, is turning something terrible into something incredibly. Behrs uses equine therapy to help sexual assault survivors, and it’s so incredibly touching and important.
Along with horse whisperer/equine-guided educator Cassandra Ogier, Behrs is working on launching weekend workshops for sexual assault survivors in Los Angeles and surrounding areas through her SheHerdPower Foundation.
The Reflective Horse is a program developed by Ogier that pairs horses with people in various forms of emotional crisis.
Behrs was referred to Ogier by 2 Broke Girls creator Whitney Cummings after suffering from panic attacks since she was a teenager, according to The Hollywood Reporter. When she landed the job on the show, Behrs found that her panic attacks were getting worse.
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As a survivor of child sexual abuse herself, Ogier discovered the healing power of horses and has worked with them ever since.
"Horses mirror humans' emotional terrain...and are constantly reading the environment," Ogier said.
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Horses are really good at picking up feedback from humans. They can pinpoint our feelings and intentions. “So we get to work out how to be clear, direct and confident, to step into our authentic leadership,” Ogier said.
Ogier offers a special type of equine therapy called Somatic Riding, where riders (who are mostly female) learn to ride without using a saddle or bit. This unique approach works on developing vulnerability and trust. Behrs said that after therapy, she would leave the ranch feeling “empowered and grounded,” and after only a few months her panic attacks stopped.
And that’s when Behrs and Ogier decided to develop a program that helps women who have been sexually assaulted.
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Britt Bardo is part of the program. She was date raped in college and after working with the horses, she realized she never fully dealt with her trauma.
"I was always the tough one, always saying, 'I'm fine, I'm fine,' and I needed to get in touch with that," Bardo told The Hollywood Reporter. "You have be honest with yourself. Working with Cassandra and the horses, the idea of trust kept coming up. I realized that I needed to trust my need to nurture myself in order to really delve into my history."
The SheHerdProgram is set to begin in April 2017, and we know it will help improve the lives of so many.