Meet Our Team of Experts Dedicated to Your Wellness

Working With the Alberta Community & Beyond

Our highly skilled and qualified staff also experience the wonders that await them at Dreamcatcher™ Ranch making it a healthy and rewarding place to work. Our students, volunteers, interns and staff alike are compassionate and kind, prepared to help out wherever needed. Together, we learn and experience the benefits of being teachable students ourselves, making us fit and ready to be and to serve others in partnership with our furry co-counselors.

We also find it highly important to recognize our amazing, furry co-counselors who have moved on before us. Being apart of our team lasts a lifetime and beyond. We hope to honor their contributions, preserve their legacy, and acknowledge their impact on our team as we continue our practices.

Here you will find a memoire of all our co-counselors who will forever remain in our hearts.

Eileen Bona M.Ed., Registered Psychologist, Director and Founder of Dreamcatcher™

EILEEN

Eileen is the youngest of 11 children and grew up with her brother John who had a severe brain injury, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy caused by meningitis when he was eight months old. This lived experience enabled her to relate to individuals and families that experience similar trials and tribulations. This significant relationship, along with the selfless example of her mother who tenderly and painstakingly cared for John all the days of his challenging life, propagated a burning desire within Eileen to help those who had difficulty getting the help they needed.

Eileen apprenticed with a psychologist for four years who specialized in working with adults with organic brain dysfunction and severe behaviour and boundary disturbances, and since 1988 has been working with people with disabilities, behavioural concerns, and mental health issues.
She is a past Vice President of the Brain Injury Association of Alberta, past liaison Vice President of the Sydney Association for Community Living and has worked in group-homes and institutionalized settings.

She holds a Master of Education from the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta and has worked as a private practitioner in behavior management in Alberta since 1995. She founded Dreamcatcher™ Nature Assisted Therapy in 2003 to allow for a non-threatening and motivating therapeutic environment for people to find guidance, comfort, and joy.

Although her career started with adults with severe neurodevelopmental issues, she shifted into working with children and youth shortly after. Today, she focuses on helping people of all ages and from all walks of life who have had difficulty getting the help they need. This includes people with complex trauma, multiple mental health diagnoses and neuroatypical conditions including brain injury and other neurodevelopmental conditions. She is well versed in specialized therapeutic modalities such as EMDR and Animal and Nature Assisted Therapy, and is one of the leading professionals in Animal Assisted Therapy in the country.

Therapists

Melonie Labrecque M.A., Senior Therapist, Provisional Psychologist

Mel

Mel holds a Master of Counselling Degree and is currently a Registered Provisional Psychologist in Alberta. She has been involved in the area of psychology for over 15 years in a variety of settings with a variety of ages and mental health issues.
During her 2004 and 2005 summers, she was an internship student for the Pathways Regional Mental Health Day Program and Vocational Services working with adults with a variety of mental illnesses. From 2008-2011 she worked as a casual volunteer child mentor with a boy diagnosed as high functioning on the autism spectrum (Pervasive Development Disorder). In 2008-2009 she was a practicum student with the YWCA facilitating groups for helping children deal with bereavement and divorce and facilitating weekly groups for girls as a part of a pilot girl power program. In 2009-2010 she was a practicum student with the Stollery Children’s Hospital Pediatric Centre for Weight and Health (PCWH) Weight Wise Program co-leading group programs for teens and for the parents of the children/youth referred to the program. From 2009-2012 and 2016-present she has been employed by the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital as a Recreation Therapy Program Assistant providing activity-based assessment of motor and speech skills and treatment via recreation and social activities. From 2010-2013 she was a Psychological Assistant to a Private Practice Neuropsychologist administering neuropsychological, psychological, vocational and parental assessments. In August of 2009, Mel started at Dreamcatcher™ by taking their Caring with Critters Exploratory Workshop. Her passion for integrating animals into therapeutic practice ignited and took flight. Her love for animals and aim to heal and touch as many lives as possible found its path. She continued to volunteer at Dreamcatcher™ until beginning her practicum in 2012. In October 2012-2013 she was also a practicum student with the Hope Heels Service Dog Team Building Institute providing individual counselling and therapeutic services to adult individuals with a range of presenting challenges and mental health concerns primarily: trauma, anxiety and difficulties with emotional regulation. As aforementioned, in October 2012-2013 she was a practicum student with Dreamcatcher™ Nature-Assisted Therapy providing individual and family therapy to a variety of individuals with a range of presenting challenges and mental health concerns. Ages ranged from 2.5 years old to adults and a variety of mental health concerns such as: trauma, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, developmental delays, emotional dysregulation, attachment disorders, sensory disorders, FASD and witnesses of family addictions and violence.
After practicum Mel stayed on to continue as a Dreamcatcher™ Mental Health Therapist. She became certified as a Canadian Certified Counsellor through the CCPA and then as a Registered Provisional Psychologist with CAP. She primarily utilizes Animal and Nature Assisted Therapy and Traditional Talk therapy and integrates music, play and art-therapy medium based techniques.

