by MARIE MAGUIRE, BSN, RN, EGCM™, KINDRED SOULS INTUITIVE COACHING
Introduction: This is a reflective study of the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™, a method created by Melisa Pearce, embodied awareness, and healing.
Significance: Pearce has combined Equine with Gestalt principles to create a safe and supportive environment to allow the client to become fully aware of thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. As a client and practitioner of this method, I have a vested interest in the use of this powerful Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™.
Purpose: The purpose of this capstone project is to explore the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™, and how the presence of a horse creates a safe space, and how the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™ supports healing and self-awareness.
Setting and Participants: This study is based on my personal experience as a student and client of the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™, combined with an academic review.
Capstone Description/Process: This study was undertaken to honor the value of the horse-human connection and to highlight the vital role of Equus as an essential part of human healing. I conducted a literature search and review of writings generated by practitioners of Equine Gestalt Coaching. My focus was on concepts identified above. Sources of information included books in print and the internet.
Capstone Results/Impact: The foundation of Pearce’s Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™ rests on three interconnected elements: Gestalt principles, psychological safety, and equine presence, all experienced directly from the client perspective. In regard to Gestalt principles, during sessions, I was invited to notice what was happening inside me (thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations) without judgment. This awareness allowed me to explore habitual patterns, experiment with new ways of being, and gain meaningful insight (Pearce, 2022). As for psychological safety, the coaching environment felt supportive and nonjudgmental. I could take emotional and relational risks, knowing that my experiences would be met with understanding and care (Kirby, 2010; Pearce, 2022; White-Lewis, 2019).
The presence of the horse facilitates one’s expression of what one notices, sees, and feels energetically. Its gentle, nonverbal feedback helped me see patterns in my behavior and energy, supporting, grounding, mindfulness, and emotional attunement (Pearce, 2022).
Together, these elements create a triadic partnership—client, coach, and horse—that fosters reflective, embodied, and relational learning. From my perspective, this triad offered a space where insights felt tangible and actionable, and emotional and relational growth could be experienced physically, mentally, and emotionally (Pearce, 2022).
This approach helped me build self-awareness, confidence, emotional balance, and resilience, providing tools to create meaningful, intentional change in my life. Combining Gestalt coaching with equine-assisted experiences shows the power of presence, embodiment, and relational connection in supporting growth, resilience, and personal transformation.
Capstone Evaluation: From my perspective as a client, the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™ offers a space where I can be fully aware of my thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and relational patterns as they unfold. Being with both a coach and a horse felt safe and supportive, giving me the freedom to experiment, reflect, and learn about myself in real time. The horse’s presence provided gentle, nonjudgmental feedback that made internal and relational patterns tangible, while Gestalt principles guided me to explore these experiences with curiosity and openness (Pearce, 2022; Kirby, 2010; White-Lewis, 2019).
Future Directions: Looking forward, exploring how horses support learning, how insights carry over into daily life, and how coaches can cultivate reflective and healing spaces will deepen understanding of this work. Reflecting on my experience, there are many exciting possibilities for where the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™ could grow. It would be valuable to explore more deeply how the horse’s presence helps clients feel safe, supported, and grounded during sessions, and how that sense of safety shapes learning and awareness in the moment. Overall, my experience suggests that the Equine Gestalt Coaching Method™ has the potential to foster awareness, emotional balance, and relational insight in ways that are deeply experiential, embodied, and healing.
Acknowledgments: With much gratitude and love, I wish to acknowledge Melisa Pearce for creating a powerful healing modality and sharing it with the world. I would also like to thank Marsha Bressack and Peggy MacArthur for their support and encouragement in my personal work, and an enormous amount of gratitude to all the horses in the world, who I believe are on this earth plane to assist in humanity’s healing.
References:
Kirby, A. (2010). “Gestalt equine psychotherapy: The relational field in practice,” Routledge.
Pearce, M. B. (2022). “What the Heck is Gestalt?” Touched by a Horse, Inc., Colorado
White-Lewis, J. (2019). “Equine-assisted coaching: Promoting presence, trust, and self-awareness” Journal of Experiential Coaching, 12(3), 45–59.