Ohana Counseling Services offers a wide range of mental health services, including individual therapy, couples counseling, family therapy, EMDR, and Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy. Serving Surprise, Arizona and surrounding West Valley communities, we provide personalized, evidence-based care for children, teens, adults, couples, and families. Our integrative, client-centered approach is designed to support emotional healing, strengthen relationships, promote emotional balance, and encourage meaningful, long-term personal growth.
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) is a powerful, experiential form of therapy that incorporates horses into the therapeutic process to support emotional healing, self-awareness, and personal growth. At Ohana Counseling Services, we offer Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Surprise, Arizona, serving individuals, couples, and families throughout the West Valley. No prior experience with horses is needed—this approach is not about riding, but about connection, reflection, and meaningful interaction.
Horses are highly attuned to human emotions and nonverbal communication, making them insightful partners in therapy. During guided sessions with your licensed therapist, Jennifer Holloway, and one or more horses, clients often gain real-time awareness of patterns related to relationships, boundaries, emotional regulation, and stress responses. These moments of insight can lead to deeper understanding and lasting change.
Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy can be especially supportive for individuals working through trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, low self-esteem, and difficulties with emotional regulation. The outdoor, hands-on nature of equine therapy offers a grounding, body-based experience that supports nervous system regulation and emotional processing in a safe, nonjudgmental environment.
Whether you’re seeking a new perspective, deeper connection, or an alternative to traditional talk therapy, Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy in Surprise, AZ offers a unique and transformative path toward healing, balance, and personal growth.
At Ohana Counseling Services, we are proud to offer EquiLateral: The Equine-Assisted EMDR Protocol® (EA-EMDR)—a specialized, evidence-based approach to trauma therapy available in Surprise, Arizona and serving the surrounding West Valley communities.
EquiLateral: The Equine-Assisted EMDR Protocol® (EA-EMDR), created by Sarah Jenkins, is a structured, phase-based trauma treatment that integrates Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) with standard Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This innovative model, typically ground-based, incorporates guided interaction with horses to support somatic grounding, emotional regulation, and trauma reprocessing.
By combining the proven effectiveness of EMDR with the intuitive, responsive nature of horses, this approach offers a unique and deeply experiential path to healing. Clients often find that working with horses helps bring awareness to emotional patterns, supports nervous system regulation, and creates a sense of connection that enhances the therapeutic process.
EquiLateral® EA-EMDR may be especially helpful for:
No prior experience with horses is needed. Sessions are guided in a safe, supportive environment with a focus on both client and animal well-being.
If you’re looking for Equine-Assisted EMDR Therapy in Surprise, Arizona, this specialized service offers a powerful opportunity to heal in a way that is both grounded and transformative.
👉 To learn more about the EquiLateral® model, visit:
https://eaemdr.com/
Individual therapy is a collaborative, one-on-one process designed to help you explore your thoughts, emotions, experiences, and goals in a safe, supportive, and confidential environment. At Ohana Counseling Services, we provide individual therapy in Surprise, Arizona, supporting adults, teens, and children who are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, relationship concerns, or feelings of overwhelm or being stuck.
The therapeutic relationship is central to this work. Together, you and your therapist will explore what is impacting your mental health, identify patterns that may no longer be serving you, and develop healthier coping strategies to support emotional balance and long-term well-being. Sessions are personalized to your unique needs and may incorporate evidence-based approaches such as EMDR, CBT, DBT, and other integrative modalities.
You don’t need to have everything figured out to begin therapy. Whether you’re seeking clarity, emotional support, or personal growth, individual therapy offers a space to better understand yourself, process past experiences, and move forward with greater confidence, resilience, and self-awareness. Our goal is to support meaningful change and improved mental health through compassionate, client-centered care.
Couples therapy offers a caring, neutral space where partners can slow down, feel heard, and work together to strengthen their relationship. At Ohana Counseling Services in Surprise, Arizona, we support couples as they navigate conflict, trust concerns, life transitions, emotional distance, and relationship stress—with guidance that honors both individuals and the relationship as a whole.