Reesa Lerner MSW, Registered Clinical Social Worker

Reesa

Reesa is a Registered Clinical Social Worker. Inspired by a beagle named Bailey, she has been researching and training in the Nature and Animal Assisted Therapy field since 2006. Reesa has been involved with Dreamcatcher™ since 2010.
Reesa completed her Masters of Social Work, with a clinical focus, at Yeshiva University (NY), her Bachelor of Social Work from York University, and Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Alberta. She specializes in working with teens and adults with complex needs including trauma, addictions, psychosis and especially those who have been marginalized. Her therapeutic approaches include cognitive-behavioural, strengths based, trauma-focused, nature and animal assisted. You will often find her in the chicken coop, goat pen or snuggling with a cat.
Reesa is compassionate and committed to meeting people “where they are”. She finds the best in people and supports them to achieve it through providing them with a genuine healthy mirror. With her quick wit and down to earth personality she is a perfect fit for older teens and young adults.

Kaeley Kereliuk, M.A, Registered Psychologist

Kaeley

Kaeley is a Registered Psychologist and has previous experience in group homes, community, and school settings working with children and youth ages 5-18 with complex needs. She completed an internship in 2015/2016 at The Be Brave Ranch (Little Warriors) where she was able to see how integrating different therapeutic approaches to therapy was valuable. Her love for nature and animals brought Kaeley to Dreamcatcher™ in early 2020 as one of our student therapists and she now incorporates animal assisted, nature-assisted, music, art and play interventions into her therapy practice. She works most often from a trauma focused, strength based, and narrative lens. Kaeley admires the bravery it takes to come forward and work through personal challenges and believes it is an honor to be able to walk alongside those in their healing journey.
In her spare time she loves to spend time with her family at the lake, going on hikes, doing yoga, art and music.

Cara Stone MSW, Registered Social Worker

Cara

Cara came to Dreamcatcher™ in 2017 after completing her Masters in Social Work and is a fun-loving and genuine person with a passion for assisting children, youth and adults to improve their mental health. She takes every opportunity to be outdoors and enjoys assisting people to experience insight about themselves and others through interacting with animals and nature.

She practices from a strength-based approach where she guides people in exploring their unique skills and capacities. Through this approach, she incorporates animal-assisted and nature-assisted therapy, EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), and tenets of trauma-informed cognitive-behavioural therapy, as well as a variety of talk, sandtray, music, and play therapy techniques into her practice. These are utilized as Cara facilitates group, family, and one on one sessions.

In her free time, Cara enjoys photography, physical activity, playing with children, exploring nature and a good cup of tea.

Janine Kristensen, M.Ed., Provisional Psychologist

Janine

Janine holds a Master of Education with a Specialization in School and Clinical Child Psychology and a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Psychology.
Animals have always had a special place in Janine’s heart. She has fostered dogs with Paws for Life and volunteered with Little Bits Therapeutic Riding Association at the Whitemud Equine Learning Centre for several years. Volunteering at Little Bits opened her eyes to the beneficial impact horses can have on people with mental health diagnoses and physical disabilities. These experiences started her on a journey to discover how she could integrate animals into therapy, which has excitingly culminated in working as a therapist at Dreamcatcher.
Janine has worked with children, youth and adults for over 11 years in group home care, working in different areas such as Addictions, Intervention, Family Support and High Risk programs. She has worked with people with various mental health disorders with the desire to support each person in their journey. Janine provides psychological assessments and therapeutic interventions with her main theoretical framework rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She also offers Play Therapy interventions and is learning how to integrate Animal Assisted Therapy into her therapeutic approach as well.
In her spare time, Janine loves climbing and mountaineering in the gloriously beautiful Rocky
Mountains year round.

