About Cara
Hi, I’m Cara Gereau, LMFT
Founder of Equine Somatic Pathways
I help therapists, coaches, and horse professionals read what’s really happening beneath the surface in human-horse interactions- so tension becomes regulation, guessing turns into clear communication, and both partners find ease and understanding. I teach consent-based, body-aware tools you can use right away in the arena and in life.
Years ago, I left a corporate executive career at its peak because I knew there had to be more; more feeling, more connection, more joy. Horses were the invitation. As I integrated somatic psychotherapy with ethical, consent‑based equine work, I suspected the concepts and tools I used in integrated somatic psychotherapy modalities would be amplified inside the horse–human relationship.
I kept meeting the same truth: when we slow down, orient, understand what the body’s old patterns are telling us, and bring our experience into the here‑and‑now, painful patterns shift for the horse and the human.
In simple terms, we learn to notice how our bodies communicate; how we tense, reach, hold our breath, or pull away and without awareness.
These are often old patterns, for us and for our horses, learned in long ago relationships. Together, we use somatic tools to recognize these patterns and shift them in real time, so both people and horses experience more calm, clarity, and genuine connection.
Today, I’m a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, coach, mother of two and wife navigating 20 years of growth in relationship with my husband. Equine Somatic Pathways™ is a consent-centered, body-based method that deepens horse–human communication while cultivating mutual regulation, insight, and healing.
What I believe
Nervous‑system‑led
Relational with Choice
Practical & humane
Dignity & welfare
Belonging
The longer story
Horses taught me to pay attention to what’s really happening beneath the surface — the shifts in breath, body, and attention that shape how we relate. When we notice those changes and respond,, everything starts to move again. Tension eases, communication clears, and connection returns.
I’ve been fortunate to supervise clinicians, consult with experienced somatic psychology leaders and mentors, and teach this approach to practitioners who want a grounded, ethical way to integrate horses into somatic, trauma‑informed work.
Selected training & background
Education & Licensure
- MA, Counseling Psychology (Somatic Psychology Integrative Focus), California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)
- Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, California & Arizona
- Clinical Supervisor (private practice) and Clinical Supervisor at the Center for Somatic Psychotherapy
- Guest lecturer at the graduate‑school level on somatic techniques in Equine‑Facilitated Somatic Psychotherapy
Somatic & Clinical Post Graduate Training Include;
- EMDR & Advanced Trauma Protocols
- EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy); Relational Life Therapy (Levels I–III)
- CBT, ICBT, ERP
- Certification in treating Child & Adolescent Anxiety and OCD
- Eating‑disorder‑informed (Anorexia, Orthorexia, ARFID)
- Certified in Stephen Porges’ Safe and Sound Protocol (Polyvagal Theory)
- Hypnosis
- Janina Fisher’s Complex Trauma Certification (Levels I–II)
Equine & Bodywork
- Decades of horsemanship and handling; study with Caroline Beste, Warwick Schiller, Elsa Sinclair, and others
- Equine Craniosacral, four levels with Tom Mayes
- Volunteer, Marin County Parks Open Space Mounted Patrol
- Former Board Chair & President, Seeds of Awareness
Author
- I Love Your Heart and All Your Feeling Parts — a gentle introduction to parts‑informed work for kids and parents.
Participation & prerequisites (for trainings)
- Horse experience: Not required to begin. If you have fewer than 40 hours of horse experience/training, please plan to work in conjunction with a qualified equine handler or trainer during your practice hours.
- Recommended resource: For foundational handling, I recommend Warwick Schiller’s online membership for clear, humane basics you can integrate alongside this work.
Professional boundaries & scope
On Equine Somatic Pathways™, I serve as an educator/coach. Programs are educational and are not psychotherapy, diagnosis, or emergency care. Please work within your scope of practice and local regulations.
Inclusion & accessibility
I’m committed to cultural humility, respect for lived experience, and accessible learning environments. If you have accessibility needs or questions about participation, please reach out; your safety and dignity matter here.
Questions? Email Cara →
"Rachel, Trainer and Coach
I have done a lot of these trainings, a lot! This course is really well done, it’s so good.
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Jacqui, Psychotherapist
I highly recommend this course to anybody in the field or anybody who works with horses in general!!
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Sara, Psychotherapist
This course deepened and expanded my work with clients, by opening my mind to new ways of seeing and evoking therapeutic relating and growth!
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How We Work In The Course
Whether you’re a therapist, coach, equine professional, or a devoted student of relationship, we start with what’s true in the body now. Together we track regulation (not just behavior), invite consent and choice in interaction, and weave somatic interventions that turn awareness into lasting change for your clients, your herd, and you.
Find the resources that are right for you.
Online Courses
Take a self-led journey through the Equine Somatic Pathways Foundations.
FREE guide:
Five Grounding Resources for Equine Somatic Practice
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