Linda Kohanov — Chair
Linda is an author, speaker, riding instructor and horse trainer who has become an internationally- recognized innovator in the field of Equine Experiential Learning and a respected writer on the subject of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy. Her book The Tao of Equus: A Woman’s Journey of Healing and Transformation through the Way of the Horse was selected as one of the Top Ten Religion and Spirituality books of 2001 by Amazon.com.
Her second book, Riding between the Worlds: Expanding Our Potential through the Way of the Horse, was published in 2003. Both books have been used as texts in university courses across the country and have received appreciative reviews in publications as diverse as Horse and Rider, Natural Horse, IONS Noetic Sciences Review, Shift, Spirituality and Health, Animal Wellness, The Equestrian News and Strides (the magazine published by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association). Among her numerous lectures throughout the U.S. and Canada, she was a presenter at the 2001 NARHA conference and was the keynote speaker at the 2003 NARHA conference. She was also a featured presenter at the 2004 International Transpersonal Conference.
Lisa Walters — Vice Chair
Lisa has over 40 years experience with horses. She has competed in many equestrian disciplines and has been a student of dressage for the past 30 years. Lisa helped develop and implement the Equine Facilitated Learning Internship program for Adventures In Awareness and is part of the Adventures In Awareness internship faculty. Lisa is founder and director of the EquuSatori Center in Sebastopol CA. where she facilitates and hosts Equine Facilitated Learning programs.
Lisa has played an integral role in current scientific studies examining the horse/human connection. Lisa has a Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University in Business and Interpersonal Communications and has started and developed several businesses. She co-founded and served on the Board of Directors for Burst.com, a digital media delivery company in Northern California. She also served as President of the Board of Directors of the Humane Society in Mendocino, California. She is a graduate of the three-year program at the School for Enlightenment and Healing in San Diego, CA.
Ann Baldwin
Ann Linda Baldwin, PhD, is a Professor of Physiology and Psychology at the University of Arizona. She is also a Reiki Master, and has practiced Reiki on people and animals for the last five years. She obtained her Bachelors degree in Physics from University of Bristol, UK, her Masters degree in Radiation Physics from University of London, UK and her PhD in Physiology from Imperial College, University of London.
Ann’s research focuses on the physiological effects of mental and emotional stress, and she is currently exploring the efficacies of Reiki and of Biofeedback techniques in reducing the damaging effects of stress. She has published over 80 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has been a member of several review panels for National Institutes of Health. With her Reiki training and extensive scientific background, Ann hopes to bridge the gap between energy healing and quantitative scientific enquiry.
In her spare time Ann likes to ride her horse and she also volunteers as a horse handler for Therapeutic Riding of Tucson.
Barbara K. Rector, MA, CEFIP-ED
Barbara has nearly four decades sharing horses with people for their mutual benefit – mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. She has traveled the world training the trainers in her Adventures In Awareness ™ process for exploring the heart of horse and human.
In Tucson she has held key leadership roles at Therapeutic Riding of Tucson, Inc. (TROT) which she co-founded in 1974 with Nancy McGibbon and at Sierra Tucson Hospitals where she introduced and developed therapeutic work with horses and the practice of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy.
She is past special projects director for Al-Marah Arabians. During the mid to late 90’s Barbara designed and implemented the horse programs at Chapel Rock Retreat Center and Prescott College. She held an adjunctive faculty position with Prescott College offering students course work in Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning Process Work.
On a national level, she is a co-founder of the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association and has served on the national board of trustees for North American Riding for the Handicapped. She is currently engaged in exploring the science behind apparent health benefits to humans when spending intentional meditative time in the bio-energetic field of horse. Barbara’s first book is Adventures In Awareness, Learning With the Help of Horses. www.aialearningwithhelpofhorses.com — AuthorHouse 05
- 2006 Founding member and Secretary of The Certification Board for Equine Interaction Professionals www.cbeip.org
- 2006 Licensed HorseDream Partner Vienna Austria & Erbach Germany
- 2005/06 post graduate studies Advanced DreamTending Institute of Depth Psychology, Pacifica Santa Barbara, CA
- 1997/98 graduate studies Mental Health Counseling, University of Phoenix in Tucson, AZ
- 1990 MA College of the Holy Names, Oakland, CA emphasis in Spiritual Psychology
- 1989/90 Advanced studies in Holotropic Breath Work with Stan and Christina Groff
- 1980/81 graduate studies U of AZ Race Track Management
- 1966/67 graduate studies Thunderbird Institute of Foreign Trade Phoenix, AZ
- 1965 BA English & Philosophy University of AZ Tucson, AZ
Advisory Board
Laura Brinckerhoff MA, LPC, LISAC
Laura is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Director of the Equine Assisted Mental Health Program at Cottonwood De Tucson, an internationally respected residential treatment center. As a lifetime equestrian and addiction specialist since the early 1990’s Laura has been a student, advocate and facilitator of the healing potential of the Equine/human bond for nearly 20 years. Combining her two passions; horses and psychotherapy, Laura personally and professionally sets a high standard for effective practice in the field.
From 1995-2003 Laura served as the Director Of Instruction at Therapeutic Riding of Tucson and started her own business Leap Of Faith EAMH Services in 2001. In 2003 she completed her Master’s Degree from Prescott College in Counseling Psychology and along with her friend Leif Hallberg provided the inspiration for an Equine Assisted Mental Health concentration within Prescott’s Counseling/Psychology Program.
Laura has served as a mentor, advisor and associate faculty for Prescott College undergraduate and graduate programs in Counseling/Psychology since 2004.
A native Tucsonan, Laura brings a lifetime relationship with the Tucson community, is Vice President of the Edwin B. Hall Foundation and a passionate advocate for the healing work available through ethical and humane practice of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy and Experiential Learning.
Richard Lang
Richard is the Chairman & CEO of Democrasoft. He is also co-founder of the 20 year-old public company, Burst.com, Inc. that in 2010 transformed itself into Democrasoft. Richard is a pioneer in the technology industry, having been the co-inventor of the world’s first, patented, dual-deck VCR in 1983 and co-founder of his first public company, Go-Video, Inc. In 1987, Richard invented (and later patented) a revolutionary solution for delivering video and audio programs over electronic networks, in “burst” mode, which created a foundation for today’s video-on-demand and audio-on-demand systems.
He co-founded Explore Technology in 1990, which later became Burst.com, to develop and license this technology. Over the past 10 years, Burst has licensed this technology to the biggest names in the industry and continues to monetize these patents today. Richard’s passion for using technology to empower people is foremost in Democrasoft’s mission and is the realization of Richard’s long-time vision for the evolution of democracy and the empowerment of individuals. Richard resides in the North Bay with his family and, in his spare time, is a prolific composer and musician.