Mary Meyer, M.P.S-AT, Psychotherapist

Mary

Mary holds a Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality-Art Therapy Emphasis degree from St. Stephen’s College in Edmonton. She has always been passionate about art, animals and nature and has come to realize their healing power in people. Mary works at Dreamcatcher as a Nature-Based Art Therapist to support clients’ growth and healing by integrating art, animals and nature in her therapeutic practice.
Mary has experience in: (a) Individual art therapy with children ages 5-12 who suffered from abuse, anxiety, attachment issues, and loss and grief; (b) Group art therapy for sexual assault survivors ages 8-18; (c) Open group art therapy with seniors; and (d) Group art therapy for family members of individuals with eating disorders.
Her areas of professional interests are diverse but rooted in social justice principles for populations of all ages, specifically for survivors of abuse and vulnerable populations including the LGBTQ2S+ community. Mary’s art therapy practice is nature-based, trauma-informed, and gender affirmed.
While Mary works with people of all ages in her therapeutic practice, she has a warm spot for children, youth, teens and young adults.
Mary combines art and nature in her art therapy practice to assist clients who are experiencing stress, anxiety, grief or loss, to move towards emotional, physical, social and spiritual health. She believes artmaking works well in a therapeutic setting because it is a non-verbal way of communicating: Experiences that might be too difficult to talk about can be expressed and released through artmaking. Additionally, clients do not have to be skilled in art to express themselves artistically; therefore, anyone can benefit from art therapy.
Nature is therapeutic because it holds mysteries, wonders, enchantments and endless possibilities of discoveries. Spending time in nature helps us to begin to understand it and supports us in feeling a part of nature. Mary believes the sensory experiences in nature and in art making enhances clients’ connections to nature and brings them to a deeper understanding of themselves, others, non-human life and the relationships among them. The process of personalizing experiences in nature by making tangible objects (art pieces) could be transformational for clients as they free their thoughts and feelings by externalizing what was inside of them without the need to verbalize it.
Additionally, Mary uses her nature-based art therapy practice to help create communities where all humans and non-humans share space with equity, diversity and sustainability.

Kaytlyn Morris MSW, Registered Social Worker

Kaytlyn

Kaytlyn started her journey with Dreamcatcher™ as a practicum student in 2015. She found herself staying with the team through various roles, as a volunteer, animal handler, behaviour interventionist, and now a mental health therapist. She quickly found her passion in Animal-Assisted Therapy and Nature-Assisted Therapy, combining helping others with her love of animals.

Kaytlyn has experience supporting children and youth with anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal ideation, ADHD, FASD, grief and loss, trauma, substance use, gang affiliation, and justice system involvement. She has worked as an outreach social worker in the inner city and correctional facilities, supporting adults with concurrent disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and substance use, and who are houseless. She is competent in providing crisis intervention, safety planning, and harm reduction strategies. She is an advocate for families and their children, empowering them to overcome systemic barriers to nurture their needs and wellness. Kaytlyn works from a place of non-judgmental, client-centered, strength-based and recovery-focused support. In addition to Animal-Assisted Therapy, she involves aspects and strategies from Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Play Therapy in her work. She also offers Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing as a therapeutic option.

In Kaytlyn’s free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends. She can also be found riding her horse, traveling to the mountains, or going to concerts. She has two kittens, Frank and Barb, and a dog, Randy, who she hopes to introduce into the Animal-Assisted Therapy role in the future.

Meagan Schirrmacher, M.C., C.C.C.

Meagan

In September 2022, Meagan began her placement with Dreamcatcher™ as a Masters of Counselling student through City University of Seattle and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from MacEwan University. While employed as a youth worker with marginalized teens and young adults, she saw first-hand the impact that animals could have on clients as they became more comfortable and engaged during visits to the Humane Society’s kitten room. This observation, coupled with her deep connection to horses, led her to Dreamcatcher™ to pursue her interests in equine and animal-assisted therapy, and how to integrate them into her practice.
Meagan takes a trauma-focused, client-centered, and strength-based perspective, working hard to meet people “where they are at.” She believes everyone is trying to do the best they can with the skills they have in that moment. Meagan has experience working with adolescents with concurrent disorders who are struggling with mental health and addictions, including crisis intervention, safety planning and harm reduction strategies. She has also worked collaboratively with Child and Family Services’ High Risk Youth Team, supporting youth associated with interpersonal violence, homelessness, gang affiliation, and exploitation.
In her spare time, Meagan enjoys surrounding herself with friends and family, and spending time with her dog Leia, and cats Lily, Castiel, and Witchy.

Behaviour Interventionists

Masters Practicum Student

Liesel Wierenga

Sarah Nicholson, B.A.

LIESEL

Liesel started out at Dreamcatcher™ in 2017 as a volunteer where she began feeding and caring for the animals. She advanced through the roles and became an animal handler, then Volunteer Coordinator, and now a Behavioural Interventionist. She is completing her degree in Therapeutic Recreation online through the University of Lethbridge which enables her to help others build social, emotional, physical, cognitive, spiritual and environmental skills through enjoyable and meaningful activities. She has worked with children, youth, adults and seniors in clinical settings, helping them find purpose and meaning to their lives through recreation and leisure. Liesel grew up on a farm and loves spending time in nature and with animals of all kinds. Her passion is to help individuals experience the healing that nature and animals can bring to those who live with mental health challenges.

SARAH

In September 2023, Sarah began her internship placement with Dreamcatcher™ as a Master of Counselling Student through City University and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology from Concordia University. Sarah started her journey at Dreamcatcher™ during her undergraduate degree in 2016 and immediately fell in love with the animals, the land, and the people. She has since been working in the field of psychology with high-risk populations for 7 years, with various ages and mental health issues.

