CYNTHIA SEALE
Certified Equus Coach®
Certified DreamBuilder® Coach
Meet Cynthia
There was a time when I was absolutely terrified of horses, until a gentle four-legged giant named Buddy at a Colorado dude ranch taught me everything I would ever need to know about trust. I arrived at that Rocky Mountain vacation ranch as a young girl scared out of my wits at the thought of being near a horse, much less saddling up. When our week at the ranch ended, I was convinced I could not live without my new equine friend, and that he most certainly could not live without me. I had to leave Buddy behind, but his spirit hitched a ride in my heart, where it remains to this very day.
Why I Chose Equus Coaching
Through trying teen years and the challenges of adulthood, the ebb and flow of time spent with horses helped shed layers of protective armor, opened my eyes and heart to the possibilities of authentic and judgement free relationships and reconnected me to the true Self I once knew as a young girl. This experiential journey deeply inspired me to help others discover their own true nature through the mind/body/heart/soul connection and the magnificent wisdom of horses. The opportunity to train and become a certified Equus Coach® brought me full circle, clearing a fresh path for a new life journey that includes following my passion of inspiring others to find their light and let it shine.
Want to know more? Bio and credentials below.
Background and Backstory
EDUCATION
Certified Equus Coach®, The Center for Equus Coaching (EquusCoach.com) Formerly Koelle Institute for Equus Coaching
Certified DreamBuilder® Coach, Brave Thinking® Institute
Bachelor of Science Landscape Architecture w/Urban Planning Minor, Arizona State University
Certifications - Equus Coach®, BTI DreamBuilder®, NPDES Certified Stormwater Inspector, LEED AP, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Grant Writing, Low Impact Development and Green Infrastructure CEUs
Frequently attend continuing education conferences, summits and webinars relevant to Equus and Life Coaching, nature-based learning, environmental and natural resource interests.
WORK and VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
For 25 years, my career was dedicated to environmental design and conservation, spanning both the private for-profit and non-profit sectors. As a Landscape Architect, I worked for two mid-size firms and enjoyed taking the entrepreneurial path of owning a design-build firm.
In the non-profit world and more recently, I worked to increase public awareness of the importance of natural resources and in particular, a river that serves as a critical water source for the state of Texas. The treasure in my chest was working with a major urban forestry foundation where I helped create an ongoing program for the design and implementation of outdoor learning centers at public schools that double as neighborhood parks to help children and their families discover and connect to nature.
As a teen and young adult, I was a camp counselor and Camp Director for an all-girls, summer sleep away equestrian camp. This experience gave me the unforgettable gift of observing young girls arriving shy and uncertain, and departing two weeks later, confident and empowered.
I’ve served on the board of directors for numerous community charitable and civic organizations and have also served as a volunteer for a horse rescue sanctuary, an equine therapy organization, and other horse riding/instruction facilities. Currently, I serve as a Founding Board Member for Bella Terra Stables in Pennsylvania, a non-profit serving children in crisis with healing and growth, through equine psychotherapy and equine assisted learning. What an honor!
BACKSTORY
The path to becoming an Equus Coach may have originated as a young child but there were many detours, stops, and course corrects along the way.
While I’ve had many life roles, the most important has been the role of a mother. Zigzagging through multiple careers, I parented three wonderful (now grown) children, who had no choice but to ride along and who, in looking back, taught me far more about life and living than I could ever teach them.
Like most beings having a human experience, I’ve experienced a few doses of trauma - several life-threatening. I’ve also stayed too long in a vacuum of domestic dysfunction and have buried myself beneath a heap of deep grief. No matter, I powered through them all - so I thought. Have you ever pulled out a suitcase to pack for an adventure and found a few items inside that you neglected to unpack from your last trip? There is no doubt that the extensive and intense training to become an Equus Coach managed to extract, reveal and help heal a emotional baggage left unpacked from so many life chapters. Who knew. And now, I have the honor of helping others experience the same.