Cheryl Meola

Dr. Cheryl Meola is a counselor, supervisor, and educator in the field of mental health. She is the founder of a private practice where she specializes in equine-assisted therapy and a founder of a non-profit focused on granting access to equine-assisted services to those in need. At Walden, she teaches courses in the clinical counseling program. Her research has been focused on equine-assisted learning and therapy with various populations, including adolescents in inpatient substance abuse treatment and veterans, as well as the efficacy of equine-assisted supervision with counselors-in-training. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences on these topics and published in multiple peer-reviewed journals. She has also published a book on how to develop skills to help with anxiety. In 2015, she was recognized as the Equine Facilitated Psychotherapist of the Year by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International for her contributions to the field. Her second book, Integrating Horses into Healing, was published in March 2023 and is a comprehensive, collaborative guide to working in the field of EAS.

Education

PhD, East Carolina University

MEd, Bridgewater State University

BBA, University of Massachusetts