the streets raised us…
and horses saved us
kristen de marco

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Aired June 14, 2019

Kristen de Marco is an Equine Specialist with a lifetime of experience riding and training horses. She is the executive director of Gateway HorseWorks and has combined a lifetime of equestrian experience with her background in psychology to help humans partner with horses in new and innovative ways. She is passionate about helping individuals, teams, families and corporate groups improve their quality of life through guided interactions with horses.

Kristen studied communication arts and psychology at Villanova University in Philadelphia before working in the fashion industry. In 2011, she became a certified equine specialist through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA). Kristen combined her expertise in corporate communication, psychology and equine behavior to create team experiences involving horses to promote positive change within organizations. In 2012, Kristen founded WorkHorse, a company which supports the organizational needs of corporate teams, school districts and other groups, to offer this programming to a wider audience.

In the summer of 2015, she founded Gateway HorseWorks, a Philadelphia based non-profit dedicated to offering equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP) to children, adults and families. Their mission is to offer transformative EAP services to assist in the recovery from mental illness, trauma and grief. The organization seeks to be a leader in the field of education and EAP services and is committed to the wellness of the mind, body and spirit of its clients as well as environmental sustainability.

Gateway HorseWorks values the promotion of self-discovery, growth and learning by establishing an environment based on integrity, trust, teamwork and communication. Under Kristen’s direction, the organization strives to be a leader in the field of EAP and is partnering with West Chester University to conduct cutting-edge research related to its use.
 

Gateway HorseWorks, a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3), offers Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) in a farm setting to children, adults, and families as a proven tool for healing, growth, and recovery from mental health conditions, trauma, grief, addiction, human trafficking, depression, and abuse.