I couldn’t be more thrilled to launch my Open Spaces website, and to write my first blog. My hope is...
About Open Spaces
Open Spaces is an Equine Facilitated Wellness (EFW) program located in beautiful Guelph, Ontario. We partner with horses to offer an experiential, client-centered and strength-based approach to counselling and therapy for children and youth. This meaningful therapeutic experience is based on connection, trust and relationship. Our hope is to create safe, nurturing spaces where clients can foster insight, give meaning to their experiences and develop coping strategies and skills to contribute to their mental health and wellness.

Hello, I’m Tricia Mellor
Therapist and Founder of Open Spaces
I was introduced to the horse world when my mom and dad signed me up for riding lessons as a child. Through my childhood and teenage years, riding lessons were my favourite part of the week. I experienced a deep connection to horses and found peace and fulfillment at the barn. I always approached riding as a partnership and treasured my relationships with the horses in my life.
Equine Facilitated Wellness (EFW) can help with:
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Anxiety
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Trauma and PTSD
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Sensory processing differences
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ADHD
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Depression
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Substance abuse issues
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OCD
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Eating disorders
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Relational/attachment-based difficulties
We cannot always control what happens to us in our lives, but we can control how we make meaning of it – by when, where and how we tell the story and explain its significance.
J. Roberts, 1994
Equine Facilitated Wellness (EFW) can help to:
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Develop social and relational skills
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Find new and healthy ways to communicate
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Establish and strengthen healthy boundaries
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Develop or regain a sense of control after difficult life experiences
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Feel safe, understood and connected
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Create effective coping strategies and skills
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Enhance self regulation and find ways of calming
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Foster insight into difficulties and give meaning to these experiences