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Through the Gate LLC Facilitators

Facilitators are Dr. Mary Looman, a psychologist who has been conducting professional workshops for over 20 years; Cindy Barnes, an experienced educator and counselor; Amira Turner, MS, MSW, LCSW; and Anne Tucker, an experienced and respected horsewoman.

Dr. Mary Looman

Mary Looman has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and has been a licensed mental health provider for over twenty years. She has been an eagala certified provider since 2008 and has owned and trained horses for many years. Other than a dozen years in mid-management in corporate America, most of Mary’s career has been working with marginalized people in prisons, psychiatric hospitals, and in rural and inner-city communities. For over 14 years, she has taught at universities as an adjunct professor in the social sciences and criminal justice. Since 2013, she has been teaching at the University of Oklahoma for the College of Professional and Continuing Studies. In 2000, she received the Matilda B. Canter Award for Excellence in Education and Training from the American Psychological Association. In 2015, she co-authored a CHOICE Award book entitled, A Country Called Prison; Mass Incarceration and the Making of a New Nation (Oxford University Press). She has published a chapter in Kay Trotter’s book, Harnessing the Power of Equine-Assisted Counseling (Routledge, 2012) and several peer-reviewed articles on a variety of social science and criminology topics. She is a passionate and well-received presenter and key-note speaker.

Cindy Barnes, MS, LPC


Cindy and her heart horse, Majic. They love to go trail riding.

Cindy Barnes is a Licensed Professional Counselor who holds a BA in English and a MS in counseling from VCU where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses on the adjunct faculty for twenty years. She has been the Director of Students Services for a large local school division, director of a non-profit recovery program, and a consultant for businesses and non-profit organizations offering executive coaching and leadership education and training. Her recent volunteer experiences include providing leadership skills development and counseling for the participants in the Little Hawk Reentry Foundation, a program for individuals who have received education and experience in equine care while in prison. She is semi-retired with a limited private practice of counseling and consulting. She has recently obtained her mental health designation, organizational development designation, and educational designation from Arenas for Change (ARCH), an organization that provides training, education, and certification in equine assisted services.

Amira Turner, MS, MSW, LCSW


Amira and Kory

Amira is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has experience with addiction, trauma and stressor related disorders, as well as a wide range of other psychological challenges. As a therapist, she utilizes a variety of treatment modalities, including equine interactions in therapy, EMDR, and Brainspotting, to best serve each client's unique needs.

Amira graduated with her MSW from VCU and her MS in Addiction Studies through the International Programme in Addiction Studies. Her past experiences include public health and policy as well as community mental health. In addition to her work as a therapist, Amira also teaches behavioral sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Amira is a PATH Int'l trained Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL) and is expecting the University of Denver Equine Assisted Mental Health Practitioner Graduate Certificate IP (July 2024).

In her free time, Amira enjoys being out enjoying trails with her horse Kory and spending time at the river with her dogs.

 

Dr. Anne Tucker

Anne Tucker received a Ph.D. in toxicology from the University of Kentucky in 1976. She worked for 20 years in the area of immunotoxicology at the Medical College of Virginia and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, publishing over 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Long interested in horse racing, Anne retired in 1996 to devote full time to breeding. From a small band of mares, 21 winners including 2 stakes winners were produced at her farm, Bowles Knob Farm.

She also served on the board of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association and is past president of the Deep Run Hunt Horse Show Association. As an advocate of Thoroughbred Aftercare, Anne was involved in founding the James River chapter of the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, a Second Chances program offering both unwanted race horses and inmates another chance. She served as president for three years and was instrumental in founding the James River Horse Foundation.

Recognizing the value of horses in healing the human spirit, Anne became interested in EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) and was certified as an equine specialist in July of 2017. Wanting to broaden the scope of services offered at Through the Gate, Anne gained professional designation in ARCH (Arenas for Change) in May of 2022.


Anne introducing a new puppy to Covert Action at the James River Work Center.

The following article gives more information about Anne and Bowles Knob Farm: Catching Up With Virginia Owner/Breeder Anne Tucker & Her 2013 Colonial Downs “Horse of the Meet” Boltin’ Out

The facilitators of Through the Gate volunteer their services to the Little Hawk Reentry Foundation for rehabilitation of felons reentering society.

About Eagala and Arch

Eagala envisions a world where all people have access to high quality, professional equine-assisted psychotherapy and personal development services improving lives and systems worldwide. Eagala is a nonprofit organization with over 2,500 certified members in 40 countries.

For further information please visit eagala.org by clicking the image below.


www.eagala.org


Click logo to go to the website

Arenas for Change (ARCH), is a community of facilitation leaders in mental health, organizational development, coaching, and education. Clients are transformed through thought-provoking learning and collaboration using the horse-human interaction.

Call us or email to learn more or book an appointment and begin your journey.

Call us at 804-749-3324

E-mail us at ttgequine@gmail.com

Find us on Facebook - www.facebook.com/ThroughTheGateVA

Photos are courtesy of Debby Thomas (www.animalartandphotography.com)

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