Board Members
Nancy Waite-O'Brien,
Ph.D.
Chair
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 Dr. Nancy Waite-O’Brien is a psychologist, educator and author with nearly 30 years
of experience in addiction treatment both in the United States and in the Caribbean.
In 2004, she was named one of the sixty most influential women in the field of addiction
treatment by Counselor Magazine.
As the Vice President of Clinical Services at the Betty Ford Center, Dr. Waite-O’Brien
directs all clinical programs. Additionally, she stewards the Center’s training
programs which provide services within the organization and to professionals and
medical students who come to the Center from throughout the country. Dr. Waite-O’Brien
also coordinates training conferences on women’s treatment currently being presented
throughout the nation.
She is a frequent lecturer on issues related to women’s recovery. She has co-authored
texts on adolescent treatment and on women’s treatment, taught at Chapman University
and published research on shame and depression in early recovery.
Dr. Waite-O’Brien describes herself as a relative newcomer to the field of Equine
Facilitated Therapy/Education. She is a graduate of the EPONA program and has also
participated in workshops offered by EGALA, and by Barbara Rector. This summer she
joined a colleague in Finland offering Equine Facilitated workshops to three groups
of mental health professionals. She also developed a program that will allow alums
of the Betty Ford Center to join her and her horses in a process of experiential
learning. This program will begin in January of 2007
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Maureen Frederickson MacNamara,
MSW
Vice-Chair
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 Throughout her career as a social worker, Maureen Fredrickson-MacNamara has incorporated animals in working with children and adults with disruptive behaviors, and histories of trauma and overwhelming life challenges. She is recognized internationally as an expert on the human-animal bond and in the selection and evaluation of animals involved with a variety of client populations.
Maureen has a unique combination of human and animal behavioral knowledge, practical experience and clinical skills that enable her to help clinicians and organizations plan and implement effective animal-assisted interactions that support human growth and development. She has developed animal handling standards including training and handling protocols for horses and dogs in mental health programs. An experienced equestrian, livestock manager, TTOUCH? practitioner and animal trainer, Maureen has presented workshops and seminars throughout Europe and North America in human-animal interactions, applied animal behavior, methods of incorporating horses, livestock and companion animals in mental health and educational settings, and development of animal-assisted therapy programs.
Maureen is a past recipient of the Delta Society Distinguished Service Award and the ASPCA Trooper Award. As Vice President of Programs at the Delta Society, Ms. MacNamara was the creator of the Society's internationally recognized Pet Partners© program (received Points Of Light Award, 1994). Maureen provided direction and focus for national program services and curriculum development for the National Service Dog Center, Animal-Assisted Therapy Services, Pet Partners Program, and the People and Pets Program.
She is currently a doctoral student at the University of Denver and a fellow of the Institute for Human-Animal Connections. She created the University’s online courses in animal-assisted interventions and animal handling skills. Her scholarly interests include the role of animals in social work practice, and the use and application of animal-assisted interactions in social work, particularly for individuals with trauma histories and chronic illness.
Maureen is past President of the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association and is a founding member of the Commission of Certified Equine Facilitated Mental Health and Education Professionals.
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Barbara K. Rector
Secretary
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 In 1974, a cofounder of TROT (Therapeutic
Riding of Tucson, Inc.), Barbara utilized her skills as a Pony Club instructor to
teach - TROT. While acting as resource developer, director of instruction, and executive
director, she taught 45 weekly volunteers safe helping and handling techniques,
schooled and trained 12 horses and ponies, supervised and developed assistant therapeutic
riding instructors, while teaching 4 to 6 half day sessions of TROT classes for
approximately 80 students weekly. In 1989 - 90, at The College of the Holy Names
in Oakland, CA, she obtained a Master of Arts degree with an emphasis in Spiritual
Psychology. While at the Institute of Culture and Creation Centered Spirituality,
she worked as an intake counselor and group facilitator for near death and dying
youth, and women with homebound disabilities, at the Center for Attitudinal Healing
in Tiburon, CA While completing her thesis, she worked as the manager for NCEFT
(National Center for Equine Facilitated Therapy) in Woodside, CA. She is a 1965
graduate of the University of Arizona with a BA in Philosophy and English
In the early 90's Barbara developed Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy at Sierra Tucson
Hospital and co-founded FETE, Medicine Horse, in Flagstaff, AZ. At Sierra Tucson,
a private psychiatric hospital, she developed and coordinated Sierra Tucson's Integrated
Riding Resource Program for adolescents, family week treatment, the eating disorders
and trauma resolution units, while training the hospital medical staff in her model
for equine facilitated experiential process work - now trademarked as ADVENTURES
IN AWARENESS™ (AIA).
