In this episode, Dr. Brenda Murrow shares how learning from Dr. Rachaël Draaisma, an expert in horse behavior, has changed the way she shows up in the therapy room. What started as curiosity turned into a deeper appreciation for the power of observation, body awareness, and learning from unexpected places.
Brenda talks about what it means to really pay attention—to notice what’s not being said, and how our bodies communicate even when our words don’t. She shares how working with horses challenged her to move beyond just reading and thinking, and instead practice noticing, feeling, and responding in the moment.
We talk about subtle cues, like calming signals and body language, and how they show up in both horses and humans. Brenda also opens up about the discomfort of learning in new ways and why that discomfort can lead to growth.
This episode is a reminder that there’s wisdom all around us—even in the barn—and that sometimes the best way to understand people is to step outside the usual and pay attention in a new way.
References and More Information:
Book Club: https://connection-therapy.com/book-club
Webinar December 8th with Dr. Rachaël Draaisma:
https://connection-therapy.com/product/dr-rachael-draaisma-presents-language-signs-calming-signals-of-horses
To learn more about Rachaël’s work, visit calmingsignalsofhorses.com or check out her book Language Signs & Calming Signals of Horses (2017).
Podcast: Mark Solms on Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD, May 28, 2021
Podcast: Jaak Panksepp on the Unadulterated Intellect #77
Jaak Panksepp & Lucy Biven. (2012). The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) 1st Edition. W. W. Norton & Company.
Lone Guardian, LLC, https://www.theloneguardian.org/
Mentioned in this episode:
Fall Book Club: Language Signs & Calming Signals of Horses by Dr. Rachaël Draaisma
For more information:
https://connection-therapy.com/book-club
Fall Book Club
