About Hope Meadows Foundation
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Hope Meadows, an Equine-Assisted Counseling and Life Skills non-profit located in Northeast Ohio, was established in 2018 by Anne Kichurchak and Michelle Togliatti. The organization emerged from the depths of personal struggles, as both founders faced challenges such as depression, suicidology, and eating disorders during their high school years. Their individual paths to recovery, though unique, shared a common thread of resilience and determination.
Anne discovered healing through inpatient care that incorporated equine therapy during her time out west. On the other hand, Michelle, due to financial constraints, sought solace in therapy and her faith. Despite the different routes they took, the two founders reconnected years later, united by the shared experience of overcoming their difficulties and a shared desire to extend a helping hand to others.
Equine therapy played a pivotal role in both Anne and Michelle's journeys to healing, compelling them to introduce this transformative modality to Northeast Ohio. Thus, Hope Meadows came into existence on paper in 2018 and welcomed its first client in March of 2019, initially finding its home in Bath, Ohio, and later expanding to Anne's private facility in Richfield.
As Hope Meadows continued to evolve, the organization achieved a significant milestone in 2023 by officially acquiring its own home—a picturesque 20-acre property nestled in Granger Township, Ohio. Today, the organization has cultivated a vibrant community comprising dedicated team members, volunteers, a committed Board of Directors, and a herd of 14 equines.
Hope Meadows takes pride in fostering a culture of caring hearts and places a strong emphasis on the continuous training and growth of its staff. This commitment ensures the delivery of the highest quality services, creating an environment where healing can flourish. Currently, Hope Meadows serves the communities of Cuyahoga, Summit, Medina, and surrounding counties in Northeast Ohio.
The journey of Hope Meadows is a testament to the power of resilience, compassion, and the transformative impact of equine-assisted therapy in the lives of those navigating the complexities of mental health and personal growth.
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Hope Meadows is dedicated to transforming lives through equine assisted mental health services and life skills programs; body, mind and spirit.
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Hope Meadows serves the community to provide Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) to children, adolescents, adults, groups, couples, and families.
In working as a specialized treatment team of a Mental Health Specialist, Equine Specialist and Horse(s), we create a healing environment for at-risk youth, first responders, healthcare workers, survivors of human trafficking, LGBTQ+, those affected by depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, and PTSD.
Why Equine therapy
Equine-Assisted psychotherapy provides an experiential means in which the client can identify and address a range of emotional and behavioral challenges and learn healthy and appropriate skills to address these challenges. Horses provide vast opportunities for metaphorical learning, an effective technique when working with even the most challenging individuals or groups.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hope Meadows Foundation
This non-traditional type of mental health counseling is unfamiliar to many people, so naturally you may have questions about how it works. We’ve done our best to compile some of the common questions about Equine Assisted emotional therapy, but if you have more, one of our team members would be happy to answer them directly via email or phone.
How To Support Us
Hope Meadows Foundation is a not-for-profit organization. We rely on donations, sponsorships and partnerships with area individuals and organizations in order to continue our important work. If you would like get involved in supporting our cause, there are a variety of options for you to do so.
How To Partner With Us
If you are a part of a company or organization and would like to consider designing a program for your team, we are here to help. Get your employees out of the office and into the barn for some experiential learning with horses.
Testimonials from Our Clients
We are so grateful to have the opportunity to use equine assisted emotional therapy to provide eye opening experiences and affect positive change in our clients lives.