Sarah utilizes a trauma-informed, client-centred and strength-based approach, and is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She also includes strategies from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy and Narrative Therapy. She has experience working with children, youth and parents with anxiety, depression, self-harm, substance use, and interpersonal violence, and is competent in providing crisis intervention and safety planning. Sarah believes in the special healing power that nature and animals can provide and is passionate about incorporating both into her therapeutic practice. She believes that everyone can achieve a healthy and fulfilling life and is skilled at highlighting the strengths, goals, and values that each individual client has.

In her spare time, Sarah enjoys gardening, spending time at the local gym, reading a good book or spending time with her family and her dog, Murphy.

Dog Trainers

Janelle Gould

JANELLE

Animal training has been a part of Janelle’s life since the time she was 12 years old. Starting with riding, training, and eventually competing with horses in show jumping, Janelle got her first dog with behavioural issues which started her down a path to finding the most reliable and successful methods for dog training that are based in science vs anecdotal evidence.
Janelle holds her CTDI Certification and is working on completing her CPDT licensing. She has a passion for working breed dogs and always enjoys finding the best ways to encourage them to engage appropriately with their families. Janelle also holds her VMA certificate from NAIT and has several years of experience working in veterinary healthcare.
Janelle has been training alongside the Dreamcatcher Animal Assisted Therapy canine trainers, therapists and educators for 1 year and is learning the intricacies of how to train canines to work in helping professions and practices.
Whether you are looking for behavioural consultation, puppy training, or canine therapy training, we are so excited to work with you, Janelle and your 4 legged family member to create a plan to move forward in your training goals.

Danielle Clark, BA

daNIELLE

Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and has been certified as a Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed through the Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers (CAPPDT). She completed the Calgary Humane Society Dog Training Apprenticeship program, where she continued to serve as a full time Animal Behaviour Specialist and Trainer, behaviorally screening and training animals in shelter, as well as teaching public classes. Danielle has completed 2 training's in Tellington TTouch for Companion Animals and has been a licensed presenter for Dogs & Storks and The Dog & Baby Connection Family Paws Parent Education programs.
With an extensive training background, working with many different animal species, including exotics such as Ring-tailed Lemurs and Nurse Sharks, as well as years of experience training horses, Danielle has spent over fifteen years honing her skills as a science based animal trainer. In addition to her experience training pet dogs, she has also worked as a lead trainer for a Psychiatric Service Dog Training Institute and multiple Animal Assisted Therapy organizations.

Support Staff

Jess Mayhew B.H.Sc., Manager of Operations

Jess

Jess graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in Addictions Counselling in 2009. She grew up in the Okanagan, with such a passion for children and animals that she knew she had to find some capacity to work with them together. She has a great love and respect for all species of animals from horses to salamanders, fish to hedgehogs. She has a particular fondness for reptiles of all sorts, especially snakes.
Jess loves working with kids of all ages and especially enjoys the opportunity to teach them all sorts of things about animals, like how reptiles are ectothermic or chickens typically take 21 days to hatch. In her downtime, Jess enjoys fire spinning, drawing haida artwork, playing video games, gardening, and caring for her son, husband, and guinea pig: Sour Krowse. She loves to travel and hopes to visit Iceland and Ireland in the upcoming years.
You can usually catch Jess giving a belly rub to Rain the horse, checking up on the chickens, or napping with Emma the sheep!

Shayna Scarpino B.A., Intake Coordinator, Academy Administrator

SHAYNA

Shayna’s journey with Dreamcatcher™ began in the fall of 2020 as a practicum student, embarking on a path that led her to hold various pivotal roles within the organization, ultimately landing her in the role of Intake Coordinator.
Shayna's professional trajectory is driven by a profound passion for helping others. Currently pursuing her Masters in Counselling Psychology, Shayna is deeply attuned to the therapeutic potential of the human-animal bond. Her work in this area has deepened her appreciation for the unique connections that animals can foster, and she's witnessed firsthand the positive impact they can have on personal growth and healing. In all her endeavors, Shayna is guided by her mission to build meaningful connections, foster individual growth, and provide unwavering support, all with the ultimate aim of helping individuals reach their full potential. Her journey is a testament to her commitment to making a profound and lasting impact in the lives of those she encounters.

Megan Riley, Volunteer Coordinator, Evening Admin

Megan

Megan has always had a strong passion and love for animals since a very young age and has background experience working in animal care with rescue animals. As an aspiring Psychology Major at MacEwan University, her goal is to complete a master’s degree in Counselling.

