Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff Hensley.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Prior to becoming a licensed professional counselor, I spent 21 years as a fighter pilot in the United States Navy and Naval Reserve and 10 years flying for United Airlines. I had a great contract with the airline, enjoyed the lifestyle, and loved getting to turn and burn in a Navy jet on the weekends. I never thought I’d want to be anything else but a pilot.
On the morning of 9/11/2001, I took-off from Hartford, CT as the First Officer aboard a United 737. As we flew the departure through beautiful clear skies over Manhattan, I found myself caught in the middle of an event that would change all our lives forever.
I spent most of the next 6 years on active duty, recalled 3 times including one 18-month mobilization in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Shortly after coming home from Iraq, my marriage ended and I found myself a single father caring for three young kids struggling with the legacy of war and divorce. Caught in the grip of a deep depression, I wasn’t much of a father. I definitely wasn’t the strong, stable one they needed.
When it finally became obvious we needed help, I reached out for counseling. I saw a counselor doing traditional talk therapy and my kids started working with a counselor doing equine therapy. For me, it helped to talk with someone but I could never get over the fact my counselor had no experience with or knowledge of the military. This hang up was all mine, but it kept me from fully investing myself in the process and I eventually quit going.
I probably would never have gone back to counseling, let alone become a counselor myself, had it not been for the experience my kids had with the horses. This unique therapy became a transformational experience for all of us. The kids developed a more realistic understanding of themselves and the world rather than one overly-based on fear and mistrust. The horses acted as catalysts for learning authenticity, respect, empathy, and self-confidence. They showed my kids they didn’t need to fear or avoid uncomfortable feelings. Through the bonds they formed with their horses, my kids learned they were valuable and worthy of love. Perhaps most importantly, they learned to accept they weren’t to blame for everything that had happened in the preceding few years – but feeling sad because of it was ok. Those few months proved to be a “pivot point” for the kids. They are now young adults, each embracing life with all its ups and downs and excited for what the future holds.
Having a front row seat to my children’s amazing transformation transformed me. I became fascinated by how counseling could change lives – and especially how horses seemed the perfect partners in this journey. I left United and never looked back.
Over the next few years, I earned my master’s in counseling, re-entered personal counseling and overcame my depression. Eventually, I met a wonderful woman (a fellow Navy veteran) and married again.
Today, I’m the Clinical Director at Equest in Dallas, Texas. At Equest, I work with a team of counselors, social workers, and equine specialists to provide equine-facilitated counseling (EFC) to veterans and military families. Every day I’m reminded of just how much counseling can help – and how, for so many folks, horses are the best counselors of all!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
When I retired from the Navy, finding my “fit” in civilian life was a huge challenge. In the military, I knew exactly what was expected of me and how my efforts contributed to mission success. When I took off the uniform for the last time, it was as if I stripped off my identity. Combined with the failure of my marriage, I began wondering if my best days were behind me.
My journey in personal counseling helped me make sense of the baggage that was weighing me down and identify the importance of finding purpose and meaning in my new life. At first, I closed ranks around my children and found meaning in being the best father I could be to them. Later, as my family began to heal, I found ways to leverage the military’s culture of service to find new purpose by helping my fellow veterans as a counselor and advocate.
Equest – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Equest is a local nonprofit that has spent the past 37 years helping people live richer, fuller lives by connecting them with horses. Historically, we’ve focused on special needs populations – children and adults with physical, emotional, or cognitive disabilities – but for the last 6 years we’ve been helping veterans and military families with their civilian transitions through our “Hooves for Heroes” program. What started with a single veteran has grown into one of the largest equine therapy programs for veterans in the country. Since 2012, we’ve helped over 800 veterans and military family members improve emotional regulation, develop greater self-awareness, and successfully deal with the symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues by challenging them to build an authentic relationship with a horse.
Our outcomes have been very encouraging, with average decreases in post-traumatic stress symptoms of 20% and average increases in quality of life measures of 25%. But I believe the more telling statistic is this – almost 90% of our participants show improvement on one or both of our assessment instruments and 70% show improvement on both. This tells us that just about everyone who comes to our beautiful ranch at the Texas Horse Park leaves in a better place. What we offer veterans and military families is not a service – it’s an opportunity to transform their lives.
Although we don’t charge any of our Hooves for Heroes participants, we do ask that they give back, either by volunteering with Equest or one of our nonprofit partners. It’s our way of leveraging the culture of service that forms such an essential part of their identity when in uniform. When we ask them to give back, we are asking them to become, as civilians, the men and women they were in the military – leaders and civic assets. The beauty is, they all do – they ALL give back. This is what makes me the most proud.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
For me, success is defined by the same things I believe most people want – to love and be loved, to have meaningful connections with others, and to live a purposeful life. My purpose comes through service.
Pricing:
- There is no charge for the veterans and military families who come to Equest through the Hooves for Heroes program – we ask only that they give back through volunteer work.
Contact Info:
- Address: Equest
Texas Horse Park, bldg. 4
811 Pemberton Hill Road
Dallas, TX 75217 - Website: https://www.equest.org/
- Phone: 972-412-1099
- Email: jhensley@equest.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equest/ (@Equest); https://www.instagram.com/hooves4heroes/ (@Hooves4heroes)
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Equest1981/; https://www.facebook.com/HoovesforHeroes/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EQUEST_TX (@equest_TX); https://twitter.com/Hooves4Heroes (@hooves4heroes)
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