About Us
At LinnBerry Creative Counseling, our goal is to provide options for children, youth, adults, individuals, couples, families, and groups whose needs are not being met in traditional therapeutic settings. We work independently or in collaboration with other providers to help clients break through barriers and move on to their next level of treatment.
Horses are highly sensitive social creatures. They give immediate feedback about behavior and feelings. For example, a negative approach with the horse will produce negative results, while a positive approaches will produce positive, highly rewarding results. This honest immediate feedback helps us discover effective ways of managing and overcoming challenges in our lives and human relationships.
Simply put, equine-assisted counseling is just less threatening. Often in traditional talk therapy, when someone is asked a direct question about a painful subject or something that is difficult to discuss, they just shut down. However, when using the horses in a therapeutic way, clients often see the issues in a different, more external way. The horse relationship is a real relationship that takes nurture and connection. Using the understandings through working with a horse can become very useful to help clients connect to deeper meanings in their personal relationships.
For example, individuals struggling with depression, feeling unloved, or not feeling cared for, often share that when a horse comes up and stays next to them, it resonates deeply with them. This real relationship from another living being then opens the door to further emotional growth and healing.
Pennie Linn Berry
MS, LPC, LMFT
Registered Play Therapist
EAGALA Certified
Telehealth Certified
Natural Lifemanship Level 1 trained
EMDR trained
Founder and Owner - LinnBerry Creative Counseling
About Pennie
Pennie Berry, founder and owner of LinnBerry Creative Counseling, has dual Master of Science degrees - one in Clinical Mental Health and the other in Marriage & Family Therapy with an emphasis in Play Therapy from John Brown University. She holds dual licenses in the State of Arkansas as a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT). Pennie is a Registered Play Therapist TM from the Association of Play Therapy, trained in EMDR processing, certified through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA), and has completed level one training and is actively pursuing a certification through Natural Lifemanship, to implement equine assisted counseling.
Theoretical Approach
Through her training at John Brown University, Pennie received education on many different treatment modalities and will use an integrative approach with a combination that suits you personally, to help you reach your goals. She has been specially trained in Sand Tray therapy, where figurines are used as metaphors for life situations, and enjoys using this method with all ages.
As a therapist, Pennie’s goal is to help clients discover their path by becoming aware of their own strengths and abilities. Sometimes the most difficult times in one’s life offer the greatest opportunities for growth and development. As your counselor, Pennie would be honored to listen to the story of your journey and use her training to help you create your personal map to navigate your way to your goals.
Personal
I am a Northwest Arkansas native. I have been married to my sweetheart for over 30 years. My husband and I experienced eight years of infertility, then were blessed through the loving option of adoption with our daughter. Even though our daughter is a young adult now, we still love our family game nights and spending time together.
I enjoy any body of water, from the beach and the smooth sounds of a trickling creek.
I LOVE animals, especially horses. In fact, the time our daughter spent as a teen learning horsemanship was when I realized my desire to use horses in therapy. There is something about getting a hug from a thousand pound animal to let you know you are truly loved. You will often hear me say that I went through 3 years of grad school, just to be able to become an equine assisted counselor. I love what I do, and cannot wait to share this amazing experience with you!
Pennie@LinnBerry.com
Karol Williams
MS, LPC, ET
Equine Specialist & Mental Health Professional - LinnBerry Creative Counseling
Owner & Founder of Unstalled
About Karol
Karol Williams, founder of Unstalled, has a Masters of Science in Community Counseling and Marriage & Family Therapy. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in the state of Arkansas and holds a specialty license to implement equine assisted counseling.
Theoretical Approach
The primary theoretical approach used in Equine-assisted Counseling is Solution Focused Therapy. It’s counseling in a way that helps shift client focus from problem saturated beliefs to solution possibilities.
The techniques used in Solution Focused therapy and EAP link well and are considered a brief treatment. They promote empowerment to the clients who use their existing strengths and identify resources to bring about behavior change.
Along with being a mental health counselor, Karol has lifelong experience with horses and we are pleased to have such experience available to us at LinnBerry Creative Counseling.