You’ll find Meg Wettenhall in the hinterland of the Victorian Surf Coast, on a property who’s half a dozen horses are shielded from the odd passing car by bush scape that the property sits behind. When you do make your away down the driveway, it’s impossible to draw your eyes away from the horses. They are a mixture of coats and colours, they’re friendly and beautiful, while being both strong and gentle. These animals are different to those that call the neighbouring properties home, they are the essence of the purposeful work Meg lives and breathes – equine therapy.
Growing up in the small town of Mollongghip, a neighbour of Daylesford, Meg developed an early affinity with horses, they were a mainstay all throughout her life. Her connection to animals, and horses in particular, was a strong driver behind her choice of work and led her to becoming a psycho therapist and to now completing her Masters of Clinical Psychology. Almost every work decision, holiday, and life choice has centred around a focus on the outdoors, hiking, rafting, adventuring, and of course, animals. When talking about the experience of being amongst the nature and wildlife, like her adventure along the Pacific Crest Trail in North America, it’s clear that Meg so clearly lives her passion; “the environment, along with horses, nature and psychology”, and her connection with horses is a beacon in her aspirations of her work.
Learning through Meg about how the power of horses as an inter-species relating animal fosters their innate ability to identify and hear a human’s heart beat from 4 metres away, then lowering its own heart rate and breathing to match a person’s is one of the reasons these animals are so effective in treating the human condition. “We have a human centric world, where animals have always served a function [to humans]”, animals are treated as “a discord – separate to us”. Equine therapy is the demonstration of “connecting as a way that’s not human centric” Meg says to “look at it as an eco-centric perspective”. It is that phrase: eco-centric, that draws you back to who Meg is and how she views the world, taking away the overbearing propensity to focus our lives on the human experience and rather see the world through the eyes of nature. It is why she believes the purpose of her business is to “support people to make a connection to space and nature” along with the research that shows “connecting people to place will enhance their motivation to care for it”. It has the potential to be a full-circle and self-fulfilling prophecy.
Working day-to-day with animals and treating patients in a mainly outdoor environment has an idyllic sound to it but it’s Meg’s natural connection and belief in psycho therapy along with her trust in horses and their therapeutic ability that drives purpose and outcomes from her work – along with a mountain of study and research she’s acquired along her journey.
Find Meg at Candlebark Psychotherapy
