{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Equine Assisted World with Rupert Isaacson","title":"Healing Hidden Wounds and Trauma in Northern Ireland through Equine Assisted Services with Dr. Helen Sharp | EP 26 Equine Assisted World","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":6258,"description":"In this episode of Equine Assisted World, Rupert Isaacson sits down with Dr. Helen Sharp, an equine journalist, academic, and co-founder of Groundwork EAS—an equine-assisted charity on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. A leading voice in both equine media and trauma-informed equine work, Dr. Sharp brings a unique blend of artistry, horsemanship, and therapeutic insight to everything she does.She writes for The Irish Field and Farmers Journal, and her career spans journalism, community arts, equine bodywork, and academic research. She holds a PhD and has a background in sculpture and performance art, with her creative and research work shown around the world. As co-director of Groundwork, she serves veterans, trauma survivors, and neurodivergent individuals through programs that fuse nature, horses, and compassionate partnership.This powerful conversation traces her extraordinary journey from the Hebrides to heroin recovery, from performance art to equine-assisted leadership, and why horses continue to be the greatest teachers of all.📘 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The Origins of Groundwork EAS (Starts at 03:00)How Helen and co-founder Fiona Butchart launched the charity on a Northern Irish estate.The unique collaboration with Brooke House, a veterans' mental health charity.Why equine-assisted services are critical in a region with some of the UK’s highest mental health rates.Inside the Program: Grounding, Grooming, and Gentle Touch (Starts at 06:44)How Groundwork uses nonclinical space, tea rituals, and horsemanship to support healing.What a 10-week program looks like—from grooming to obstacle courses.The power of soft, tactile interaction and its effect on hypervigilance and aggression.Memorable Story: A Veteran’s Breakthrough with Breathing (Starts at 13:00)A former RUC officer transforms his relationship with anger through breathwork and horse partnership.How working with horses improved his family life.Breaking the Silence:...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/PuJAXgaKmhfeBRqqEPEATMHDH_c-iN9O1OlaUtqD0-g/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzQwMDI3LzE2ODI0/MjQ0MTQtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}