Medicine Horse Program Staff

Kathy Johnson, M.Ed - Executive Director
Kathy is a long-time trainer and riding instructor in Colorado and former President of the Foothills Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society. Kathy is a graduate of the University of Michigan honor's English program and is a Hopwood award winning writer. She has a master's degree in education from University of Houston where she taught rhetoric and composition while doing doctoral work. She taught at the Briarwood School in Houston, a non-profit school for children with learning disabilities, where she was junior class team leader. She was also a member of the experiential learning team and the discipline committee. Kathy has written articles published in national magazines including "The English Journal," "The Equestrian Journal," "The Chronicle of the Horse," "The Centaur" and "USDF Dressage Connections."

Cara Sams, MA, LPC - Program Director
Cara graduated with her Masters in Wilderness Therapy from Naropa University in Boulder, CO. The wilderness has fascinated Cara since she was a child growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania. She brings an appreciation for the sacredness of human relationships with nature to Medicine Horse. Cara is continually learning more about how horses provide a unique experience of relationship that help clients transform and heal. Cara has extensive experience working with youth in diverse settings including Medicine Horse programs, after school programs, residential treatment, and therapeutic horseback riding camps. Cara is EAGALA certified.

Tony Johnson - Marketing Director
Photographer, web designer and marketing professional, Tony has had a wide range of experience including magazine, fashion and sports photography, was a marketing manager for Americana Sportswear, web designer and programmer for Centrix Financial and led the web design team for Worldcom's Advanced Technology Group. Tony came to Colorado with e-commerce software startup, Novazen, Inc. where he served as Web Services Manager. Tony designed our web site, does most of our photography and our marketing collaterals.

Chris Johnson - Barn Manager

MHP Clinical Interns

Rebecca Sarino - Clinical Intern
Although loath to leave Northern California two years ago, Rebecca now proudly calls Boulder, Colorado and the gorgeous Rocky Mountains home. A Master's candidate in her third year at Naropa University studying Wilderness Therapy, Rebecca is dedicated to exploring the relationship between humans and the natural world. From backpacking in the desert canyons to volunteering with animal rescue organizations, Rebecca has personally experienced the healing capacity in her relationship with nature and the more than human world and is honored to support others in the process of healing and growth. As an intern at Medicine Horse, Rebecca combines her great love for horses with her therapeutic training in the practice of reciprocal healing. When not at Medicine Horse, Rebecca can be found gardening, camping, art making, and walking her beloved dog, Sadie.

Nathan P. Lee - Clinical Intern
Nathan is highly invested in the bio-neuro-physiology of the horse-human relationship in mounted equine facilitated psychotherapies. Nathan is a Master's student at Prescott College, and he is also training with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute to broaden his skills and understanding of how to utilize the body in psychotherapy. Nathan is developing a therapeutic riding curriculum that is a complementary blend of somatic therapies with his history of instructing traditional riding lessons.

Natalie Bassett - Clinical Intern
Natalie is studying for her Master's in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. As a child, she developed her love for horses through 4-H and English riding lessons. Natalie has worked with diverse populations and believes that the coupling of horses and a therapeutic setting can foster growth and healing.

Laura Campbell - Clinical Intern
Bio coming

 

Kathy King Johnson Named Executive Director of Medicine Horse

Medicine Horse Program is pleased to announce that Kathy King Johnson has been named Executive Director of Medicine Horse. Johnson, who has served as chief operating officer for the program for the past seven months, succeeds Karolyn A. Gazella, who will step down as Executive Director and join the Medicine Horse Board of Directors effective March 1.

"As COO, Kathy, together with Karolyn, has overseen dramatic improvements at Medicine Horse, both in facilities and programs, and she is the ideal person to succeed Karolyn in the position of Executive Director," said Cliff Neuman, Board Chair.

Before joining Medicine Horse Program, Kathy was a premier dressage trainer at Table Mountain in Golden. Kathy is a graduate of the University of Michigan honor's English program and is a Hopwood award winning writer. She has a master's degree in education from the University of Houston where she taught rhetoric and composition while doing doctoral work.

"I am very excited about the opportunities that we have at Medicine Horse and believe that we can make great strides in providing further support for the at-risk youth population that we are honored to serve. I look forward to working closely with our Medicine Horse community of friends, donors and volunteers to continue our important work," said Kathy.