Hallie Sheade

Biography

Dr. Hallie Sheade grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She fell in love with horses at age 2, begging to ride a pony at a local carnival without her mother holding her hand. When she was 9, she traded barn chores for free riding time. But the journey that led her to start S.T.E.P.S. With Horses really began the day Cowman arrived at the barn. He was a former rodeo horse that had a reputation for being strong willed and uncooperative. Dr. Sheade believed he was just misunderstood. At the time, she often felt very misunderstood by her parents so she and Cowman had something in common. Dr. Sheade would sit in Cowman's stall for hours as she told him all of her troubles. Cowman and Dr. Sheade soon bonded. Over the next few months, some interesting things started to happen. Her relationship with her parents began to improve and Cowman started to cooperate with other riders. Cowman and Dr. Sheade had formed a mutually beneficial bond that improved the quality of life for both of them. Dr. Sheade has come full circle. Her journey started with the mutually beneficial bond she made with Cowman that improved the quality of life for both of them. Now she is helping others tap into the power of the horse-human relationship to do the same.

In addition to being a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S), Dr. Sheade holds Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) credentials as a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRI) and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL).

Dr. Sheade is passionate about training and educating others in the field of equine-assisted counseling and psychotherapy. She has presented as numerous professional conferences, co-authored peer review articles, and provides training for interns. She also serves on PATH Intl.'s Health and Education Advisory Commitee and is a Faculty Candidate for the ESMHL workshop. Dr. Sheade also offers professional consultation and as well as training in her innovative, evidence-informed approaches, Relational Equine-Partnered Counseling and Equine-Partnered Play Therapy.

Education

Ph.D Counseling, University of North Texas, Denton, 2015
M.S. Professional Counseling, Georgia State University, 2010
B.S. Psychology, Biology, University of Miami, 2007

Areas of Research / Professional Expertise

Dr. Hallie Sheade's primary area of interest is equine-assisted counseling and psychotherapy with a special focus on work with military veterans, service members, and family members. In addition, she also has a focus on working with clients with trauma, especially at-risk youth. Dr. Sheade has specialized training in play therapy and integration of play therapy with equine-assisted counseling and psychotherapy. Other professional interests include multicultural and diversity competency, counselor education and training, equine welfare, and ethical issues in equine-assisted counseling and psychotherapy.

Personal Interests

Dr. Sheade enjoys spending time with her husband, Paul, and young daughter, Sari as well as their two dogs, Addie and Sawyer. Dr. Sheade enjoys traveling and horseback riding.

Websites

• Equine Connection Counseling

• STEPS With Horses

Books