Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Lauko.
Hi Jacqueline, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started out as a board member of the Coastal Therapeutic Riding Program in college. Helping a therapeutic riding program wasn’t enough for me, so I went on to get my master’s degree in counseling so I could go a step further. As I did that, I worked as a special needs para educator and helped to design an inclusive program for children with Autism so they weren’t just stuck in a self-contained classroom. I moved to AZ, where this type of experiential therapy flourishes, and I started my practice after rounding in a psychiatric hospital to get my “hours” in the field. I am currently a licensed professional counselor, a nationally certified counselor, and a board-approved clinical supervisor. I am also sponsored by the National Board for Certified Counselors (ACEP NO. 8101), which allows me to train other clinicians so they can earn continuing education credit. This is not an easy task, as I had to prove I’m an expert in my field.
I founded The Icarus Model® of equine-assisted therapy and learning in 2020 and have since taught internationally. I am honored to be able to pass my passion to others and help promote awareness of how to partner with horses in therapy and give them a choice to participate. I see animals and humans as equals, so the horses have just as many rights as the clients do. What sets this model apart from others is we teach clinicians 1:1 virtually or in person for 24 hours. We also stay on for 1 full year for consultation included in the price. The main models of EAP/EAL have additional fees for consultation after the initial certification phase, which can be difficult for students and novice practitioners, so I’ve included all of my follow-up sessions in the initial pricing. I also include an 84 pg manual with 34 activities that you can also purchase online without doing the certification! The one for sale is a bit shorter at about 74 pages. There are 3 versions to purchase (first responder, group curricula, quick 10).
I had never dreamt that I would be teaching a model of therapy I created globally when I first started so this has been an amazing adventure for me. I also have so many mentors in this field to thank, like Dr. Rise VanFleet, Jenn Pagone, Dr. Shannon Anderson, and Dr. Susie Fay.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Ha! Not at all! Financially, it was so hard! I had to work full-time through college to pay all my expenses and then work to pay to move out to Arizona as a teacher’s aide, making 18k a year. That was hard for me. Once I moved to AZ, I had to work 3 jobs to pay for my lifestyle. My mom always believed in me and taught me to work hard, so I always thank her for that. When I was 5, she told me I would have an amazing life helping people and animals, and I did that!! So many kids don’t have the career support they need to pursue their dreams. I taught riding lessons, cleaned houses, ran riding clinics, waited tables, pet sat, worked at the psych hospital, and even picked up overnight shifts to make more money. I also worked out and rode my horses every other day to stay in shape, as physical health is important to me! I like to say my ADHD helps with my energy! That was a struggle, too, as I wasn’t diagnosed until age 18. The new therapy I did helped me to overcome testing and the trouble I had learning so that I could do better in college and grad school! I had to work and study much harder than most of my peers. I was able to pass the national boards in 2011, the very first time, which was an accomplishment for me! I am now a nationally certified counselor!
I was diagnosed with EDS (Ehler-Danlos Syndrome), which took a toll on me when I turned 30, so I had to enter into an exercise program to continue being active (riding horses and hiking). When I started my practice, many people didn’t believe I could make it work b/c I had so many far-out ideas. But today, I am living proof that I could make it work!! I am so lucky to have so many doctors, agencies, and clients support me!! I live the life of helping others through fun therapies, which is what I have strived to do my entire life, so these little struggles were worth it!
Recently, one of the biggest struggles I’ve experienced has been navigating moments when colleagues don’t always support one another.
I have always been a strong supporter of other professionals and genuinely believe that we are stronger when we lift each other up. So, experiencing criticism and negativity online from people I don’t know as my work has become more well-known has been especially difficult and, honestly, very sad.
I’ve found that this dynamic is unfortunately not uncommon in our field, which feels like such an oxymoron because we are counselors. We spend so much of our time encouraging empathy, compassion, understanding, and healthy relationships—and I believe those same values should extend to our professional community.
I hope that this article brings some light to this issue and encourages all of us to think about how we can better support one another.
There is room for different approaches, ideas, specialties, and perspectives. We don’t have to agree with one another to respect and encourage one another.
Let’s create a field where we celebrate each other’s growth rather than feel threatened by it. When we support one another, everyone benefits—including the clients we are here to serve.
As you know, we’re big fans of Skye Therapy Solutions. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a cutting-edge agency that strives to help our unique population in a neurodiverse way! We offer individual therapy, group therapy, life coaching, social skills groups, outings, horse yoga, hypnotherapy, retreats, parenting skills, and consulting. We are trained in some upper-level modalities such as Somatic Experiencing®, IFS®, Equid Nexus®, sensorimotor psychology, and clinical hypnosis. We will do whatever our clients need to be successful. I have even hired certain guests for my group therapy and Autism program to meet the needs of the current clients. We have had personal trainers, horse yoga instructors, sound healing instructors, bird therapy, swim therapy, face your fears series, and self-defense trainers (Amazon self-defense). I have seen so many positive outcomes with my clients that I can’t ever see myself retiring, as I love this life. I say life because this isn’t just a job for me. It is my life! Unlike mainstream agencies, it takes me a year to train my new counselors to ensure they are a good fit and have the skills to offer this upper-level therapy. The interview process alone is 3-6 months, as I have my current counselors interview them, along with having them do a test group with my clients as a volunteer. We work with children and young adults, so they must have the skills to read non-verbal cues and adjust themselves to what the client needs. I want people to know we go above and beyond and will get results!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love how diverse our city is as I live in Gilbert, so there is farmland and suburbia all in the same ZIP code! I love the different groups of people in our area who provide soul to our community. Spreading cultural passions, love and spirituality is important for a community. It takes a village to raise a child, so I love how the community can come together during festivals, worship, and other events. I feel very safe in Gilbert, which is important to me as I run my business out of my home, so I need to feel safe. It wasn’t feasible for me to run my business out of an office and then a stable because we just didn’t have the time to commute to and from while seeing clients full-time.
Pricing:
- 100-275
- The Icarus Model ® $150
- The Icarus Model ® quick 1 $60
- The Icarus Model ® 1st responder $75
- The Icarus Model ® certification $4,000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://skyetherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icarusmodel1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skyetherapy1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ9HmKxPNFYB0Q4SOLUSl5w
- Other: https://skyetherapy.com/icarus-model/