In sessions, partners are gently supported in learning healthier ways to communicate, better understand one another’s needs, and approach conflict with greater clarity and respect. Together, we explore patterns that may be creating disconnection and work toward building emotional safety, mutual understanding, and deeper connection. Therapy is thoughtfully tailored to each couple’s unique dynamic and goals, whether you are dating, married, separated, or moving through a period of change.
Couples therapy is not only for moments of crisis. Many partners seek support as a proactive step toward nurturing their relationship, reconnecting emotionally, and creating a stronger foundation. With care, intention, and support, couples therapy can provide space for healing, renewed closeness, and a shared path forward—helping you move ahead together with greater understanding and hope.
Family therapy provides a caring, structured space where families can slow down, feel heard, and begin working through challenges together. At Ohana Counseling Services in Surprise, Arizona, we support families as they navigate conflict, life transitions, behavioral or emotional concerns, and moments of disconnection—with care that honors each family member’s experience.
In family therapy, we gently explore how each person’s emotions, experiences, and patterns of interaction shape the family dynamic. Sessions are guided with the intention of improving communication, creating clearer and healthier boundaries, and developing effective ways to problem-solve together. Our focus is on helping families move away from blame or reactivity and toward empathy, collaboration, and meaningful connection.
Family therapy can be especially supportive during parenting challenges, sibling conflict, divorce or separation, grief and loss, mental health concerns, or blended family transitions. We welcome families of all structures, sizes, and stages of life, meeting you where you are with understanding and respect.
Family therapy is not about assigning fault—it’s about fostering understanding, healing, and positive change. With gentle guidance and support, families can strengthen their relationships, deepen emotional connection, and create a more supportive and nurturing home environment.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help individuals heal from trauma, distressing memories, and overwhelming life experiences. At Ohana Counseling Services, we offer EMDR therapy in Surprise, Arizona, supporting clients who are struggling with PTSD, anxiety, depression, phobias, and emotional distress that may feel difficult to move past.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR works with the brain’s natural ability to process and resolve emotional pain. Through guided bilateral stimulation—such as eye movements, tapping, or sounds—EMDR helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they no longer feel as intense or disruptive in the present.
Reduced emotional intensity of traumatic or distressing memories
Improved emotional regulation and sense of control
Greater insight into how past experiences impact current thoughts and behaviors
Decreased symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and phobias
Long-lasting healing through safe, structured memory processing
EMDR can be especially helpful if you feel “stuck,” easily triggered by past experiences, or if talk therapy alone has not provided the relief you’re seeking. Whether trauma stems from a single event or ongoing emotional stress, EMDR offers a gentle yet powerful path toward clarity, resilience, and healing—helping you move forward with greater ease and confidence.
*DISCLAIMER*
Please be advised that while we may assist in submitting claims or verifying your benefits, there is no guarantee of insurance coverage or reimbursement for therapy services. It is ultimately your responsibility to understand the terms of your insurance policy, including:
Any services not covered by your insurance are your responsibility to pay. We recommend contacting your insurance provider directly to confirm your mental health benefits before beginning treatment.
Insurance carriers also require a diagnosis and will make determination for coverage based on “medical or clinical necessity.” They may not always see value in the work that is done in sessions that focus on relational concerns (i.e. couples therapy) or adjustment to stress and life transitions and will therefore deny coverage for these services.
We provide heart-centered, supportive care where you can show up exactly as you are. Our experienced, trauma-informed therapists use evidence-based, integrative approaches—including EMDR, DBT, CBT, IFS, and Gottman Method—to support meaningful healing for individuals, couples, and families. We proudly offer specialized Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy for hands-on, experiential growth, as well as convenient telehealth appointments for those who prefer care from home. Rooted in the Surprise, Arizona community, our team is dedicated to honest communication, personalized treatment, and creating a healing environment built on trust, connection, and genuine understanding.
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