our staff
Lisa Walker, Executive Director
PATH International Registered Instructor and Mentor
Lisa got her start in the therapeutic riding field when she donated her retired show horse, Ace, to R.O.C.K., Ride on Center for Kids. She then became a volunteer and conditioning team member and shortly thereafter started her student teaching.
After being a part-time instructor, Lisa was hired on as the Equine Director. This included managing a herd of 27 beloved horse partners, lead instructor for the Horses for Heroes program, lead instructor for the traveling horse show team, therapeutic riding instruction, chemical dependency program instruction, and supervising the facility and its 20 acres.
Lisa's obsession that led her to this field is equestrian competition. She started by competing at open and hunter/jumper shows over 25 years ago and has continued on with the AQHA, APHA, and PtHA breed shows. Lisa is proud to be a Special Olympics certified equestrian coach to share her passion with students.
Julie Biggs, Director of Instruction
Julie's passion and love of horses and children was realized years ago when she began volunteering for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate for Abused and Neglected Children). While participating in this role she came to realize that horses could play a significant role in the lives of children and adults alike.
So began her relationship with Jennifer Kaut, founder and director of Inspire Behavior Therapy and Consulting. It was through her partnership with Inspire that she began searching for an avenue to bring her love of horses and children together. She found PATH, International (formerly NARHA) and began her pursuit to become a certified instructor.
Julie is currently under the guidance and mentorship of Lisa Walker, Path instructor and mentor, and working toward acquiring her teaching certification.
As a mother of three and grandmother of six she has come to realize how special the bond between horse and human can be and the miracles that can happen.
Julie owns 4 horses of her own, one of which she has competed with in the National Cutting Horse Association as well as the American Cutting Horse Association. She is an active member of the American Quarter Horse Association as well as a Member of PATH, International.
Julie is looking forward to working with the students, volunteers, and the board members of HELP, Horse Empowered Learning Programs of Austin.
Kelsey Friedmann, M.A., LPC, LMFT
Equine Facilitated Learning, Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy
Kelsey has over 20 years experience working with at-risk and emotionally disturbed children and adolescents in many different capacities. She has worked as both a classroom educator, and special education counselor in public and private school settings. She has also worked in Residential Treatment Facility settings, and continues to work as a high and low R.O.P.E.S. course instructor and facilitator in the experiential and outdoor education fields.
Kelsey received her Master of Arts in Counseling from St. Edwards University in 2007, and is both a licensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been trained in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy by Greg Kerstin, founder of EAGALLA, as well as in the Natural Lifemanship model of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy by Tim and Bettina Jobe that is a trauma focused EAP model. Additionally, she is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for use in the treatment of PTSD and other trauma related conditions and in child/ parent relationship therapy to facilitate bonding, attachment, and better functioning relationships between parents and their children.
Michelle Burkhardt, Equine Director
Michelle comes to HELP with more than five years of volunteer experience in therapeutic riding at R.O.C.K., Ride On Center for Kids, where she was a horse handler, side walker, team leader, instructors assistant, was on the feeder and horse show teams, and is a Special Olympics class A volunteer.
Michelle's love for horses began when her grandma made her read Black Beauty at age 8, and since then she's taken care of many horses on ranches in California and Texas, a very short time on the Los Alamitos Race Course in California, and is now the Equine Director at HELP. She is very excited to be part of the program expansion at HELP and is looking forward to serving as many people in the community as possible.
Michelle would rather be outside with the horses than anywhere else. Her favorite thrill is when a horse—or several—are barreling toward her at full speed. When encouraging others to volunteer for therapeutic riding, she proudly explains, "The students will steal your heart and you'll never get it back."
our board
Mike Korth, Vice President
Flo Adams, Treasurer
Micki Eubanks, Secretary
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Since 1984, HELP has provided a safe and caring environment for people with challenges to experience the joy of equine partnership.
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