Since beginning university, she knew she wanted to incorporate unconventional therapy methods including animal and nature therapy, art therapy, and music therapy into her scope of practice. She then discovered Dreamcatcher™, which matched all of her criteria, and volunteered for two years before applying for the position of Volunteer Coordinator. In this role, she has learned new skills, had the opportunity to apply her knowledge in animal care, gained necessary experience within this profession, and is able to assist others who are seeking to work with animals while reaching their professional and personal goals.

In her spare time, Megan likes to go hiking in the mountains, create art, meditate and dance the night away at music festivals. One day, she would like to travel around the world to countries that are culturally diverse and rich.

Time on the Land Administrator

Cheryl

In 2020 Cheryl started in the role of Administrator for the Time on the Land program at Dreamcatcher™, after an early retirement from the health insurance industry. Her 31 year career has provided her with the experience and knowledge to administrate the Time on the Land program, organizing special events supporting individuals who are struggling with being socially distanced from friends and family during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cheryl’s informative years were spent living on a farm with her family while her grandparents lived across the road from her. She credits a big part of her nurturing love, compassion of animals and helping others to the love and guidance of her grandparents.
Over the past 35 plus years she has volunteered and supported various charities, animal rights and rescues in the Edmonton area.
When you ask her how she feels about the Time on the Land program, the Dreamcatcher™ team, the land and the co-counsellor animals - her face lights up with the biggest smile and she will tell you how one door closed as another opened into her passion of helping others, being on the land with nature and animals and that she couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity.

Dale Vandenberg, Engineer, Property Maintenance

dale

Dale is a Civil Engineering Technologist by trade and an “If you can dream it, I can make it” at heart. He loves working with his hands and being outdoors and it was his idea of having a country garden that planted the seed to fuel the emergence of Dreamcatcher™.
After 6 months of searching for the perfect home with his wife Eileen, they discovered the property that is now Dreamcatcher™. Dale immediately went to work with fencing and seeding pastures, purchasing heavy equipment to maintain the land, and cutting and clearing walking trails. To this day he continues to keep the program going by splitting and stacking wood, creating new furniture for staff to offer more therapeutic mediums, acquiring hay and straw for the animals, maintaining the property, and building anything the team can dream up. Dale does it all. If you have a vision, he will bring it to life.
The smiles on the faces of the people that visit, the joy experienced by the volunteers and staff, and seeing the once homeless or hurting animals thrive, has become his priceless return on investment. Dale’s passion with landscaping and loving the outdoors has been put to good use at Dreamcatcher™ as around the property you can see bountiful birdhouses, bird feeders and even a bat box! You can also see Dale’s handiwork with the addition of beautiful flower gardens around the barn and office, sunflowers around the second corral, picnic tables and benches, and beautiful trees to “spruce” up an area or to commemorate our past co-counsellors.
From extreme hayrides to plowing snow, to chopping wood or creating new animal homes, it doesn't get any better than this.

Co-Counsellors

Dreamcatcher™ is a haven to many animals, some of whom were once homeless and hurting. These animals have found healing and a forever home at Dreamcatcher™ and now dedicate their days to helping the people who come to Dreamcatcher™. Each one of them has a story and special skills which make them excellent co-counselors in Animal-Assisted Therapy and Equine Facilitated Counselling. Together both animals and humans find hope and healing by learning to be themselves - no strings attached. These critters are our co-counselors and our friends. All of the Dreamcatcher™ animals have been specially chosen, screened and trained for the work that they do. They are an essential part of the Animal and Nature-Assisted Therapy program at Dreamcatcher™.

Rain

Rain is a purebred paint mare that has only half an ear. She was born in the midst of winter and was not found until her ears had already sustained terrible frostbite. Her legs had also frozen and as a result, her growth is stunted and she will likely suffer arthritis throughout her lifetime. Upon finding the half frozen new filly, the farmer and his family took her inside and raised her in their basement until she was strong and healthy enough to live outside in spring. Rain was loved and spoiled by the children who cared for her.

Once placed with other horses, Rain had trouble fitting in due to her lack of ears. All of the horses she met thought that Rain was angry or bossy all the time (as horses who are angry or bossy, lay their ears flat back on their head). The family decided Rain needed another home. A kind lady named Cindy met Rain by chance and decided to take her home. Cindy tried to integrate Rain into her herd of horses. The horses rejected her and were unkind to her. As Rain was only a year old, and a kind soul by nature, she had no defense.

Rain was misunderstood by all the horses she encountered. Shortly thereafter, Cindy heard about Dreamcatcher™ and donated "No Ears" to the program along with a llama named Mr. Spitzie whom she had also rescued. We renamed No Ears with Whispering Rain and introduced her to some children with disabilities who have loved her with all their hearts.

When Rain came to Dreamcatcher™ she was the first horse on the property. This was to her advantage as all new horses who arrived seemed to accept her more readily just for who she was.
Rain is currently third in the horse hierarchy. Because Rain was "raised" by humans, rather than a horse mom, she is very people oriented but also has a few quirks. Rain is very loving, gentle and loyal. She is a solid horse and can handle the excited fast movements of children without blinking an eye. She loves head hugs and getting yummy treats.

