Dr Pravini Naidoo

Lecturer at Department of Psychology UFS, Co-ordinator: Therapeutic horse riding community service learning project

Dr Pravani Naidoo lectures in the Psychology Department at the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein.  She currently supervises research within the field of Positive Psychology, including studies regarding adolescent well-being, mindfulness, and leisure engagement.  Pravani is also interested in the application of Positive Psychology principles and constructs to understanding the experiences of individuals with disabilities. Arising from her earlier engagement in horse riding as a sport and recreational activity, and based on her interest in interventions to promote well-being amongst individuals with disabilities, and the Psychology of Disability, she co-ordinates the Therapeutic Horse Riding Community Service Learning Project at Equistria. The project assumes a multidisciplinary team approach and entails Psychology Honours PSHC 6804 students engaging with learners from the Lettie Fouche school and the horses at Equistria on a weekly basis.

Sue van Heerden

Registered Jikiden Reiki Shihan/Teacher and Equine Reiki Therapist

Sue van Heerden is a qualified and registered Jikiden Reiki Shihan/Teacher, facilitating high frequency energy processes, supportive crystal balancing techniques, and Earth connection work. She has been practicing and teaching Reiki and other forms of energy healing since 2004. Sue is an experienced horsewoman and equine Reiki therapist, and a Teacher for the Angel Connection School of Africa. Sue holds a degree in Journalism (with English and Psychology) and an Honours degree in English.

Her interest in the origins of Reiki led her to Japan on a pilgrimage to temples, shrines and sacred Reiki sites, including the magnificent Mount Kurama, the birthplace of Reiki. She visited the Jikiden Reiki Institute in Kyoto in 2010 and again in 2013, where she participated in Shoden, Okuden, and Teacher level training seminars with Tadao Yamaguchi, Head of the Jikiden Reiki Institute, and his Deputy Frank Arjava Petter, international Reiki author and teacher. As a result she invited Arjava to South Africa to teach and make Jikiden Reiki available in SA.

Sue believes that Reiki is a precious gift and magical path to enlightenment, with its deep awareness for the kindness and respect always shown to others.

Alina Garau

Clinical Psychologist , Reiki Master

Alina Garau is a clinical psychologist and reiki master. She has been in private practise since 1996. Her work is based on a holistic and eclectic approach. Importance is placed on body, mind and emotions, as well as the spiritual aspects of healing. Alina works with teenagers and adults with a variety of disorders ranging from depression to anxiety, trauma, divorce/ relationship building and personal growth. Her therapy sessions take on a Jungian stance.

She has a passion for yoga and meditation and includes these techniques as well as reiki and energy healing in her sessions. In her personal capacity, Alina searches for conscious awareness in all she does and she places emphasis on gratitude; in seeking the magic of every moment.

Nicole Joubert

Horse behaviour Specialist, Dressage Judge, Provincial Rider and Coach

Nicole Joubert has been riding and competing most of her life. She obtained a degree in B.Soc.Sc Psychology at the university of the Free State and got accepted into the Honours program. Part of this program was Dr Pravani Naidoo’s community service learning project at Equistria Centre, and this is where Nicole started giving private lessons to both abled and disabled riders.

After two years as a junior lecturer and tutor at the Anthropology Department at UOFS, she went on to ride professionally and upon returning to Bloemfontein she completed two courses at the Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Institute of South Africa, (EAPISA), as well as a year course in Equine Ethology. As a Provincial rider herself, she started Avoca Ranch to assist young riders in reaching their goals and Avoca Ranch Equine Assisted Exploration was founded in August 2017. Driven and intense, Nicole believes horses can help us obtain an awareness beneficial to all.

Nicky Meyer

EAGALA Horse Behaviour Specialist, NLP Life Coach and Practitioner

Nicky has been involved with horses for more than 35 years, a passion that started at a very young age. Having always had a drive to experience horses on a different level from that of just riding them, she pursued Natural Horsemanship in the UK. She also visited Australia to further her knowledge. An interest in psychology led Nicky to investigate how she could use horses to help people, emotionally and came across EAGALA. Since then she has completed her training with EAGALA. She is also an internationally qualified NLP Life Coach and NLP Practitioner. From a corporate environment as a PA and in Marketing she was fortunate and blessed to be given the opportunity to start her own therapy centre. Her intention is to enable corporate groups to experience the power that horses have in teambuilding exercises and to offer individuals the opportunity to encounter spiritual healing through equine-assisted therapy.

AJ Mouton

Experiential Learning & Therapeutic Riding

AJ is a teacher with 15 years’ experience.  His passion outside the classroom has always been coaching and participating in sport. After coaching his school’s 1^st Rugby team for almost 10 years, he has shifted his focus to therapeutic riding for both children and adults, after experiencing the positive effects of Equistria’s horses on him personally. Being diagnosed and coping with ADD/ADHD himself, he has a deep understanding of this disorder and the challenges it brings into everyday life. It is his firm belief that everyone has a need to be outdoors and physically active. He now focusses on creating an environment where clients can be outdoors and active, while improving their general well-being, with the many benefits that horses bring and the distinct possibility to learn the same life lessons that competitive sport can offer.

Helen Pienaar

EAPISA Mental Health Specialist, Psychologist and Lecturer at QwaQwa, UFS

Helen is a qualified psychologist (BA Ed, Hons Psychology and MA). She is a lecturer at the University of the Free State and registered with the Health Professionals Board of South Africa. Helen is currently working in private practice in Bethlehem and lecturing psychology part-time to first year students at the QwaQwa campus of the University of the Free State. She has worked as a psychologist at the Department of Labour as well as the Department of Education (including at a school for children with physical and cerebral palsy disabilities), and as a student counsellor at the QwaQwa campus of the University of the Free State. Helen’s love for dogs led to an interest in using dogs for therapy but after seeing an advert and attending a workshop by EAPISA on Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, she was hooked and then proceeded to do the study programme to become a qualified EAPISA therapist.

William Wolfgang Loots

TRE Practitioner

William Loots is a Integrative Trauma Healing Provider based in Bloemfontein. After his studies in music he completed a bachelor’s degree in education (NWU) in 2008 majoring in languages. Since William can remember he have been interested in the human condition, psychology, especially restorative modalities that have at their core the belief in the human capacity to self-heal and thrive.

He is very passionate about facilitating others in restoring inner balance, working through physical as well as emotional trauma and rediscovering and following their highest excitements.

Childhood trauma is an interest of his, self-directed learning as well as learning through play. He advocates creativity and playfulness and believes that is lies at the heart of our existence.

He offers a safe space for connecting to one’s true self on a one-on-one as well as group basis.