CHAPS Equine Assisted Services | Our Team

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
PATH International ESMHL, Certified Driving Instructor, HERD Institute EFL, and ARIA Certified Riding Instructor & Certified Stable Manager

Our Executive Director is a Wyoming native from Ten Sleep. Kristen has an A.S. in Equine Science, a B.S. in Animal Science (Equine nutrition and management), a Masters of Agriculture in Equine Breeding and a M.S. in Agricultural Communications.

Kristen grew up on the back of a horse and spent her childhood on the family ranch working cattle, horses and pigs. She is certified through the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) in Western & English Riding as well as Stable Management. Kristen is also a PATH International certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Driving Instructor. She has also received EFL Level 1 from the HERD Institute.

Kristen has served in various positions as well as committees or boards which include PATH International WY State Representative, PATH International Region 10 Representative, PATH International Equine Services 4 Heroes Committee (committee chair for a year), and Veteran Village - AMNACS.

INSTRUCTOR
PATH International CTRI

Fleur Ahern came to Wyoming in 2008 with her husband of 20 years and 14 year old son. She is from Co. Willow Ireland and received her I.C.E.S. and B.H.S.A.I. training in Co. Kilkenny Ireland. While attending college, she was given the opportunity to teach and assist with The Riding for Disabled program which was very fulfilling and rewarding. She went on to work in England and America with polo and other areas of the horse industry.

Fleur is kind, easy-going and always has a smile on her face. She brings years of experience and a passion for horses and people with her to CHAPS. Her clients love her and each one has progressed his/her skills under Fleur's skilled tutelage.

Fleur is the 2022 Region 10 Credentialed Professional of the Year for PATH International. Congratulations Fleur!

INSTRUCTOR
PATH International CTRI & Certified Driving Instructor

Tracy has driven horses for over 30 years, with experience in all breeds in all combinations including single, team, tandem, random, unicorn, 4-up, and 6-up. She is PATH International dual-certified for riding and driving.

Tracy has taught riding and driving horses for over 20 years and worked for Coors with the 40-horse hitch. She has many years experience competing and working the in the draft horse industry.

Tracy is the 2021 Region 10 Credentialed Professional of the Year for PATH International. Congratulations Tracy!

INSTRUCTOR
PATH International CTRI & ESMHL

Fran lives in Milford, Ohio with her 20-year-old son and 2 dogs. She has two adult sons and twin grandsons. Fran began her journey into the horse world in 2013 when she began volunteering in adaptive recreational riding classes at a local PATH center. She quickly found that teaching is her passion and became a therapeutic riding instructor. For the past 4 years, Fran has been the head coach for a team of riders to the Special Olympics State Equestrian Competition. In her free time, she loves trail riding with her horse named Mickey and traveling.

Fran teaches at CHAPS May-September and returns to Ohio for the fall/winter.

BARN MANAGER
ARIA Certified Stable Manager, Certified Equine Masseuse and Equine Chiropractor

Gina's first ride was at the age of nine at Camp Tanasi, a Girl Scout camp in east Tennessee. Since then, horses have been a constant in her life. From working for lessons in Virginia, to schooling therapy horses in Colorado, and exercise riding rodeo horses in southern Wyoming, she has always found a way to work with and be around horses.

Gina is pleased to be able to work for CHAPS as the barn manager and feels it a privilege to care for the horses that are so important to all the riders and volunteers.

Gina is a certified Stable Manager through the American Riding Instructor Association (ARIA). She is also a certified Equine Masseuse and trained equine Chiropractor.

Gina is the 2023 PATH International Region 10 Equine Caretaker of the Year! Congratulations Gina!

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/INSTRUCTOR
PATH International ESMHL & Certified Driving Instructor

Teresa is an avid horse lover who spends a good deal of her time trailing horses and capturing them through photography.

For the past five years she has worked as an event photographer for an equine-based sports association and for many local rodeos. Traveling mostly on weekends during the summer, Teresa works over a five-state region capturing horses and their owners doing what they love.

