Upcoming Workshops and Information on Our Team
Staff and Collaborators:
Jillian Rainwater, MA, LPC (she/her): Executive Director and Psychotherapist Lead
Jill is a National Certified Counselor with the National Board of Certified Counselors. She provides EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), SFBT (Solution Focused Brief Therapy) and EFP (Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy) at Connected Growth & Wellness. She also serves as a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor through PATH International, and her previous job experience includes providing therapy at healing centers such as Chastain Horse Park, Rooted Counseling and The Beekman Center. As a junior and collegiate equestrian, Jill won two national championships and three reserve national championships, and still competes successfully regionally and nationally as an adult. She served as the captain of the Wake Forest University Equestrian Team and has helped start PATH programs across the US. Known for her speaking at hospitals and colleges, Jill also provides consulting and training to therapy and medical practices.
Taylor Dowd-Kerr (she/her): Trainer and Certified USHJA Instructor
Taylor is a Certified Trainer through the United States Hunter Jumper Association and has owned a very successful horse training program since 2015, often having a waiting list into the hundreds. Taylor focuses her style toward all around horsemanship. She educates horses and riders on the ground and in the saddle with a strong emphasis on confidence. Taylor's goal is to teach teamwork by producing riders that greatly advocate for their horse's comfort and care while also helping horses find fortitude and happiness to willingly perform their job. She runs two facilities in the Lansing area, including one of the farms we provide therapy out of in Okemos, and has a reputation for providing expert care and training, individualized to each horse.
Dr. Amanda Buduris (she/her): EMDR Consultant and Growth Coach
Dr. Buduris is a Licensed Psychologist in Oregon and Washington who advises our Michigan program on strategy, best practices and clinical excellence. She is known for her ability to help practices across the country prioritize these areas: Inclusion, Growth, Authenticity and Connection. Dr. Buduris helped create Connected Growth & Wellness’s EMDR and EFP Intensives. She has dedicated her professional career to understanding how to help people move past where they get stuck, and teaching other practices across the country to do the same.
Maribeth Gajewski, LPC, NCC, ACS (she/her): Psychotherapist, Workshop and Group Leader
Maribeth is certified as a Trauma Focused Cogntiive Behavioral Therapist through the Trauma-Focused Cogntiive Behavioral Therapy National Therapist Certification Program. TFCBT is geared to support children and adolescents that have experienced trauma. Maribeth is also the owner and director of Always in My Heart Counseling and an Approved Clinical Supervisor through the National Board of Certified Counselors. She brings expertise and experience working with many parents and families. Family therapy provides an avenue for families to discuss concerns, identify needs and gain techniques for improving the household environment. Please note: Workshop rescheduled due to our relocation and Maribeth’s program launch on the other side of the state! Contact us for her website and phone number if you’d like to learn more, she’s worth the drive!
Ashley Knight (she/her): Operations, Client Support & Creative Assistance
We are delighted to have Ashley Knight of AshleyKnight.Co as part of our office team, providing behind-the-scenes support that adds ease, clarity, and consistency to our day-to-day operations. Ashley helps streamline scheduling, billing, registration, and client communication, allowing our therapists to focus fully on clients. Ashley specializes in organization, administrative systems, workflow improvement, and creative support, including social media management. She thoughtfully helps communicate the impact of equine-assisted therapy and the powerful role horses play in emotional and mental health. Ashley has also supported the growth of our program through creative outreach, grants, and donations. Ashley is passionate about supporting mission-driven work and helping meaningful stories reach the people who need them most.
Dustin Boehmer (he, him): Incoming IEA President, Coach, Trainer, Boarding Farm Manager
Dustin runs DMB Performance Horses in mid-Michigan. He is an ABRA Judge, Clinician, Coach and Trainer. Dustin is the president-elect of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association and currently oversees a YEDA team and two IEA teams. His youth program and well-organized, enormous facility provide an environment for anyone looking to build community, as well as a great backdrop for equine assisted therapy and experiential learning work. Dustin’s catch ride teams are a way for students to learn the versatility to ride multiple horses and help make the sport accessible to students with or without their own horse(s). In addition to hosting many of our sessions and classes, the incredible DMB facility hosts our twice-annual multi-day training workshops for Therapeutic Riding Instructors and Therapists seeking to learn Equine Assisted Mental Health.
Leesa Massman (she/her): Performance Coach, Clinic Leader
A Michigan State coach for over twenty years, Leesa is renowned across the country as a successful instructor of nearly every horse division and breed. She is the owner and director of Leesa Massman Coaching, and a master coach whom other trainers and instructors call in to help riders and horses get unstuck. Leesa has a consistent track record of amazing achievement (Instructing over 160 National Champion riders!) and incredible skill at describing things in ways anyone can understand.
In different seasons of each year, our team also can include interns from The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl) or Michigan State University, and leasers who exercise ride and handle our therapy horses to help keep them in tip top condition and health, and loving their jobs. We will feature them and our horses on social media, so we hope you will follow their experiences there.
Thanks to everyone helping our equine assisted therapy program grow!
The group of people whose kindness has helped make it possible for our newest therapy horse to join the team is too long to list! This month in particular, we’d like to express gratitude to the Arabian Horse Association, Arabian Horse Promotional Fund, Keystone Initiative, Brightside Used Tack and Consignment LLC, The Classic Equestrian, DMB Performance Horses, Curtis Performance Horses and Horses Haven.