Rain's therapeutic specialty is in teaching tolerance, patience and boundaries. She loves with all her heart and never discriminates. She steals people's hearts because she never gives up no matter how much she has been through. She is a lot like many of the people she helps and is truly cut out for this work.

echo

Echo is a thoroughbred race horse. He was a second place winner at Northlands in Edmonton and it is said that he was worth $20,000. While racing, Echo injured his knee and needed surgery to get back on the track. Once healed, he got back on the track but refused to run. As a result, it is believed he was not treated well and then sold to a kind lady for one dollar. She in turn, sold him to Dreamcatcher™ who was able to purchase him with money donated in memory of a young girl named Hillary who died of cancer. Echo is Hillary's horse and when he first came to live here he was sad and stayed away from everyone, even the other horses. He needed some help to gain a healthy weight and some extra care for his crumbling hooves. Several years later it was discovered that Echo had cancer in his eye lid, which had to be removed. Today Echo is healthy and happy.

In the herd, Echo is second in line in the hierarchy. He is like a “big brother” to the other animals and often plays games with Moonshine, the mini donkey and TeddyBear and Rocky, the mini horses. He takes care of the new arrivals, helping them feel safe and assisting them to find their place in the herd. On occasion he and Mr. Spitzie, the llama, will have disagreements about who gets to be the boss while the lead mare is out of sight. Echo also has a mischievous sense of humor and will often test the boundaries of what he can get away with, such as playfully nudging an unsuspecting handler sending them off balance, or untying his lead rope from the fence…no matter how well secured! Echo is kind and gentle. He seems to be a deep thinker and connects strongly with those he works with.

Echo has a way of making people feel special. As a result, he is most often chosen as the horse people want to work with. This is surprising as he really did not seem to like people much when he first arrived. He has learned to trust at Dreamcatcher™ and now he is teaching this to others. Echo's therapeutic specialty is teaching kindness and gentleness to people who are generally aggressive or angry. He also excels at helping people follow direction and at teaching people who have been abused that it is ok to trust again.

He has found his forever home here at Dreamcatcher™ and appears to thoroughly enjoy his new job. He is the first to greet anyone who walks up to the fence and he even calls to those he sees coming from a distance. Meeting Echo is truly a pleasure.

ZEUS

Zeus is a Shire/Paint Draft horse with an incredible story and a caring personality. His previous owner is a retired Chief Information Officer with Alberta Children’s Services and in 2012, he led a ride with Zeus across Canada in support of victims of Child Sexual Exploitation. Zeus is truly a “gentle giant” and came to live with us at Dreamcatcher™ because his loving owner wanted him to have other horses to care for while he continued to help people in need. Zeus became Dreamcatcher’s™ healthy leader and protects the equine herd while he teaches people about healthy boundaries and relationships while providing healing, comfort and joy to all.

ROMEO

Romeo, formerly Rupert, is a stunning Connemara, brought to Dreamcatcher™ by a wonderful family whose daughter jumped competitively with him. Eventually, as people grow up their interests change, and Romeo needed a new home.
In Fall 2018, Dreamcatcher™ friends, family, and horses were still feeling sorrow after the loss of our lead mare Buttons in March of that year, but were looking for a new horse at the same time Romeo was looking for a new home. Romeo loves people and is one of the first to come over to you, especially if you have cookies! He is not afraid to show is affection, showering you with kisses and getting into your personal space. It was this love and adoration that prompted the name change to Romeo.

ceilidh

Ceilidh (pronounced “Kay-leigh”) is a standard donkey. She was donated with her sister Daisy by Sue McIntosh of the Healing Hooves program and came to live at Dreamcatcher™ in 2006.  Before coming to Dreamcatcher™, she and her sister worked with Sue helping children and youth with mental health issues.

When Ceilidh was born, her mother refused to feed her or look after her.  Ceilidh was fostered out to a loving family where she was bottle fed.  Soon after, Daisy was born by Ceilidh's mother.  It was assumed that Daisy would be treated the same as Ceilidh was but in fact, Daisy was treated well by her mother and was able to stay in her care as a young jenny. In the end, both Ceilidh and Daisy went to live at Sue's and then to Dreamcatcher™ where they both help people understand that life may sometimes seem unfair but it often works out for the best in the end.

Ceilidh is very sweet and usually calm and laid back. She loves working with people and enjoys a good ear scratch. Her best friend was her sister Daisy and the two of them were joined at the hip. If separated from each other they would become very distressed and when they were reunited both would nuzzle and dance around together, sometimes braying gleefully.

