My journey in Being with Horses began back in 2015, when my horse Frankie stepped into my life, fulfilling my lifelong dream of having a horse of my own. Having grown up around horses in both Germany and the U.S., I initially trained in dressage, and later competed in three-day eventing. But throughout that time, there was always a nagging feeling that this wasn’t it. Competing felt stressful, and it didn’t feel like the horses enjoyed our training - there was so much tension, and frequent resistance and conflict, that it often felt like a fight. 

I dreamt of having a true relationship with a horse, where our communication flowed with ease, and we both truly enjoyed our time together. So I began searching for other approaches to being in relationship with horses, and found a video depicting the journey of a girl and her horse after she discovered the Being with Horses philosophy. Her horse started out with the stressed and shut down expression I had become so familiar with, but then his expression shifted to where he was just beaming with energy and pride. I thought to myself: “This is it! This is what I want!” 

I attended my first intensive with Sabine and Dan in 2016, and thus began the “great unlearning.” It became clear that Frankie and I both carried traumas and conditioned survival patterns from our time in traditional training, which were preventing us from building a trusting connection. But with the guidance of Sabine Birmann’s books, as well as continued yearly intensives and internships in Germany and the US, we were eventually able to heal and form a deep connection - the kind I had always dreamed of. Now, we dance and play, and when he carries me on his back he is so proud and motivated. He always communicates very clearly with me, and I can truly say that we love each other, and deeply cherish our time together. 

Soon people began to notice these changes between Frankie and I, and started asking for help with their own horses. So, with Sabine’s blessing, I started facilitating private sessions and intensives. In 2019 I organized an intro clinic with Sabine and Dan here in the U.S., which is where I met Emily and her horse Soldier. Since then, Emily and I have bonded over our love and passion for this work, and continue to collaborate in sharing the Being with Horses philosophy with horse-people all over the U.S. through clinics, individual intensives, and our Horse Time Podcast.

In addition to her work as a Being with Horses facilitator, Carla works as a licensed mental health counselor in private practice, where she supports clients through trauma recovery, identity exploration, and building a life that supports and affirms their unique neurotype. She holds degrees in Ecopsychology and Counseling Psychology, and is trained in Trauma Treatment for CPTSD, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy, and Neurodiversity-Affirming Care.