Barbara has developed the Adventures in Awareness Internship Program a series of
workshops and training seminars where professional facilitation skills and teaching
techniques of the AIA interactive equine exercises are learned and practiced. Educators,
health, horse and other animal professionals are provided a residential experiential
"learning through doing" opportunity to develop competency in the principles, theory,
and practice of Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) and practice of Equine Facilitated
Psychotherapy (EFP) utilizing the structural format of AIA.
Barbara co-founded EFMHA (Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association), a section
of NARHA . She has served as both a NARHA and an EFMHA board member and currently
sits on the EFMHA Standards Committee. Her first book, ADVENTURES IN AWARENESS,
Learning with the Help of Horses is available for order through your favorite bookseller
or www.aialearningwithhelpofhorses.com Currently Barbara works on her second book,
mentors students in the AIA Internship Program, conducts individual student intensives,
teaches training seminars and lectures on the AIA model for equine facilitated experiential
learning process work across the globe. Barbara is a founding board member for Animal
Therapy Association (ATA) which seeks to develop animal assisted therapy as a profession,
link existing 'model' practices, and generate educational degree programs. Her passions
are spending time with her grand girls and riding her horse Brownie in the desert
accompanied by her dog Cidar who is a leaping lizard chaser.
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Susanne Haseman
Treasurer
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 Susanne Haseman received an MEd in
Counseling from the University of Washington in 1976. She is a Licensed Clinical
Mental Health Counselor, and runs First Light Farm, a private practice animal assisted
counseling program and therapeutic riding center. She has worked in schools, counseling
centers, and most recently at the Regional Alternative Program at Wilder School
in Wilder, Vermont, where she provided animal assisted therapy to children at risk
and their parents, with the assistance of dogs and horses.
Susanne attended the High Hopes Instructor Training School, and is a NARHA Certified
Instructor at the Advanced Level. She was one of the founders of the High Horses
Therapeutic Riding Center in Wilder, VT., and a small therapeutic riding program
at Opengate Farm in Plainfield, NH.
She worked with Boo McDaniel to start the Horse Power Instructor Training School
in Temple, NH, and teaches there on mental health issues. She is also working with
Boo to develop the Horse Power Institute for Advanced Studies. She has lectured
on several topics at numerous therapeutic riding conferences and has written for
Strides Magazine.
Susanne was on the first Board of Directors for NESAR/NARHA Region 1, where she
initiated their scholarship program. She is now on the EFMHA Board of Directors,
and serves as the Secretary and Education Chair. As Education Chair she helped design
the EFMHA Equine Specialist Workshop and manuals, and is now interning to become
a faculty member. She participated in the initial organizational work to start the
Commission for Equine Facilitated Mental Health and Education Professionals.
She currently lives in Cornish, NH. She lives with 3 cats, 2 dogs (one is a registered
therapy dog, and the other a therapy dog in training), 6 horses and her very patient
and supportive husband of 31 years. Together they raised two wonderful children
who are now out on their own. She has also worked as a computer programmer for Dartmouth
Medical School, and ran Interactive Computer Systems, a free lance computer programming
business. She sings, dances and plays instruments with Revels North in Hanover,
NH.
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Molly DePrekel
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 Molly DePrekel is a psychologist in private practice
and is the Clinical Director for Minnesota Linking Individuals, Nature & Critters,
Inc. (MN LINC). For the past twelve years, she has utilized the unique relationship
people have with animals to assist her in therapy with clients. She has practiced
in hospitals, educational settings, mental health facilities, correctional sites,
and outreach centers. Her strengths include work with adolescents, families and
young women. She completed an internship at Green Chimneys in New York and continues
to utilize animals in her therapy work by working with dogs and horses as animal-assisted
therapists. She is involved with research in other areas of animal-assisted therapy
and is past President of the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA).
She is an EPONA approved instructor and has taught and facilitated workshops and
trainings around the country. Molly co-teaches a professional development course
in Animal Assisted therapy and Education which is approved for 66 ceu’s with the
Minnesota Board of Psychology. Currently Molly works on a farm near Minneapolis
and is training in Sensorimotor psychotherapy to expand her understanding of the
body/mind connection and animal assisted therapy. Molly lives in Minneapolis with
her dog, Mariah, who is her registered therapy dog and Pet Partner® through the
Delta Society.
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