Shawn Rodrigues, LPC,
EAGALA Certified Professional since 2006
Shawn is a Licensed Professional Counselor and is the founder and clinical director of The Heart of the Matter, PLLC. Realizing the she never belonged in an office setting she soon found herself the choice of a terribly abused horse named Boise who was afraid of people, life and the world in general. As she nurtured Boise back to mental and phsyical health she found herself becoming a better therapist – more attune and empathic to the needs of her clients, better able to process their trauma – and so the search began to find others of like mind and practice. She found EAGALA and The Heart of the Matter was born.
Katrina Rodrigues, Equine Specialist
EAGALA Certified Professional since 2010
Katrina’s love and connection to horses was apparent at a very early age as did her involvement with EAGALA. Her intuitive, observational style made the EAGALA model an exceptional fit for her abilities and a logical venue for her talents.
Brendan Rodrigues
EAGALA II
Pulled into the world of horses by Shawn and Katrina, Brendan comes to us from a 25 year career coaching swimmers (and their parents). From itty-bitties to the elite athlete, he brings to the arena skills for team, relationship and communication building and adds a much needed male element to our otherwise female staff.
Karen Gerdes, LMFT
EAGALA Certified Professional since 2009
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Karen is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She began her EAGALA journey in the spring of 2009 and has volunteered in our program ever since. Karen's background in crisis intervention, trauma healing, and family systems brings added versatility to our therapy team. Karen is also trained in EMDR and Accelerated Resolution Therapy.