Ceilidh has an adopted brother, Mini Donkey Moonshine who usually follows her around. Moonshine likes to play and like any younger sibling can sometimes be a pain! Ceildih is tolerant and loving toward Moonshine but will put him in his place if needed.

At some point in Ceildih’s life she over ate and foundered. This is evident by the large fat deposit in her neck which causes her neck to flop to the right side. Ceilidh did recover from her time of founder and hasn’t experienced it since, however her neck will always remain flopped to the side.

Ceilidh LOVES treats!  When she sees you at the treat barrel she will put on a singing show of ‘Eyawing’ and braying so loud that you have no choice but to feed her. She loves working with people and help them to overcome their fears, accept things the way they are and learn to be loving and kind. She also helps people increase their frustration tolerance and learn to be patient. She is great at helping people become good problem solvers.
For more information on Ceilidh's sister Daisy, please visit the In Our Hearts tab.

moonshine

We have had Moonshine since he was 6 months old. The lady who rescued Rain and Mr. Spitzie, Cindy, made Moonshine special for us. She breeds mini donkeys and had promised us a Jack as soon as he was weaned from his mother. Moonshine came to live with us in the summer of 2006. At first he refused to walk or go through gates when he was led on halter. Now, if he is wearing his halter, the only way he’ll walk is if he can hold the rope in his mouth and walk himself! He is truly a donkey! Moonshine follows us everywhere when he is not on lead and he is the first to run up and meet and greet new people.

Moonshine loves to play and often can be found wreaking havoc in the pasture by chasing all the larger animals and smacking Echo, the race horse, with large sticks that he holds in his mouth to do so. Moonshine is the adopted little brother to standard donkeys Ceilidh and Daisy and he loves to follow his big sisters around. Moonshine is also friends with the miniature horse Gravy and Shetland Pony Teddy, but he seems to be particularly fond of Echo. He and Echo spend many hours playing and goofing around in the pasture. Moonshine is a delight to watch and to be with.

Moonshine specializes in helping people feel welcome and comfortable, providing a wonderful sense of comic relief, teaching people to remember to play and have fun and helping people who have a fear of large animals to overcome their fear while building their self confidence. Moonshine is also very sensitive and has been known to stay with people who are weeping until they feel better.

Ellie

This is one of our sheep Ellie!

We got sweet Ellie from a very loving home in February 2020. At first she demonstrated the anxiety of being in a new place while trying to form relationships and fit in. Then she demonstrated how quickly we can form attachments and become loving when we are loved. She then allowed clients who were also anxious and trying to find their place to feel safe with her. Ellie helps clients by being calm and relaxed.

Teddy

Teddy Bear, Teddy for short, is a Shetland Pony who was donated to us by a family with small children. Teddy used to give many pony rides to many children until one day he decided that he didn't want to do it anymore. He started to run in circles when the children were riding him and he became hard to catch. When we met Teddy, he didn't want to know us. He ran from us every time we tried to get near him. He wouldn't even come over if we had his favorite food. Teddy has trouble trusting people and thinks that we only want to be with him to ride on his back. We promised Teddy that we would never ride him and we never have and we never will.

Even after several years of work, Teddy still has trouble trusting. He has improved greatly and will, once he knows you, come and take treats from your hand or out of a bucket. A lot of calm patience is required but once you get a halter on him he relaxes. Occasionally he will still have moments of panic and run in a circle. Teddy prefers calm, slow movements and sounds.

In the herd, Teddy would stay by himself or with the senior horses. In the fall of 2013 we placed him with two new mini horses after the passing of his best friend Kenya. Teddy was always the last one into the corral for treats and sometimes you would have to throw the treats so he could get them. More recently, his friends Sally and Fitz have left, but Teddy has now become friends with Gravy, the mini horse.

We love Teddy for who he is and we won't give up on him. We'll keep trying to help him to overcome his fear of people and eventually we'll convince him that he will never have to do another pony ride again.

Teddy teaches patience, kindness and empathy. When working with him we are truly working FOR him. He also helps people understand that it is normal to lose trust when we are disrespected or harmed but that it is always possible to gain it back again with love and kindness.

Gravy

Gravy the mini-horse was heartbroken over the loss of his mare and unborn foal due to complications during birthing that resulted in both of their passing. He and his owners both longed for him to have companionship in a home that would provide much love and affection. And so he came to Dreamcatcher™ at the same time Teddy was missing his mini-horse friends. The two of them can often be found playing in the mini pasture.

