Welcome to Start By Listening! We are excited to have you on this journey with us toward healing and transformation.  Start By Listening is a podcast about sexual harm, trauma and advocacy.  Season Three - Hodge Podge - We are taking SBL to the community and speaking with various groups and people on the traumas they encounter in their part of the community and asking how they may want their organization to address trauma survivors in the future. This season, we will be delivering exceptional conversations and creative ideas while creating a safe space for connection and thoughtful experiences. We are going beyond sexual harm and really asking, "What does trauma look like and what does this experience look like for the Western Kentucky communities we serve?" We will be talking with various community members, and delving into difficult conversations where trauma intersects our communities and people. Season Three finds us growing and changing how we do our work. Our goal is to drop 2-3 podcasts per month on Fridays and you will find most of our episodes on YouTube as well! Yes, New Beginnings has a YouTube channel.

In this episode, New Beginnings podcasters Jennifer, The Friendly Therapist, and Shelby, Victim Advocate have a very authentic conversation with Misty and Rick Baker - The Bridges Program in Owensboro, Ky. Misty and Rick utilize the Eagala Model which uses horses as a central theme of connection and safety to provide psychotherapy for clients. They work with soldiers at Ft. Campbell and local clients in Daviess County Kentucky, Eagala is a different kind of horse therapy, as there is no riding the horse, rather all of the work is done together in connection on the ground, side by side. For this episode, we had a magnificent experience with Misty and Rick, along with Patsy and Banjo - two of their horses who are new to their herd. It has been said that when you look into the eys of an elephant, whale or a horse, you are looking into a soul....and this is very true. The ability for a horse to see you as you are in this exact moment, and reflect back to you what you are experiencing emotionally, physically and spiritually...well is that not pure embodiment and connection with a soul? Eagala removes the forest landscape, and allows you to see the individual trees....those trees that created the story of YOU and your lived experience....your story of who you were, who you are in this moment and who you are becoming. Welcome to a new world experience...with old world restorative practices that create resilience within your nervous system and allow safety and connection to occur with a horse, nature and humans.

Rick Baker - From an early age I’ve had a love of horses. As a child I rode a lot, my mother was an accomplished horse woman and my grandfather made sure we had a variety of horses to ride, starting with my first pony…Snowball. Fast forward a few years, as life happens, horses took a back seat to making a living and raising my family. I was fortunate enough to get horses back into my life about 12 years ago. I Bought my first horse, an Appaloosa mare named Lil Bit then added my Quarter Horse mare Cheyenne, who was born on the farm where my wife worked, and this past summer a life long dream to own an American Mustang came true, her name is Shadow. I was able to retire in Jan of 2019 and work full-time with my wife, Misty Baker in her Equine Assisted Psychotherapy program, The Bridges Program. I serve on the team as an Equine Specialist, utilizing the Eagala model but my primary role is facilitating in a more direct hands on horsemanship intervention. 

Misty Baker - I was born loving horses, it is my Mother’s legacy, and I cannot remember a time in my life that I did not love horses.  I spent 9 years working in the field of therapeutic riding and was introduced to the Eagala model in 2007.   I started the Bridges Program in 2008, offering Eagala model Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, and added Circle MR Horsemanship in 2019, offering a more directive hands on therapeutic horsemanship intervention and Life Coaching.   I spent 16 years assisting victims of violent crime through the crime victim advocacy office, and the last 30 years working in the field of drug and alcohol dependency prevention through victim impact meetings.  I have 15 equine, 3 miniature horses, 1 miniature donkey and 11 full size horses of varying breeds and backgrounds, and 7 spoiled dogs.  

You can reach Misty and Rick on their Facebook page or website (listed below) or you can call her at 270-231-3618 or 270-302-9383.

The Bridges Program - https://thebridgesprogram.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/The-Bridges-Program-1047160011962829/

Eagala Model of Therapy - https://www.eagala.org/index

A very special thank you to Patsy, Banjo, Cheyenne, Annie, Lakota, Chessie, Indy and Dirty Harry - your energy and presence were just what we needed......

YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS THIS EPISODE. Remember to subscribe to our Podcast - Start By Listening - found on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer and more!

Also subscribe to our New Beginnings YouTube channel!! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxT9OQkPpCPSAgcUhhqUkmQ

Today's YouTube Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkaY7uc21P0

Start By Listening will drop on Fridays, 2-3x monthly, bringing you an interesting and intriguing look into the work we do, while educating about trauma and healing. If you would like to reach out and contact Jennifer or Shelby, please email at SBL@nbowensboro.org. Finally, a few shout outs. If you liked our jingle jingle, hop on over to www.uriahwilde.com and talk with Seth Hedges. He created the beautiful music for our podcast. Thank you SETH! Another special thank you to Rodney Newton, he helped us learn how to put this Podcast together and create a beautiful thing. Thank you RODNEY!!!

To find local resources for sexual abuse please visit www.RAINN.org or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673, 24/7/365