SARA GRAHELJ
Practitioner of Gestalt experiential family therapy and Master of Animal Science
The little girl, who experienced painful events and experiences in her childhood and early life and felt lost in her teenage years, found solace in animals at the age of three. The horses became her teachers. They thaught her valuable lessons and insights experientially, without words. They taught about life - relationships, connection, safety, setting boundaries, personal space, accepting responsibility, self-regulation, understanding projections, introspection and the art of living calmly and with awareness. My path to animals – horses – definitely coincides with my own sensitivity, which took me away from people in my early childhood, says Sara.
Whenever someone asked me what I would like to do in life, I answered that I would like to help animals to have the best lives possible, says Sara. Towards the end of my teenage years, however, I heard a voice that said to me: 'Sara, animals don't really need help. They know who they are and they know nature. They only have a problem with people. So if you want to help animals, help people to start feeling them.'
The path then led her to study Animal Science, where she also obtained a master's degree. She also gained experience in animal welfare by working in Sweden, where she graduated with the subject of Positive Emotions in Dogs with her mentor. In her master's thesis, she focused on how horse keepers can influence the well-being of these beautiful animals.
As she grew up, horses played a key role in her reintegration into society, teaching her the essence of courage and the inevitability of pain as part of life's journey.
The path of self-discovery led her to explore various modalities, such as various sacred rituals, plant medicine ceremonies, holotropic breathwork, vision quest and other spiritual practices. Immersed in a deep spiritual realm, she grounded her experiences by studying Gestalt experiential family psychotherapy. With this, she also obtained permission to work with clients. The experience of working in MKZ Rakitna with children and young people only confirmed her to follow her vision. She finnished a one year education on Psychotherapy of children and young adults on a University of Sigmund Freud. This is how the EQUINESS project started in 2020.
Now she and the horses work together. They create a supportive and safe environment for healing and personal development, opening their space to those seeking growth and healing. Her guides horses have thus become guides for many who walk the path of exploring life.
In the institute, I want to offer what I myself needed in my childhood, adolescence and in life in general.
