Two Spirit Counseling

Two Spirit Counseling is owned by Melanie Marklein, a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Marklein has a private psychotherapy practice in Urbana. Two Spirit Counseling was formed with the goal of bringing horse wisdom to people seeking a higher level of consciousness, increased self-awareness, and improved relationships. In addition to offering traditional psychotherapy, Two Spirit Counseling hosts regular workshops and retreats that employ horses in the art of human development.

Dr. Marklein is inspired by the Eponaquest Approach, which was developed by Linda Kohanov in 1997 and has received international attention for its innovative approach to human development, emotional awareness, energy healing, relationship and leadership skills, and spiritual growth.

Working with horses is a direct and experiential way of reuniting the body, mind, heart, and soul because of the highly sensitive nature of horses. They respond to the subtle energy and nonverbal cues that people send. With their behavior responses, horses provide immediate feedback to people about the energy we project, leading to increased self-awareness and in-the-moment opportunities to change habitual ineffective patterns.

Why horses? Horses never lie and they do not judge. Horses are not fooled by all of the defenses and masks people wear. Horses are magnificent creatures, embodying qualities like power, strength, and untamed spirit while simultaneously remaining intuitive, sensitive, vulnerable, cooperative, and nonviolent. We should all aspire to be as whole and balanced as the horse!