Paws for Reflection Ranch

Counseling programs include Animal-Assisted Counseling (AAC), Equine-Assisted Counseling (EAC), Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), Traditional Counseling, and Animal/Equine Assisted Play Therapy. Therapists partner with 35 Ranch animals to meet weekly for 60 minute individual or group counseling sessions. Clients as young as 3 years of age begin in our Play Therapy program. Through the child's natural language of play, the counselor can reflect back to the child and better understand the emotions and concerns of the child. The counselor is able to work with the parent(s) and child to improve their relationship. Through interaction with the animals, the child learns empathy, regulation of emotions, anger management, and coping skills. The child builds confidence and self-esteem and learns how to better communicate at school and at home. In group Play Therapy, children learn how to play together, communicate with one another, and how to compromise and be flexible. As the child moves away from the world of toys, therapists may incorporate activities with the miniature horses, miniature donkey, goats and other barn animals. Activities are designed to encourage sharing of emotions and to reach therapy goals. In 2023, the Ranch added one LPC-S and 6 Master's level interns to our counseling team. Interns are helping to alleviate the wait list we often experience for Play Therapy. Teens typically participate in Equine Assisted Counseling. As the teen builds a relationship with a horse, they work on activities designed to focus on their therapy goals, improving their confidence and self-esteem as they experience the unconditional love of their horse. With immediate feedback from the horse, the client is able to try new behaviors, change communication styles, and be aware of how body language speaks volumes. Adult clients also typically choose Equine Assisted Counseling. Through building a relationship with their horse, the client learns how to build healthy relationships, try out different communication styles and behaviors, learn coping skills, manage anger and frustration, and more. Activities are designed to assist the client to accomplish their therapy goals as they learn new skills and bond with their horse. In Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, the client is able to train their brain to act in a more neutral manner when exposed to certain triggers that currently produce a dramatic response. Our counselors are trained to utilize this therapy with children, teens, adults, and Veterans. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is trauma focused and shows positive results in the treatment of PTSD, moral injury, nightmares, trauma, abuse, pain, eating disorders, etc. Clients report experiencing results quickly. Many of our clients merge Equine Assisted Counseling and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy together. Counseling clients include youth-at-risk, children, adults, families, Veterans and their dependents, people with special needs, and others who seek counseling. There has been a significant increase in client referrals and personal requests for service. In 2023, we continue the partnership with Readiness Group in Fort Worth to provide equine assisted counseling and therapeutic horsemanship for First Responders of nine nearby cities. Services at the Ranch are free to these First Responders with fees being covered by a state grant which will hopefully be provided for more cities in the near future. In 2023, 65 unique clients were seen for Equine Assisted Counseling. These clients participated in approximately 845 sessions. Three clients were seen for approximately 48 sessions of EMDR Counseling. There were 69 unique clients seen for Animal Assisted Counseling for 966 sessions. There were 79 unique Play Therapy clients for 2023 resulting in approximately 948 sessions of Play Therapy. Traditional and Couples Counseling clients numbered 54 with 684 sessions. There were also 19 clients treated via TeleHealth with 51 sessions online. Expenses include Independent Contractor fees, training, and supply costs. Cost of facility and the expenses surrounding the care and feeding of all therapy animals have not been included in these program expenses.

Our third largest program expense would be the cost of feeding, training, and healthcare of our therapy animal partners. There are 16 full size horses, 2 miniature horses, 1 miniature donkey, 2 miniature pot bellied pigs, 2 goats, 4 rabbits, 3 chinchillas, 2 hedgehogs, 1 ferret, 2 dogs, 3 cats, 1 Russian tortoise, and 1 Quaker Parrot. All of our programs and services incorporate the utilization of these therapy animals. Our animal partners are such an important part of our services and help us to realize amazing results and outcomes for our clients. They provide the unconditional love, focus or distraction needed at just the right time to complement the work of our professional counseling and therapist team. Clients young and old enjoy relationships with our therapy animals that creates a calming and relaxing environment for healing. Compared to traditional counseling in a traditional office setting, many children and adults are eager to return and hate to leave the peaceful ranch setting. No revenue is included in this section because it is including in the above Counseling and Therapeutic Riding and Horsemanship Service Accomplishments.

