Nina Ekholm Fry, MSSc., CCTP, has specialized in equine-assisted therapy as a treatment strategy in psychotherapy and counseling for the past 12 years. She is the Director of Equine Programs at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection and Adjunct Professor at University of Denver where she leads the Equine-Assisted Mental Health Practitioner Certificate post-master program. Nina is the former Director of Equine-Assisted Mental Health at Prescott College and served as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Counselor Education until 2014. She is an Executive Board member of the national Certification Board for Equine Interaction Professionals (CBEIP), a member of the Equine Research Network (EqRN) and has trained in a number of equine-assisted approaches in North America and Europe.
She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and has worked with populations diagnosed with trauma/PTSD, ASD, ADHD, anxiety and addiction, as well as with youth-at-risk, cancer survivors, and military service members and veterans, and consults on psychotherapy services with horses for several providers nationally. In addition to client work and teaching, Nina conducts facilitation workshops and is the Editor of the Scientific and Educational Journal of Therapeutic Riding, published by the International Federation of Horses in Education and Therapy (HETI).
Nina holds a certificate in equine management (Vocational College of Ostrobothnia) and is a certified Riding Instructor (CHA level 4/4). Nina is a certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and a certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning through PATH International. Nina is a former Equestrian Special Olympics coach, and teaches Equine Behavior at Yavapai College in Arizona. As a practitioner member of the International Society of Equitation Science (ISES), she is dedicated to ethical equitation, correct application of learning theory, and the understanding of equine cognition, behavior, and mental states as part of equine management, assessment, handling, and training. Nina has a particular interest in equine welfare issues, both in equine-assisted services and in human-horse interactions in general. From 2015 to 2016, Nina served as the interim Program Director for the Equine Initiative at the Yavapai Humane Society in Arizona where she started an adoption-focused equine rehabilitation and re-training program, and designed the YHS Equine Center. Nina remains active in the equine welfare community in the United States and consults on equine behavior and facility design nationally.