Free Rein Wellbeing

About Shelley

“I’m very fortunate to be able to do this work, it combines my two passions, helping others and horses, now my horses get to share their wisdom and help others to” – Shelley Newey

Shelley is Principal Practitioner of Free Rein Wellbeing. She has 10+ years of experience facilitating programs and working with complex Children and Adolescents, their families and their carers in various sectors including Out of Home Care and Child, Youth and Family Welfare. Shelley is a registered Counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association, a certified Equine Assisted Psychotherapist with the Equine Psychotherapy Institute, holds qualifications in Community Services, and has extensive training in Child and Adolescent Development, Developmental/Complex Trauma, Trauma informed Care and Therapeutic Care, Family Violence, Youth Justice, and Foster Carer Training and Assessing. She has more than 30 years experience with horses.

Shelley specialises in working with Young People, their families and carers subject to Child Protection and Youth Justice orders, those who have experienced trauma, as well as those people experiencing neurodiversity, with or without access to NDIS. All her work is trauma-informed and uniquely delivered to each unique client. She has a special interest in working with professionals in these sectors who desire to hone their relational practice with their clients. Sessions for Professionals can be tax deductible, check with your accountant.

About the Model

WHAT IS THE EQUINE PSYCHOTHERAPY INSTITUTE (EPI) MODEL?

7 Principles of Practice of the EPI Model

The EPI Model has 7 Principles of practice that ensure professionalism, safety and ethics in the work:

Relationship
Sessions focus on the horse-client-practitioner relationship as the container and medium for change. Equine experiences are relationally offered, the model rests on the therapeutic belief and research indicator that it is the ‘relationship that heals’.
Holistic Practice
The approach works across all layers of human experience and functioning, and is processed by the practitioner across all layers of human experience, including somatic (body), feeling (affect), cognitive, behavioural and relational experience.
Ethics
The approach is an integrated and ethically driven model, where values and ethics that guide practitioners are drawn from the APS (Psychologist ethics), AASW (Social Work ethics), Eco-psychology and Animal Welfare Ethics.
Theory of Change
The theory of change is drawn from a coherent and comprehensive system of psychological and psychotherapeutic theory and practice. It is explicitly taught to practitioners, and guides the focus of sessions for effective outcomes.
Horse Wisdom Psycho-Education
The model teaches students and clients life lessons from horses. Horse Wisdom psycho-education is integrated into this model of therapy and learning, and thus incorporates a unique educational approach. Importantly, the horses participate in sessions in a unique way governed by the I-Thou Horse-person-ship approach, created by Institute founder, Meggin Kirby.
Specialist Trained Practitioners
All EAP and EAL practitioners are trained in 3 specialist fields - change processes in psychotherapy and experiential learning, equine studies and horsemanship, and, the unique horse-human dynamics in EAP and EAL. EPI Foundation Practitioner training includes 124 hours of training and supervision, and additional final assessment processes. EPI Advanced training includes 220 hours of training and assessment.
Personal Work and Professional Growth
EPI practitioners are committed to their personal growth and professional growth as the foundation for ethical and professional practice. Practitioners begin deep personal work in the training and commit to ongoing personal therapy to keep their work safe and effective for their clients, and to ensure congruence of the work.

Further Info

About Our Values

Acknowledgment to Country

FREE REIN WELLBEING ACKNOWLEDGES ALL ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES AS AUSTRALIA’S FIRST PEOPLE AND IN PARTICULAR THE GUNNAI KURNAI PEOPLE AS TRADITIONAL CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND FROM WHICH FREE REIN OPERATES. WE VALUE THEIR CULTURES, IDENTITIES, AND CONTINUING CONNECTION TO COUNTRY, WATERS, KIN AND COMMUNITY. WE PAY OUR RESPECTS TO ELDERS PAST, PRESENT AND EMERGING. ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE WELLBEING OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE, BY PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE WELCOMING, SAFE, CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND INCLUSIVE.

We value Diversity

FREE REIN WELLBEING IS COMMITTED TO EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND ELIMINATING DISCRIMINATION. WE WELCOME ALL PEOPLE IRRESPECTIVE OF ETHNICITY, LIFESTYLE CHOICE, FAITH, SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY.