When I left school I went straight into care work, working in Nursing Homes for the elderly and then with the homeless. I worked as a project worker in a direct access night shelter for the homeless. This gave me a vast knowledge and experience of working with individuals from varying backgrounds, some with very complex needs. I done this for 9 years before moving onto my current post as Project Manager of OASIS (Oban Addiction Support & Information Service). OASIS is a community based drug and alcohol rehab that also has a 'specialised youth addiction' service. I have been doing this for the past 8 years now and love every minute of it. As well as the above I have also held sessional posts working for 'Social Work Emergency Service', Local Authority Childrens Units and many more.

I have vast knowledge and experience of working in the Social Care Sector with some of the most chaotic and vulnerable individuals. It was when I was working as a project worker in the night shelter, that I was key working a 27 year old individual who was addicted to heroin (and interested in nothing, apart from horses) that I started looking at the therapeutic value of being around horses. The benefits that this individual would reap from simply spending time with the horses, was incredible. I started researching the area a bit more and decided to go over to Ireland and undertake my EAGALA training in March 2005.

Following this I set up Equilibrium and it has been running ever since.

I receive private referrals as well as referrals from organisations and the children's panel. Equine Assisted Therapy is often made a 'condition' of the young person's care plan by the Children's panel. We are also now 'commissioned' to provide Equine Assisted Therapy by several local authority Councils.

I am very fortunate in that I can put my two passions in life together, .... Helping people .... Whilst working with horses.