In Fall 2018, Gravy came to Dreamcatcher™ as saddened 4 year old stallion. Since being with us he has taught many about healthy boundaries and respect. He is a great introduction to horses for those that may be fearful of the bigger equines.

ninja

Ninja was without a home or family to love and cherish her before joining us at Dreamcatcher™. She now has found Dreamcatcher™ as her home with many people to love and care for her. Ninja works alongside her family at Dreamcatcher™ as a co-counsellor, and now helps people to find their way to a happier life. She is a very curious and caring cat that loves to wander her territory and see where the action is. You will see her casually roaming the property, meeting new people, checking up on the animals, and saying hello to everyone in the office, on the land, and even in visitors cars! Her presence is like a breath of fresh air as we all love and care for her deeply. Ninja loves to wander but will go straight to the treats when they become available! She is deeply loved and valued here at Dreamcatcher™ and we are so happy that she has found her home here with Eileen and Dreamcatcher™. We would not be the same without Ninja as she is a big part of what keeps us whole.

emma

Emma arrived in December 2015 with her llama sister, Snow. She loves to greet visitors and will lift her head all the way back so you can give a really good neck scratch! Emma has been such a blessing as her calm, gentle nature makes it easy for people to approach her. In the winter of 2018/2019 she suffered a great loss, as her best friends Bilbo the Sheep and Snow the Llama passed away 5 months apart from each other. Despite her grief, she is still there for people and animals and is a great grounding presence for anyone having a difficult day or in need of help. In Spring 2020, Dreamcatcher™ accepted a yearling sheep Ellie. At first Emma was not sure what to make of this spry, young thing but Ellie soon won over her heart and now the two are inseparable.

wanda

Wanda came to us in June 2016 with her half-brother Joey after he was abandoned by his mother. When she arrived, she had to live with the chickens for a few weeks as it is important to quarantine and new animals before introducing them to the herd. Wanda was lonely but now happily lives with her new step-sisters, Luna and Stardust and Emma the sheep. She is the Princess of the Pen and is the first to greet you when visiting. She loves neck scratches, but especially loves to have between her toes rubbed and will put her foot on your knee for her pedicure! Wanda loves to go walking with us and stops often to check out what she can eat along the way. When she is tired, she makes the cutest little noises and when she sleeps, she snores! Wanda is such a great goat, teaching assertiveness and respect to those that come to visit at her at Dreamcatcher™.

Stardust & luna

Luna and Stardust came to Dreamcatcher™ in May 2018, and their past owner thought they might both be pregnant, but wasn’t entirely sure. Sure enough within 45 days they both delivered. Luna’s baby Jupiter arrived in July, but sadly Stardust’s baby, Starblanket, passed away due to complications during birth in June.
Luna is a caring mother and a friendly, curious goat. She takes time to warm up to new people but once she does, she is so loving.
Stardust is curious, friendly, and has a large personal space bubble. She is very timid and cautious, and takes quite a bit of time to get used to visitors. She likes to be around people but does not always like to be touched. Both Luna and Stardust are wonderful at teaching healthy boundaries and keeping oneself safe.

Nova

Nova and Eclipse were born at the ranch to their mama Stardust on April 24th, 2019. They are the oldest of our baby goats that were born in 2019 here at Dreamcatcher™.
For more information on Nova's sister Eclipse, please visit the In Our Hearts tab.

Orion

Orion was born at the ranch to his mama Luna on May 6th, 2019. He is the middle child of our baby goats that were born in 2019 here at Dreamcatcher™.

Sully & Ollie

Sully and Ollie were born at the ranch to their mama Wanda after the longest, most anticipated baby goat delivery in Dreamcatcher™ history. On May 29th, 2019, the hottest day of the year, we welcomed them and their sister Ruby to the Dreamcatcher™ program.
For more information on their sister Ruby, please visit the In Our Hearts tab.

So Many chickens

Some of the older Dreamcatcher™ chickens were bought from a local auction, but most of them were born and raised here in our coop! Our chickens specialize in teaching nurturing by messing up their coop regularly and supervising while our program participants learn to clean it. They also play hard to get when people try to catch them, thus instilling a well-earned sense of accomplishment and pride when they do finally accomplish this task! Helping people develop self-esteem and confidence is their therapeutic specialty. As for working with aggressive people, there are no better monitors for animal abuse then our chickens. You absolutely cannot abuse them without the whole world knowing it. All of our chickens are very friendly and love to meet new people. They are wonderful therapists and have helped many to overcome their life issues.

When babies are born, which they often are, the mother hens help children witness, first hand, what good child care is all about. The children often tell their stories while sitting quietly and observing the hens taking care of their babies. Sometimes a hen will abandon her chicks, which leads to conversations about feelings and identification with how the chicks might feel. Often, when this happens, another hen will ‘adopt’ the neglected chick and take care of her until her mother returns or until she can fend for herself if the mother does not return. This natural animal behavior elicits much conversation from our children and youth and there is no better place to have a heartfelt conversation than in the chicken coop on a warm Spring or Summer day while listening to the coo of the hens and watching them go about their lives.

Want to meet our furry co-counsellors? Check out how to book a meet and greet with them below!

Meet and Greet