Since 2016, Teresa has been volunteering her photography talents to CHAPS. Knowing first-hand the benefits horses can bring to a person struggling with their mental health, Teresa is very excited to be a part of CHAPS. The mission to help make a difference in the many lives of those who are struggling is near and dear to her.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Natalie Perkins is a dedicated and dynamic professional with a diverse background and a strong commitment to community service. Growing up on a cattle and buffalo ranch in Montana, she gained valuable skills in horsemanship, problem-solving, and resourcefulness, which she has carried into her career.

As the Prevention Education Coordinator for Uprising, she has successfully planned and executed anti-human trafficking initiatives across Wyoming, secured grant funding, and forged partnerships with nonprofits, businesses, and government organizations. Additionally, Natalie helped launch a local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, expanding mental health services and advocating for community resources.

With experience in leadership, de-escalation, event planning, and staff development, Natalie brings a collaborative and solution-driven approach to all her endeavors. Her passion for service is further complemented by her certifications in crisis management, mental health facilitation, and wilderness emergency response.  

LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR

Hello! My name is Paige and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Wyoming and Colorado. I grew up in Wyoming before moving to Denver to attend undergraduate and graduate school at the University of Denver.

While in Colorado, I earned my MA in International Disaster Psychology, focusing on trauma and culturally-informed, quality counseling practices.

I currently provide client-centered therapy for adults and children in Wyoming and work to create a safe space for my clients to explore their sense of self and self-worth, life’s stressors, transitions, relationships, anxiety, depression, and trauma. When not at work, I love playing tennis, seeing live music, and playing with my very energetic puppy Maya.

MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPIST

Kevin Vance is a marriage & family therapist in Sheridan, WY. For more than 20 years, he has helped others discover who they want to be and how to live more meaningful and purposeful lives while learning to be more flexible in responding to the world within and around them. With holistic practice, based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Family Systems Theory and mindfulness, Kevin walks alongside clients in their journey to a more complete and fulfilling life.

LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR

Beth grew up on a ranch in rural Nebraska and has been a “Wyoming-ite” for the past twenty years. While Wyoming is now her home, she continues to spend time in Nebraska on the family ranch. She completed both her undergraduate and graduate work in Nebraska.

Beth has worked as a teacher, counselor and social worker in a variety of settings. After 22 years of teaching and completing her M.Ed. degree, she worked with Sheridan Memorial Hospital as a Social Worker and moved into working as a Parent Liaison for Compass-Center for families. Beth also has a private practice in Sheridan where she works with all ages, individual and family. Her focus continues to be in the areas of anxiety, depression, ADHD, Autism, trauma, challenging behavior and family issues.

Beth holds a Wyoming license as a Licensed Professional Counselor. In addition to her counseling license, she also maintains her teaching certificate in K-6 Elementary Education, endorsed in K-12 Special Education and K-12 School Counseling.

Beth brings to CHAPS a love of outdoors and helping others through challenges in life. It is an amazing experience to see what horses can give to those in need.

In her “free-time” Beth enjoys baking, time with her family, her dogs and hiking in the beautiful Big Horn Mountains.

LICENSED PROFESSIONAL CLINICAL COUNSELOR

Julie was born and raised in Wyoming and experienced ranch life from the beginning, she loves living in our beautiful state as she continues to grow personally and in her clinical practices.

Julie graduated in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Capella University and is a licensed professional counselor with certification through the National Board of Certified Counselors. She carries certification in traumatic stress studies from the Trauma Research Foundation and continues to focus in this area. She practices from a multicultural integrative approach in cognitive-behavioral therapy with a solution-focus to empower her clients to reach their goals from a wellness modality of mental, spiritual, and physical health. She is a trauma certified therapist who works to incorporate a variety of modalities to meet her clients where they are.

She has over 20 years’ experience in working with people in our community in multiple settings (schools, state programs, athletics, and counseling) who struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. She specializes in trauma informed practices with children, adolescents, and adults to walk alongside them without judgement as she helps develop steps together to work towards goals in a way to help them see themselves as they would like to and inspires them to recognize the qualities that they have to offer themselves and others around them.

When Julie is not working, she loves to travel and explore the world in which we live. Through her traveling and life’s adventures (camping, boating, hiking, sight-seeing) she explores all that life has to offer. Her love of animals extends to her dogs and cat who share her house as they provide the comfort and stability that each can offer the other.