by Cassie Cady An Old Grey Mare

Introduction: With this capstone, I strive to demonstrate both the immediate and long-term positive somatic effects of EGCM™ for SS (Army, ret.), a PTSD-diagnosed veteran whose color vision was impaired as a result of intense mental and emotional stress.

Significance: The EGCM™ experience resulted in SS being able to release tension in his body somatically and to regain the ability to see true colors again.

Purpose: The purpose of this capstone is to document SS’s somatic results with EGCM™.

Setting and Participants: On Sunday, September 8, 2024, Brenda Westwood (Master Gestaltist™) and I, Cassie Cady (Certified Gestaltist™), convened a group of warriors at Veterans’ Archery Elk-Hunting Camp on the Vincent Ranch in the mountains west of Helena, MT, for the purpose of offering an EGCM™ group experience. Our two equine coaches were Jett and Dewey. This was the first of its kind for veterans and coaches. No one knew what to expect.

Capstone Description/Process: SS bravely stepped up to do personal work in front of the Group. He said that when he got stressed, anxious, or depressed, he could not see colors normally. At that moment, the surrounding forest appeared gray to him. “The body holds the trauma until it is cleared and let go” (Pearce, p.123). I coached SS with an empty chair and a grief piece for his deceased father. We sat just outside the round pen with both horses standing nearby in the pen, working and holding space for him. “Initial findings reveal that the calmness or autonomic state of the horses has a greater influence on the human response rather than the other way around” (Gehrke). Brenda then coached a polarity piece with SS and her horse partner, Jett, inside the round pen.  Jett initially refused to go near him. But as SS dropped into his body, let go and admitted, truthfully and verbally, that he was struggling, Jett immediately turned and approached him with support. “They (horses) have a keen, natural ability to reveal when they sense a person who is thinking, feeling, and intuiting their personal truth” (Pearce, p.171). “

I do not view post-traumatic stress disorder as a pathology to be managed, suppressed, or adjusted to, but the result of a natural process gone awry (Peter Levine, PhD). “Healing trauma requires a direct experience of the living, feeling, knowing organism.” (Kaparo, p. 56). The EGCM™ session with horses was SS’s direct experience towards healing.

After SS’s final release, he clearly saw all the colors in the forest and mountains. “This is why Gestalt is so effective. It reaches beyond the conscious mind, releases the subconscious mind from what is trapped there, and encourages the full body and every cell to release pain” (Pearce, p.123).

Capstone Results/Impact: On Sunday, September 14, 2025, we were back at camp, and SS was there. He could still see all the colors. I got goosebumps when he said that. His experience of retaining color accuracy for over a year appeared to demonstrate not only the immediate efficiency of EGCM™ from the first camp, but also the efficacy of long-term somatic healing.

Capstone Evaluation: Recently, SS texted me: “After doing talk therapy for about 12 years, some of it helps, but I’m not very good at being verbal with my emotions or thoughts. What little time I have worked with you both has had more of an impact on my life.” His statement is the ultimate positive evaluation of the benefits of EGCM™ for clients in emotional stress. Aggregate data from a web search indicates that true color blindness is a permanent congenital condition. And, that severe emotional trauma does not cause color blindness; however, it can temporarily influence the brain’s capacity to accurately perceive and interpret color. Further, normal color vision typically resumes after the stress has been alleviated.

Future Directions: Brenda and I will offer group sessions for veterans at camp in the coming years. We currently offer in-person groups for veterans at our facility, Inyo Ranch, in Helena, MT.

Acknowledgements: I acknowledge veteran SS for his service to our country and for his courage to do personal work in truth and availability. Thank you, too, for trusting coaches you never met before. Thank you, Melisa Pearce, for developing such a powerful healing EGCM™ modality and sharing your knowledge with students hungry to make a positive difference in the world.

References:

Gehrke, E.K., PhD, MBA (Spring 2010), The Horse-Human Heart Connection: Results of Studies Using Heart Rate Variability

Pearce, M. (2019). What the Heck is Gestalt, Touched by a Horse, Inc 

Kaparo, Risa F., PhD, (2012). Awakening Somatic Intelligence: The Art and Practice of Embodied Mindfulness, North Atlantic Books. Berkeley, California