We offer individual and group Therapeutic Horseback Riding Lessons and individual and group Therapeutic Horsemanship Group Therapies Monday through Friday year around. We provided approximately 425 weekly therapeutic riding lessons for 381 unique clients in 2023. Some clients have been riding weekly with us for 8+ years, while others may choose to ride weekly for a few months. We have 3 PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) Therapeutic Riding Instructors and 2 Therapeutic Riding Instructors working toward PATH certification. Typically once weekly, lessons may be 30 minutes or 60 minutes in length, individual or group. Clients, ages 4 to adult, include those with special needs, ie. Autism, Down syndrome, physical limitations, and mental health challenges. We also offer riding for Veterans. Riders progress weekly, some needing horse leaders and side walkers for safety, progressing to be more independent. During 60 minute lessons, the rider learns how to retrieve the horse from the pasture and tack up, with the help of volunteers and/or the instructor. Some riders participate in games and activities while riding, working on basic riding skills. Instructors tailor their lessons to help with skills being learned at home and at school. Riding sessions may be held in the covered arena, on the Sensory Trail which is specially designed for the rider to interact with most senses, and on the other Nature Trails. Our herd of 16 horses provides the necessary variety of horse sizes and shapes to match to the rider's abilities. The rider may change to other horses as their riding abilities progress. We continue to partner with Hope Kids of NE Texas for weekly riding and events. This organization offers events and activities for families who have a child with a potentially terminal illness. We offer one hour of weekly riding for their group who sign up on a first come, first serve basis. Our Therapeutic Horsemanship Programs for individuals and groups served 42 clients in 2023. Therapeutic Riding and Horsemanship Groups are not currently funded by any grants. Expenses for the therapeutic riding and horsemanship program include Independent Contractor fees and supply expenses. Horse expenses have not been included in the expenses.

Volunteering Program - Volunteers are certainly a blessing to the ranch but this comes with expenses of course. The majority of the expense is to the part-time contract position of Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator. in 2023 we had 250 volunteers that were given tours, trained, placed into appropriate jobs and scheduled. This position also represents the ranch at marketing and outreach events to recruit new volunteers and market our services to citizens and organizations. Expenses are limited to direct supplies and Independent Contractor fees.

Community Service Events - In lieu of advertising, we choose to be active within the community, both hosting and participating in public events. We host two free events for the community annually: Santa at the Ranch and Easter at the Ranch both for Families with Special Needs. Santa at the Ranch 2023 had 312 guests. We had 300 guests for Easter at the Ranch. We solicit donations of door prizes, game prizes, refreshments, and craft supplies for Santa at the Ranch. We request donations of toy filled Easter eggs, refreshments, and door prizes for Easter at the Ranch. We have been holding these events for more than 11 years, growing each year. Special needs families enjoy our events as they know they are welcome and will not be judged. The Ranch is a safe environment for them to interact with their special needs child, enjoying a family event like those families not having a special needs child do. There is plenty of outdoor space to provide a private area in which to recover from melt-downs, have quiet time, and to help their child enjoy the day. In 2020, due to Covid, we redefined our Easter and Santa at the Ranch Community Events into Drive-Thru events with 15 stations for cars to stop at and children would receive arts and crafts, refreshments, treats, and filled Easter Eggs from volunteers with masks and grabbers to maintain social distancing. One car and family at a time they could get out of their cars and take a photo with Santa or the Easter Bunny. We hosted approximately 50 cars and 150 children at each event. In a normal year, we host holiday events for groups such as the Bikers Against Child Abuse. They do not pay to use the facility and interact with the animals, but do bring along their own supplies. The Ranch is also a site for other support groups such as Families with Sturge Weber Syndrome, providing a central place for these families to meet and visit with one another. Visitors come from all over Texas and even other states to participate in these group activities. Another group for whom we host two annual family days is Hope Kids of NE Texas. The Ranch provides a setting where both parents can enjoy the day, benefiting from a reprieve of daily duties. Guests can compare resources and learn "tricks" from each other. This is also an opportunity for the families to research the Ranch services and see what therapies interest them and are the most beneficial.

Educational Programs - In keeping with our mission, we offer many educational opportunities with a focus on animal stewardship for the community. We host field trips for special needs classes from the surrounding thirteen school districts, private schools, group homes, and organizations. In 2023 we hosted 165 special needs children and guests. During their visit to the Ranch, guests meet and interact with the small animals (chinchillas, rabbits, hedgehogs, ferret & tortoise) in our Critter Cabin, participate in activities on the Nature Trail, enjoy a picnic lunch, as well as, learn about and interact with the horses and other animals in the barn. All activities are hands-on, providing sensory experiences and unique learning opportunities. Teachers and caregivers also enjoy their time at the Ranch. In the Ranch setting, guests can relax and be themselves, free to enjoy activities at their pace and comfort level. We hosted 65 special needs clients for field trips to the ranch in 2023. The Ranch offers badge workshops for all levels of Girl Scouts. All badges have an animal or nature theme. Workshops are totally interactive with Scouts learning about the care and keeping of animals. Badges include learning about how animals serve people, as well as, careers working with animals. Depending upon the badge, Scouts may learn about the impact people have on the environment. Both Boy and Girl Scouts are encouraged to pursue their award projects at the Ranch. We hosted 34 Girl/Boy Scouts for badge workshops and award projects in 2023. The professional team continuously develops designs for new apparatus and activities for their clients. There are typically not funds or time to build these projects so having them built by Scouts is a huge blessing. The projects give the Scouts a purpose, plans, sustainability, and the knowledge that their project will go to benefiting many. Expenses include fees for Independent Contractor and supply costs. Facility and animal costs were not included in these expenses. As you can see, this is mostly a public service to our community as we operate these programs at a loss.

Year end Bad Debt write off for uncompensated program services.