Terri Scallon
Terri brings 20 years of experience working in organizational behaviour, coordinating and motivating over 100 volunteers in co-operation with community groups and agencies. She has provided pastoral counselling to people in prisons, group homes, hospitals and in her pastoral charges.
Terri has been a practicing mental health therapist for the past 14 years, specializing in Systems Theory which looks at stability and change, health and dis-ease, self and self-in-relationship, all within the unique life context each person brings. As a Marriage and Family Systems Therapist, her passion is to help people become and embrace who they authentically are – even in the context of the many relationship pressures of family, friends, school, work and society. With playfulness, non-judgment and support, Terri delights in seeing children and adults alike grow into their true sense of self. She also loves to witness clients experience those special Aha! moments of clarity and transformation that horses are able to draw out of us.
Education
Terri has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto in Psychology and Criminology and a Master of Divinity degree which also qualifies her in Spiritual Direction and Pastoral Counselling. She successfully completed her Post-Graduate Internship and Residency in Family Systems Counselling with Living Systems, B.C. She has training from the Justice Institute of B.C. in Addictions Counselling, and, on scholarship, was a Professional-In-Residence at the Hazelden – Betty Ford Clinic, the highly regarded recovery treatment center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When working in the field of addictions she embraces the Harm Reduction Model but also works with people in abstinence based 12 Step programs. In addition, Terri is Level I in the Family Therapy Satir Model (Transformational Systemic Therapy) through the Satir Institute of B.C. Terri loves to learn and her continuing education includes courses in Organizational Systems, Marriage and Family Systems, EMDR, Emotional Freedom Technique, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Grief and Trauma, Neuroscience of Addictions and Trauma, recovery from Post-Traumatic Stress Injury for returning veterans of war, Hypnotherapy, Solution Oriented Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Emotional Intelligence, Strengths Based Leadership, Mythic and Mystic Journeying and more.
Prior to her focus on bringing about positive personal and social change through the field of therapy and spiritual leadership, Terri worked in the fields of corporate insurance, property development and management, and commercial and industrial real estate appraisal in Toronto, Canada.
Most recently, Terri decided to combine her love of horses and nature with her continuing desire to facilitate transformational change by studying and certifying in the field of Equine Facilitated Learning and Therapy. She is L.E.A.D. Certified by the University of Guelph (Leadership Through Equine Assisted Discovery), has completed the Pioneering Leadership course with Linda Kohanov and Reflections of the Horse with Deborah Marshall, MFT and Trauma Specialist. Terri now owns and operates Listening Horse Ranch with her husband, Dwane.
“I work with children, individuals, couples, families and corporate groups according to the needs they present. I often work in the areas of communication skills, goal-setting, life coaching, team building, self-discovery and spiritual deepening. Through a wide variety of exercises and on-the-ground interaction with the horses we help you find your authentic self which can so easily get pushed aside with the demands and busyness of our lives. The horses and I will help you get clarity with any of life’s many difficult decisions and dilemmas. The horses are natural masters in helping me help people overcome trauma and they are gifted spiritual teachers. I like Island Farms Pralines and Cream ice cream, coffee with lots of cream and brown sugar, and running in the rain to work it all off. If it’s sunny I’d rather be eating ice cream in the paddock with the horses 🙂 ”
Dwane Atkinson
Dwane is indispensable at Listening Horse Ranch. He is the ranch hand, wrangler, carpenter, builder, equipment operator, fence mender and all round jack of all trades. Not only that, Dwane is a superb chef who has worked in well-known restaurants in Toronto, most notably Cibo’s, and has cooked for celebrities such as Jane Fonda, Bruce Springstein and our own local celebrity Bruno Gerussi. So, along with all the practical ranch duties, Dwane does the shopping and cooking – much to Terri’s delight, especially as he is her husband! Terri and Dwane have been married for 12 years. Chef Dwane will prepare something tasty and fresh for you as part of some of the retreat packages. Dwane has been sober for 25 years but will happily provide wine with your meal at your request for the special weekend couples retreat package coming in 2015!
“I’m a quiet guy. I love to work the land and keep the animals. Sometimes I handle the horses for a therapy session but mostly I’ll be keeping to myself, working around the property building and fixing stuff. There’s nothing more satisfying than a good day’s work, working with my hands. If I happen to be driving in the driveway and Prince is barking (oh yeah, he’ll be barking), wait for it…you’ll hear me yell, “Prince, be quiet!!’ Not that it does anything. So I’ll probably yell it again. Terri says he has me well trained. I like Friday nights cuz that’s Terri’s turn to cook dinner. So of course she orders pizza. Which is fine with me. Trust me. You haven’t tasted her cooking. I like eating food from our garden and finishing off a fine meal with a nice doughy honey glazed donut. Or two.”
Tara Davies
Tara achieved her Bachelor of Education from the University of Victoria and now teaches Kindergarten to grade 7 children in a private school on the Sunshine Coast. Tara is experienced in working with children with learning differences and has a passion for working with teens who feel especially challenged by life, having come through some tough times herself. Tara now brings her skills in working with children and youth to Listening Horse Ranch where she assists as Apprentice and Horse Handler.
“Working with the horses at Listening Horse Ranch has really improved my overall self-confidence. The leadership skills I’ve gained here at the ranch have made me stronger and more resilient. I love horses (naturally!), long-boarding, paddle-boarding, swimming, jogging and dog-walking. I am also artistic and love to paint.”