Maeve Birch Home

    Tag: Psychology

    • Coming In Strong for the New Year

      I took a two week break from the blog for the holidays. Between family visits, holiday parties, work, and travel, this introvert was exhausted. Isn’t it strange that we take time off only to fill it with activity? Some folks thrive on social activities, but I tend to get more worn down as they pile…

      Read more: Coming In Strong for the New Year

    • A Task Without an Outcome

      There’s a pony at the barn where I currently volunteer who is afraid of putting her face in a halter. She had been rescued from an abusive situation and is taking a while to warm up to the idea of voluntarily having something approaching her face. To catch her in the field, usually someone has…

      Read more: A Task Without an Outcome

    • Excerpt from the Chapter: Mirrors

      My barn mentor once told me, “The horse is a mirror where you can see your feelings reflected.” If you’re afraid, the horse becomes afraid. If you are calm, the horse is calmed. This is why horses are such good partners in psychiatric and behavioral therapy. They can sense emotions hidden even from the human…

      Read more: Excerpt from the Chapter: Mirrors

    • The Fear of Embarrassment

      All of us have felt the sinking feeling of embarrassment at some point in our lives. Something goes wrong and suddenly you’re wishing you were anywhere else but there. Maybe your heart was racing, you broke out in a sudden sweat, or felt numb. Maybe you got angry or struggled to hold back tears. The…

      Read more: The Fear of Embarrassment